I’ve been looking forward to the November full moon since I had my first tentative go at flighting woodcock three weeks ago. I caught the tail-end of the first migrants of the winter, but was determined to get a better look at them when they came in force. Seeing quite a few turn up on Continue reading

After my first ever evening woodcock flight, I can safely say that I’m hooked. The past two nights of reconnaissance certainly paid off, as well as similar weather conditions which meant that the birds flew the same lines at almost precisely the same times, give or take five minutes. With three guns lined up along Continue reading

The last few days has seen a staggering amount of woodcock coming to the Chayne. Most of them will probably pass the seventy miles on to Ireland in the next few days and weeks, but for the time being, the hill is alive with self important little figures in the lamp light. I found six Continue reading

It was an odd experience a couple of nights ago to hear a strangely familiar croaking sound ringing across the hill while lamping foxes. The noise came persistently through the moonless darkness, and while I knew that I had heard that sound before, I just couldn’t place it. Snipe drummed and a tawny owl bawled Continue reading

After a beautiful spring day spent looking at a computer screen, I headed out for a long walk around the hill just as the sun was setting. Having heard the first snipe of the year on Saturday, I hoped to hear more drumming, and given that it had been a clear, still day, I felt Continue reading

Winter is a bleak season up on the hill. For months at a time, the only sound is clocking ravens, so it’s a relief to hear the first stirrings of life which would finally indicate that spring is on the way. Up on a bleak, blue smirry hill this evening as the sun was setting Continue reading

Just wanted to record the fact that I saw my first woodcock of the season this afternoon. It flushed from the top of the woodcock strip and flew out over the heather after I had walked past, and it was a great sight. It’s still quite early for woodcock to be arriving, but I suppose Continue reading

The last twenty four hours has been very unusual. Woken at half past one this morning by the sound of calling snipe, I looked out of my bedroom into the gloomy cloud cover. I was clearly not going to see anything, but over the next twenty minutes, four other snipe passed overhead, calling until they Continue reading

    The main migration of woodcock is probably not due for another few days, but I was delighted to see the first of the pioneers while out walking on the stubble field behind the house last night. I’m sure they won’t be back in such huge numbers as they were in Dumfries and Galloway Continue reading

When the deluge of woodcock descended last year and the skies were filled with fluttering stripey bodies, the Chayne showed itself to be a real hotspot. At night, the fields were filled with bustling silhouettes, and it was easy to spot the birds as they flew out to feed on the darkening. After having put Continue reading