Plump and round, the American Woodcock was a thrill to see yesterday as I travelled the back roads with birder and professional nature photographer, Marty Burke. We could hardly believe what we were seeing. (May be a Snipe but I am going with Woodcock because of the markings on its back, and its motion). In the shadow, on the side of the road, a bird was standing still but seemed to be “puffing”. Woodcocks are seldom seen because their camouflage makes them virtually invisible in the grasses where they pull worms for meals. This lad or lass on the side of the road just made our luck. I read in Cornell’s All About Birds http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/american_woodcock/lifehistory that "The bird walks slowly and sometimes rocks its body back and forth, stepping heavily with its front foot. This action may make worms move around in the soil, increasing their detectability.” Rocking back and forth may have been what Marty and I saw, but from our angle it looked like an undulating motion.
Together we were delighted by Wood Ducks, Partridges, Bald Eagles (at the Narrows), Pewees, Red Tailed Hawks, Starlings, Vultures, Blue Jays, several species of Woodpeckers, and many more. Marty got some shots of the eagle but not I. The eagle was for the professional to catch. This amateur has a lot to learn about shooting high in the sky!
What a day with things that fly!
Red-tailed Hawk
Pewee
Male Wood Duck
Female Wood Ducks
Ring-billed Gulls
Monarchs, Bees and Asters
and one on Goldenrod
