New Year's Day (Cleethorpes/Humberston)

Am sure you remember about a decade ago I had a Woodcock land in front garden, no one was more surprised than I was, it went into the Hypericum (but stayed on the ground) which is next to a fence panel and right next to front window. I got the digi camera and camcorder and got lots of pics and videos over an half hour period, then the postman came up path and the bird left, all he brought was junk mail grrrr.  My pal said it had most likely just arrived in UK and spotted my high hedge with assorted shrubs/trees and it was a good hideout to rest up.

I was walking past that spot at 11.30 this morning, so I did a similar scan - but without success. Credit to the school for creating their own mini nature reserve. There were four or five blackbirds and a couple of magpies but no woodcock. In my experience, it’s one of those species that finds you rather than the other way round. I’ve only ever seen live birds in flight, never on the ground - though I once picked up a corpse outside Grimsby central library. It was in good condition so I took it to a taxidermist in Alford.

GW still at Country park, and not in the slightest bothered by the public or their mutts. 
As an aside, as I was travelling down Taylor's avenue toward Hewitt's circus a Woodcock flew over the road just above the level of my windscreen and landed in Middlethorpe school field. I parked up at Tesco, and walked back to the school fence. In the corner of the school field (Taylors avenue side) is a small 'nature' enclosure. This is I am pretty sure where it went, as it looks ideal habitat. Unfortunately, after a 20 minute scan I couldn't find it.. but that didn't surprise me. I reckon it came from the back of the Country park wooded area initially.

Sightings today included
*  Blackcap (in garden)
*  Pochard and shoveler (at Cleethorpes boating lake)
*  GW egret and GC grebe (at Cleethorpes country park)
*  Wigeon, shoveler and little grebe (at Humberston Fitties pools)