Cocky bird

This stranger appeared outside of our window.  He was thrusting his beak deep into the soft ground and taking something, not sure what.

 I think he's a woodcock.

According to the RSPB...

The woodcock is a large bulky wading bird with short legs, and a very long straight tapering bill. It is largely nocturnal, spending most of the day in dense cover. Most of the birds in the UK are residents; in the autumn birds move to the UK from Finland and Russia to winter here. The breeding population has been falling recent years, perhaps because of less habitat as conifer plantations become too mature for woodcocks to find open enough breeding areas.

Latin name  Scolopax rusticola
Family  Sandpipers and allies (Scolopacidae)

. You would be very lucky to see one, but you may inadvertently disturb one from its resting place, when it flies off, zigzagging between the trees and dropping back into cover.

It can be found in suitable habitat in summer throughout the UK, except for south-west England. In winter, birds are widespread in lowland areas