 Sky Dance of the Timberdoodle - American Woodcock
An American Woodcock at the Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge. Photo by Keith Ramos, USFWS.
I just got word from Nature Note reader Kate Harris (an experienced volunteer woodcock monitor) that she heard multiple male American Woodcocks during last night's Vernal (Spring) Equinox at the base of Blue Hill Mountain!
Male woodcocks arrive on their Maine singing grounds in March and April and begin their courtship displays a few days after arrival. Learn about their migration at the Eastern Woodcock Migration Research Cooperative coordinated by the University of Maine.
Start listening and be on the lookout for the woodcock. The male's amazing courtship display flights are not to be missed!
Tips for how to find and watch the American Woodcock:
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Where to Look - American woodcock- (AKA timberdoodle) prefer shrubby, wet, young to middle-aged hardwood forests with forest openings of at least a half-acre or adjacent fields for use during their courtship displays.
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When & How to Look - Displays are performed at dawn and dusk. Arrive at the location well before sunrise or sunset to select a listening spot, settle in, and be ready before the calls and displays begin. This lessens the chance of scaring the woodcock away. The first calls will start about ten minutes after sunset. The display flights take place soon after the calls. If you need to move from your viewing location, only move during the upward flight. Keep your distance so you do not frighten the woodcock or change its normal behavior. This will help ensure that the woodcock is successful in finding a mate, and future generations can enjoy this experience.
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What to Listen & Look For - Listen for the calls of the male - a loud, nasal peent - made repeatedly before each aerial display. The courtship display is a spiraling flight with two sounds: a bubbly, chirping song, and a high-pitched
sound produced in flight by the three narrow, outermost flight feathers on each wing.
Learn more about woodcock and their habitat at the Young Forest & Shrubland Initiative.
Thank you to Kate for the heads-up and suggesting some of the resources!
Wishing you many marvelous moments in Nature,
Jocelyn
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