I am a fellow birder from Carmarthenshire who regularly passes through Ceredigion. Tonight (Tuesday 22nd) driving back at dusk I had a very close encounter with a single Woodcock that flushed from the roadside just outside Llanarth. As it rose from the verge the bird flew level with my car for about 5 seconds, just enough to get a good look at the beauty of the plumage & the great size of the bill. I have seen Woodcock on many ocassions, but usually these are distant views of birds rodding over forests. I understand from the Pembs birding blog that in the last 2 weeks a large influx of birds from Europe have arrived to overwinter in Wales. One field in Lawrenny held 14 birds on saturday night!
Andrew Grant