Help us monitor our breeding woodcock

We count displaying male woodcock each year to monitor the status of our breeding population and help understand annual fluctuations in breeding numbers. We need help from more volunteers to ensure representative coverage. Could you make three counts at dusk between 1 May and 30 June in 2015? If possible, we would like you to repeat the survey at the same wood over the next few years.

The survey is being run in conjunction with the British Trust for Ornithology. It is organised on-line at where you can find full instructions and register for a survey site. Please note that we will never divulge details of counts at individual sites, but only use them within regional or national summaries to examine trends in breeding woodcock numbers.

Selecting a survey site

From the survey website, you will be able to choose a randomly selected wood near you at which to count. Alternatively, you can register your own site (if you wish to do this, please contact Andrew Hoodless at ). The survey point should be positioned within woodland, ideally at least 100m from the woodland edge. The survey should be undertaken from a junction of two rides or paths. If suitable rides are unavailable, it may be within a glade or felled area. It is important that you do not stand beneath closed canopy but can see the sky so roding woodcock may be seen and heard more easily. It is also important to remain at the same point for the duration of the count.

Recording woodcock

Three survey visits should be made at least one week apart during 1st May to 30th June. Please use a new survey form for each survey visit. Avoid surveys on evenings that are wet or windy. The survey should start 15 minutes before sunset and last for a total duration of 75 minutes. It is essential that the start and finish times are recorded for each visit. Please record all woodcock seen or heard during the 75 minute count. During the survey, it is important that each flypast is recorded as a separate event on the form (to the nearest minute), even if they occur in quick succession. Sometimes more than one woodcock may fly by together; the number of individuals in the flypast should be recorded on the form. If you are not familiar with the call of a roding woodcock, it is strongly recommended that you listen to the recorded woodcock calls on the BTO website ( or try to find it on a CD of bird sounds before you go out to survey. It is important that you become familiar with the call before taking on the survey, as some people have difficulty with its frequency.

For full details and to participate, go on-line at .

If you do not have on-line access and require paper forms, or wish to count at your own site, please contact:

Andrew Hoodless, Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust, Fordingbridge, Hampshire. SP6 1EF.

Tel. 01425 651031 E-mail

Breeding Woodcock Survey 2015 – Visit Recording Form

OBSERVER AND SITE DETAILSVisit number:

Observer Name and Address / 1-km square:
Grid ref. of observation point:
(e.g. TF989321)
County:
Weather (please tick)
Email: / Phone: / Wind- calm / light / moderate
Date: dd/ mm /2015 / Rainfall- no rain / drizzle / showers
Observation start time: hh : mm finish time: hh: mm / Cloud- 0-30% / 31-70% / 71-100%

WOODCOCK OBSERVATION DETAILS

Please record all woodcock seen or heard during the 75 minute count and record each fly-past separately, noting the time to the nearest minute. Please use a separate form for each visit.

Time
hh:mm / No. seen
& heard / No. heard
only / No. seen only / Notes
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Please enter your survey data online ( by 31st July.

If you do not have online access, please return your survey data to:

Andrew Hoodless, Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust, Fordingbridge, Hampshire. SP6 1EF.

E-mail: