Sparing the delightful woodcock
A woodcock expert at the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust is urging people to think carefully before shooting the species.
Andrew Hoodless, who is Head of Wetland Research at the trust, has issued the call for restraint due to indications that our migrant woodcock have experienced a poor breeding season this year.
The woodcock is seen as an iconic bird within the sporting world and we need to ensure that it remains. I endorse Andrew’s stance and am sure that if we nurture this delightful bird now there will be opportunities in the future when it will do no harm to enjoy your sporting chance again; more importantly heed this current advice to ensure future generations enjoy the same privilege.
At the Oxford Farming Conference, the Secretary of State for Agriculture Michael Gove’s vision was also one of preserving that which we cherish - a thriving agriculture sector, a healthy rural economy, beautiful landscapes, rich habitats for wildlife, a just society and a fair economy. And the need to be able to shape change rather than seeking to "resist it” is closely aligned to the GWCT’s vision for the future of British farming.
It was good to hear Mr Gove’s assurances that farmers who sign up to current agri-environment schemes and who are already signed up to existing ones will not be disadvantaged when future schemes are put in place. The GWCT had lobbied, with other organisations, for such an assurance in a letter sent to the Secretary of State in December. His announcement will be welcomed with relief by many farmers and hopefully will encourage those who held back to now sign up for such schemes.
Ahead of the 2018 Big Farmland Bird Count the GWCT is running several farmland bird identification days for farmers. There is opportunity to attend the Shropshire bird identification day on January 18. This is kindly hosted by Nigel Baskerville. at Caynton House, Caynton, Newport. There is also a day in Herefordshire on January 23 and in Powys on February 7.
Each day will feature a presentation delivered by an expert in farmland birds and participants will be able to go out on a farm to do some bird identification. A free identification guide will also be provided with a focus on birds that are harder to identify. For more information visit www.gwct.org.uk and search farmland bird id days, otherwise call 01572 718730 on weekdays.
Do take part in the big farmland bird count. It really is not onerous and, as the GWCT so ably demonstrates, research and hard facts are the best way to quash the doubters. Download your count sheet and start counting between February 9 and 18.
Tim Main is GWCT Shropshire branch chairman.
