Adventures in Birding

#77, American Woodcock

If you ever get a chance to go see the American Woodcock in Spring, do it! It's so cool! I actually got to see their "Sky Dance" this year! Here in the North, they start around March, but in the South, it's more like December.

It starts at dusk. Technically, they begin their courtship display at 15 lumens of light (so it starts earlier if it's overcast), about when the Robins stop singing and shortly after the Spring peepers begin calling. They start out making this adorable "Peent" noise (You can listen to all their sounds here  . Then they take off on a shallow trajectory into the sky. They fly around in circles, going higher and higher. Sometimes they do flips and and circles and then they suddenly drop to the ground. (They do this flittering call while they're flying and their wings whistle, too!) Then it starts over!

(They do the same thing at sunrise, too.)

One of my favorite birds of the year! This is our second year going to this event and I actually saw the Sky Dance this year! I was so excited! My night vision isn't good at all, so I wasn't sure I'd get to see much. I saw one of the first ones that took off, while there was still some light, and it was overcast, which makes it easier to see them flying against a grey sky.

Here are some videos of this adorable bird: