Woodcock arrive in number

As woodcock begin to appear in numbers on shoots across the country, records from GPS trackers mounted by French scientists have revealed a remarkable picture of the bird’s migration activity.

A mass arrival of woodcock is generally expected on the November full moon, however reports from around the country suggest that the main fall of the birds occurred in stormy conditions under a

waning gibbous moon a few days later. Among the birds heading west with the wind at their backs was Strenn. The bird was tagged by hunters in Finisterre. Astonishingly, the scientists were able to record a ground speed of 80mph, when the bird had a strong tail wind, though top speed dropped to 18mph when the wind dropped off. The bird was also logged at an altitude of 400 metres, flying strongly through rain.

A major fall of woodcock always sees a few pop up in unlikely locations, and this year saw the standard smattering across suburban gardens. One bird cut a distinctive dash by showing up outside the salon of upmarket Paris hairdresser Jean Louis David.

Most woodcock fall after November’s full moon