A report from our Cornish woodcock trip

We’re pleased to report that, despite the stormy conditions, our Cornish trip was a success with 80 woodcock caught over 5 nights (plus 4 golden plover, 5 common snipe and 5 jack snipe). This included 4 recaptures of birds ringed in February 2013.

Numbers of woodcock seen were lower than in previous winters, at about 80% of average density, most likely explained by the milder weather this winter. Numbers in Cornwall tend to be at their highest in the very coldest winters when birds from across the UK and Europe take advantage of Cornwall’s relatively mild climate. Nevertheless, there were still plenty of birds to be caught and we’re happy with the total for the week.

Last week’s trip was about building up a sample of ringed woodcock and recapturing birds from previous winters in order to estimate wintering site fidelity. A second trip at the end of February will focus on the deployment of satellite tags and geolocators.

Please help us continue our woodcock research