Feeding woodcock? (1 Viewer)

[Redmist]

Anyone with any experience of feeding woodcock, especially in freezing winter weather? I live opposite a small park within a town and have noticed a lot of woodcock in the last few days. The birds are clearly out in the open much more than usual and making lots of short flights. They are clearly unhappy and unable to get food. The ground has been frozen and partly snow covered for the last 6 days.

I feel very lucky being able to see such cracking birds from my house, and I'd really like to try to help them through the next week of freezing weather. I have some bags of dried mealworms, and wondering what to do with them. Small trays or dishes or just sprinkle them into the leaf litter and onto the snow. I could put them in a feeder in the garden but I think I'm not likely to get too many landing in the back garden itself. Or any other ideas for food they might be interested in?

 

[Steve]

^Bump ^

 

[dantheman]

Anyone with any experience of feeding woodcock, especially in freezing winter weather? I live opposite a small park within a town and have noticed a lot of woodcock in the last few days. The birds are clearly out in the open much more than usual and making lots of short flights. They are clearly unhappy and unable to get food. The ground has been frozen and partly snow covered for the last 6 days.

I feel very lucky being able to see such cracking birds from my house, and I'd really like to try to help them through the next week of freezing weather. I have some bags of dried mealworms, and wondering what to do with them. Small trays or dishes or just sprinkle them into the leaf litter and onto the snow. I could put them in a feeder in the garden but I think I'm not likely to get too many landing in the back garden itself. Or any other ideas for food they might be interested in?

I saw this thread and wanted to answer ... but with what?

I imagine any food put out would either not work or attract pests/predators. The ground being frozen would be the issue - and that not easy to deal with!

The birds would have moved on of their own volition hopefully - eg see https://www.birdforum.net/threads/tideline-woodcock-corpses.405020/

Cruel nature unfortunately. Any still around?

 

[Redmist]

Thanks Dan, I've not seen one in days although I was putting down some dry mealworms which all disappeared quickly. Lots of local reports of dead ones though. Over 2 weeks of solid frozen ground was the problem, and although it has been beautiful weather I was happy when it returned to positive numbers yesterday. Lots of wildlife must have been struggling, although the large numbers of overwintering blackbirds seem to be doing OK. It sounds like a good number of our woodcock ended up in the UK at least.