A Special Bird

Despite the best efforts of storm ’Gertrude’, my wife and I recently enjoyed a short break in North Norfolk. That evening, after a windswept day of birdwatching (the highlight being a stunning male brambling at Titchwell), we sat down for dinner and as the waitress recited the ‘specials’ we were surprised when she said “woodcock”!

This pigeon sized bird with a long bill and delicate brown and grey barring frequents damp woodland and, being crepuscular, often remains hidden during the day unless flushed. At dusk during the breeding season the male performs its ‘roding’ display flight above the tree tops while calling - a sight and sound I would love to witness.

I like game and I eat it regularly. I eat pheasant and partridge (red legged of course) but these are bred for shooting and therefore I can justify them being on the menu. The woodcock, on the other hand, is a truly wild bird and sightings are rare indeed, especially in my part of Essex. What I cannot understand is why this secretive, red list bird (along with the more common snipe) are classed as game and, as such, they are allowed to be hunted in season.

For a moment I wondered what it would taste like and thought I should try it, after all it had already been shot but then my conscience got the better of me. No - why should I encourage the shooting of this bird by creating a demand even though in the Autumn the number of woodcock in the UK increases dramatically with an influx of visitors from Finland and Russia?

Looking at the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 on the computer, I found schedule 2 part 1 which lists the birds that can killed or taken outside of the close season and was surprised that it also includes pintail, gadwall and golden plover! Conversely: pheasant, partridge and red grouse do not appear on the list but do appear from time to time on the menu! I know It can be dangerous for the likes of myself to negotiate the minefields of legislation and therefore I rely on organisations such as the RSPB to protect our wildlife when needed. So I will ask them why a red list bird such as a woodcock still features on menus.