Photograph: Phil GatesToday it had the air of unkempt wildwood, with gnarled, leafless branches reaching out like those menacing trees in Arthur Rackham fairytale illustrations. Ravenous redwings fed on the haws overhead, calling as they moved from tree to tree. So I was looking upwards when something rose from under my feet: a woodcock. I have only once had a good view of a woodcock at rest, and that will probably remain a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Woodcock, Scolopax rusticola.

Source: The Guardian December 07, 2017 05:26 UTC