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The *Weirdest* thing just happened to me! (1 Viewer)

SimonC

SimonC

Still listing - I'll capsize one day
I was just outside locking up at work when I noticed a bird come flying towards me quite low. "Brilliant" I thought, "I'm going to get an Owl for the yearlist". But no! It landed in front of my car (about four feet away from me) and it was a Woodcock!!!!!

Bear in mind I work in a large industrial estate, this is a very good record for the worklist!!

Just thought I'd share that with you before I go home! ;)
 
Now that is a very unusual sighting, well done, I have only seen one in the whole of my life, and that was when I was working too!
 
Simon, I AM GUTTED!

I spent 3 mornings last week in PRIME WOODCOCK TERRITORY and didn't see a bleedin' thing! I was looking for them specifically an' all! (Oh and LSW).

Couldn't give me the grid ref. could you?
 
Darrenom said:
Simon, I AM GUTTED!

I spent 3 mornings last week in PRIME WOODCOCK TERRITORY and didn't see a bleedin' thing! I was looking for them specifically an' all! (Oh and LSW).
Couldn't give me the grid ref. could you?
Click to expand...

You must never look for anything specific. And never write down that you are going to so and so to look for so and so. Then it will surely not happen. ;)
 
SimonC said:
I was just outside locking up at work when I noticed a bird come flying towards me quite low. "Brilliant" I thought, "I'm going to get an Owl for the yearlist". But no! It landed in front of my car (about four feet away from me) and it was a Woodcock!!!!!

Bear in mind I work in a large industrial estate, this is a very good record for the worklist!!

Just thought I'd share that with you before I go home! ;)
Click to expand...
We used to live in the middle of Loughborough and, one day, a woodcock whirred its way down our road. Goodness knows how often that kind of thing happens - but, as you found, it's good when it does. Aren't they fine birds?
 
A few years ago one killed itself smashing into my hall window - frightened the life out of me (didn't do much for the woodcock, either!)
 
Strangely I had woodcock today too, at about 4.30 this afternoon as I came out of the doctors in a nearby town - it flew past us in the car park. Rounded off a good non-birding afternoon as I'd had waxwing flying over the supermarket car park a couple of hours before.
 
Darrenom said:
Simon, I AM GUTTED!

I spent 3 mornings last week in PRIME WOODCOCK TERRITORY and didn't see a bleedin' thing! I was looking for them specifically an' all! (Oh and LSW).

Couldn't give me the grid ref. could you?
Click to expand...

Yeah ok, it was roughly TL 262 268 :bounce:

This was actually the second (or was it third?) woodcock in two weeks, I flushed one twice (or maybe it was two birds?) on the edge of the woods as I walked round on my lunchbreak a couple of weeks ago. Grid reference for that is TL 268 266 (and yes i know you were joking btw!)
 
Ho hum, I'll keep trying. Wouldn't DREAM of twitching a Woodcock........although.......... with my Life list!

They've reached the realm of semi-mythic bird for me....along with Tree sparrow, LSW and med. Gull. They exist only in the imagination of others I reckon.
 
scampo said:
... Aren't they fine birds?
Click to expand...

Certainly are Steve!

This one looked like it was exhausted actually. It flew off over a wall and appeared to land in a patch of bushes in a car park about 10 yards away.

Am I right in thinking that continental birds winter here?
 
Darrenom said:
Ho hum, I'll keep trying. Wouldn't DREAM of twitching a Woodcock........although.......... with my Life list!

They've reached the realm of semi-mythic bird for me....along with Tree sparrow, LSW and med. Gull. They exist only in the imagination of others I reckon.
Click to expand...

Norfolk coast this winter should be able to get all four of those species in a day... If you head up this way feel free to PM and I'll let you know where to go.
 
postcardcv said:
Strangely I had woodcock today too, at about 4.30 this afternoon as I came out of the doctors in a nearby town - it flew past us in the car park. Rounded off a good non-birding afternoon as I'd had waxwing flying over the supermarket car park a couple of hours before.
Click to expand...

Another jammy blighter! I took some time off work yesterday to follow up local sightings of Waxwings, but didn't manage to see any, I'll have to go to the supermarket!
 
Darrenom said:
Ho hum, I'll keep trying. Wouldn't DREAM of twitching a Woodcock........although.......... with my Life list!

They've reached the realm of semi-mythic bird for me....along with Tree sparrow, LSW and med. Gull. They exist only in the imagination of others I reckon.
Click to expand...

You could always try for one of the two(?) that have been at Titchwell for the last couple of winters (to my knowledge at least)
They seem to like roosting right next to the path from the carpark to the visitor centre. Though how anybody finds them in the first place is beyond me! Just hope that someone is already on one when you get there ;)
 
Although only one or two have been roosting near the path there are certainly more than that at Titchwell through the winter. As for finding them in the first place, it's not as hard as it may seem - especially if there has been some wet weather, then the leaf litter is damp and thus darker and the birds stand out quite well.
Probably see you on the path as I'm determined to get a decent photo of one this year.
 
postcardcv said:
As for finding them in the first place, it's not as hard as it may seem - especially if there has been some wet weather, then the leaf litter is damp and thus darker and the birds stand out quite well.
Probably see you on the path as I'm determined to get a decent photo of one this year.
Click to expand...
Last year went to Titchwell with 2 of the youngsters and there was a crowd on the path muttering 'Woodcock', 'Ah Woodcock', "Mmmm Woodcock'. Damned if I could see it though even when fingers were pointed into the leaf litter. With the youngsters getting restless I had leave with the sounds of 'Woodcock', 'Ah Woodcock', "Mmmm Woodcock' fading into the distance.
 
SimonC said:
Yeah ok, it was roughly TL 262 268 :bounce:

This was actually the second (or was it third?) woodcock in two weeks, I flushed one twice (or maybe it was two birds?) on the edge of the woods as I walked round on my lunchbreak a couple of weeks ago. Grid reference for that is TL 268 266 (and yes i know you were joking btw!)
Click to expand...

That's weird, I'm relocating to Wedgewood Way next year, and I was wondering what the birding was like around there...apparently quite good!!
 
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