"Timberdoodle"

 

April 4th

          This evening at dusk Mike and I went to Irwin Prairie State Nature Preserve which is about 15 minutes west of us.  The core of the preserve is the finest remaining wet sedge meadow in the state. It is dominated by sedges, rushes, and wetland grasses.  There is also a shrub swamp area of dogwoods and willows and a swamp forest with pin oak and cottonwood.  Irwin Prairie supports dozens of rare plant species and a variety of interesting birds.

We went with hopes of seeing a displaying American Woodcock.  When we first arrived, we did hear several displaying snipe making their hu-hu-hu winnowing sound.  We waited and waited as darkness descended, but never saw a displaying woodcock.  Finally, as we walked back in the dark, we heard several making their buzzy, nasal “peent” cry.  That’s all we needed to count the bird! 

The woodcock’s nickname is “Timberdoodle” probably for the bird’s forest edge habitat, erratic flight, and twittering call notes.  These plump little birds are technically shorebirds but are found far from any beach.  The woodcock spends most of its time hidden in fields and forests where it probes for earthworms.  On early Spring evenings the male performs conspicuous “sky dances”.  (1 new species, total 146)

American Woodcock

                   American Woodcock (not our photo)


Comments

  1. John SobetzerApril 5, 2022 at 3:43 AM

    I had never heard of the term timberdoodle. These days I would have thought it was a cross with a poodle, perhaps a timber wolf.

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnnApril 5, 2022 at 5:37 AM

    I wish you had a video of the woodcock walking. It has such a funny unusual walk.

    ReplyDelete
  3. SharonApril 5, 2022 at 6:38 AM

    Love the information and the photo!!! Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete

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