With Breeding Woodcock Survey visits due to start from the 1st May, the GWCT Wetlands placement student, Anna Thompson, reflects on her first ‘recce’ roding count.
The GWCT is coordinating the 2023 Breeding Woodcock Survey in collaboration with the BTO, where numbers of roding male woodcock are counted to estimate national population size. Comparable surveys were carried out in 2003 and 2013, and data from this year’s survey will enable us to assess how woodcock numbers have changed in the last 10 and 20 years. The Wetlands department at the GWCT has signed up to survey several randomly designated sites around Hampshire, and over the next few weeks I will be setting off to monitor roding male woodcock at dusk.
A survey involves four visits to a specific site at dusk, beginning 15 minutes before sunset and lasting for 75 minutes. The first visit is a recce to determine the best position to count birds, usually either in a woodland clearing or the intersection of two rides where you can see Woodcock roding in the sky above. There is a short habitat form to complete on the second visit, which records information about the surrounding habitat before the first official count begins.
On my first recce visit, we identified an ideal clearing in the tree canopy that would provide a good vantage point to see any woodcock flying over. Arriving just before dusk I was treated to a beautiful sunset, as I recorded details about the surrounding woodland habitat.
Having never witnessed a woodcock roding before, I was really looking forward to seeing the spectacle for the first time. If I’m honest, I was slightly sceptical that I would actually see anything as I’d been on many woodland walks without even catching a glimpse of a roding woodcock! My hopeful anticipation was rewarded within 20 minutes when the first woodcock flew over just above the treetops. Its distinctive call was a peculiar series of low-pitched grunts followed by a high-pitched ‘squeak’ whistle sound. Sixteen more roding passes were recorded in the 75-minute survey, with displaying male woodcock making their characteristic call. It was a truly amazing experience I was thrilled to witness.
Although it isn’t possible to determine whether each roding pass is a different individual or the same woodcock passing over repeatedly, the data is input into a calibration equation that estimates the likely number of individuals. According to this equation, our 17 passes probably equate to about five or six different individuals.
Volunteers have already signed up to survey around 1500 1-km squares across the UK, but a few are still available. The survey is straightforward and easy to complete even if you don’t have any experience- so don’t let that put you off! By signing up to survey a square on the BTO website anyone can play an important part in helping to gather invaluable data about resident UK Woodcock populations. Please visit the survey pages at www.bto.org/woodcock if you are interested in taking part.
I’m really looking forward to completing my remaining surveys and enjoying further opportunities to witness the spectacle of roding!