Woodcock

This morning I made the long drive up to the Snipe site, this place is
absolutely buzzing at the minute, with all species present and all are
posing very nicely making for some superb views.

After filling 20GB worth of cards with Common Snipe shots I decided
to head back down the valley and try for the numerous Redshank that
litter the dry stone walls. As I drove along one of the tracks I noticed
what looked like a very large Snipe, but this bird was much bigger than
a Common Snipe and it turned out to be a Woodcock. Never in my
wildest dreams did I ever think I would see this species on high heather
moorland, as the Woodcock is a woodland bird and mainly nocturnal and
spends most of the day in dense undergrowth, so to find one sat on a
dry stone wall was amazing. Unfortunately he wasn't very well and had an
injured leg, which could be the reason for him being out in the open. I'm
hoping he makes a swift recovery as he is such a stonking bird.

Until next time, thanks for dropping by.

Andy...