The Woodcocks Have Arrived!

I just saw the first Woodcock of the spring on the path to my woodshed. Also known as “Timber Doodles” they usually come north a little earlier. I think the late spring delayed them a week or two this year. They’ve always been one of my favorite birds, and this photo is one my early bird carvings. Their eyes are positioned high on their head so they can see above the ground cover which makes them look both goofy and serious at the same time. The long beak is used to dig out earthworms, their favorite food.

If you’re lucky, sometimes you can see their spring courtship display. It begins after sunset, when it’s just dark enough to see the first stars. The males come out of the woods into a grassy area and begin making a nasal “beeping” sound at regular intervals. After a few minutes of this they take off in a high spiraling flight. Their wings make a loud twittering sound as they circle in the twilight sky. Then they land with a audible “thud” in the same spot where they started, and begin beeping again.

Meanwhile the female is watching from the grass and hopefully will be enchanted by his display. Apparently it works, once or twice we’ve seen Woodcock chicks in the yard late in the spring. Like the adults they are nearly invisible on the forest floor.