This bird with this amazing plumage is an absolute expert in camouflage. Even when I found him, if you took your eyes off him, for a moment , he just blended back into the background again. With his beady eye on me, it is obvious that he knows I am there, but his method of defence is to remain dead still and rely upon his plumage to make him invisible.
He is a Woodcock, a type of wader, and very difficult to find, they are mainly nocturnal and spend their days hidden in dense undergrowth. If you look very closely, he has on his back, a layer of tiny raindrops from the drizzle.
I missed this shot at the time but what a fabulous capture! I've only ever seen one woodcock and it was just one than flew overhead... I'd love to see one properly! fav.
