Are you fascinated by the Woodcock?
W
e now have the opportunity to find out a bit more about one of our more elusive birds thanks to the GWCT and their new satellite tracking initiative. They plan once the season has closed
to tag 20 Woodcock in February / March around the UK with miniature satellite trackers which will enable us to follow the birds migration via the internet on a daily basis. We will be able to see exactly where they travel to, how long they stay and when they return to our shores.
The GWCT are looking for sponsorship to pay for these satellite devices and the tracking program. For just £3 a month you can sponsor a Woodcock and in return be given access to the satellite feeds from the bird via your PC. What a wonderful topic of conversation for the shoot dinner.
They are also offering the opportunity to sponsor a bird for £3600. You can help chose the name and it can be referenced as being sponsored by your company, organisation or shoot. The bird will be named after the company, the name visible for all to view on the tracking website every day for up to four years. Whether it’s for your staff to follow, or for your customers to enjoy it’s a very unique project. You could even run competitions to guess what date it leaves
UK shores next year, which country it migrates to and then when it returns in 2012.
In 2007 it was the GWCT’s research into the Woodcock which proved the UK population was around 77,000 rather than the 6,000 that had previously been thought. This research helped to keep the Woodcock on the quarry list for us to enjoy. This new research will tell us even more about this magical, elusive little bird.
For more information visit the GWCT website
www.gwct.org.uk/woodcock or either email
woodcock@gwct.org.uk or ring 01425 652 381
“I was privileged to join Dr Andrew Hoodless from the GWCT on a Woodcock count. I’d never seen their curious roding display before as the birds passed over us emitting a mix of frog-like croaking and high pitched squeaking.”
Martin Starbuck - last year’s prize winner
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