Rare town and city sightings of shy bird
I’ VE always loved the unnatural history of wildlife, and even now, after forty years in the Press, I am still finding out new things.
For example, when researching a piece on the influx of Russian woodcocks in London, of all places, I came across a legend about Scandinavian goldcrests – tiny, tit-like birds which also leave their homelands for the UK when the colder wweather hits. Because goldcrests and woodcocks are often seen arriving together along Britain’s East Coast, it was once believed that goldcrests hitched a ride on the backs of woodcocks to enable them to cross the North Sea.
This led to goldcrests earning the nickname ‘the woodcock’s pilot’.
In recent weeks, the RSPB has received reports of woodcock – a bulky wading bird with a long bill – showing up in back gardens and even cities. Surprised members of the public have also taken to social media to share pictures of birds appearing in urban areas, including central London.
Many birds appear dazed and confused, having collided with buildings and windows. But as birds which usually live in woodland and rural habitats, what are they doing in our cities? Because they make their long journeys – often over 1,000 miles – during the night, flying low, woodcock are prone to bumping into unexpected landmarks. Often these are tall buildings next to rivers, suggesting the birds are using rivers as migratory paths. Experts also suggest that woodcock are lured by artificial lights, and can mistake glass windows and shiny office buildings for the open sky.
These enigmatic birds are normally shy and hard to see, and just to the difficulties by their amazing camouflage, they have eyes set further back on the sides of their heads than any other bird in the U.K, giving them 360° vision to help them spot approaching predators. Basically this adaptation means that the woodcock can sit motionless but still spot any danger in the form of foxes or humans. I’ve actually walked up to a woodcock squat in the snow, sticking out like, well, a sore thumb, and the bird only moved when I moved my hand towards it.
Woodcock eat mostly earthworms, which they extract using their long bills. However during the cold winter of 1962-3, when the ground became too hard to penetrate, some starving woodcock were found to be coming to urban areas in search of food.
The RSPB is encouraging people to interfere as little as possible if they find a woodcock which has strayed off course and isn’t visibly injured. Given time to recover in peace, they will normally fly off and resume their journeys when ready.
The woodcock is one of my favourite birds, and their ‘roding’ flight is unmistakeable at dusk, and my painting seen here, is in the woods at the side of Rhodeswood Reservoir in Longdendale, my old stomping ground.
The woodcock is classed as a game bird and in some quarters highly prized for it’s unique taste. Some fans of the meat would tell you to roast the bird whole without removing the innards, and they’d fight you to suck the brains out. Honestly that’s a true story, although I did make the fighting bit up.
A poet friend of mine
Ian Marriot after coming across a woodcock sitting tight, described the moment in his poem ‘Shyness’ from his award winning collection, ‘The Hollow Bone’.