Inside the Outdoors

The chorus of spring peepers coming from the nearby wetland was so loud that it hurt my ears. I stood on the edge of the old field at dusk, straining to hear over this thunderous amphibian choir.

I was here to witness an annual nightly spring performance. The stage was almost set. The awkward-looking fellow would soon begin his first act.

A few minutes later, my ears were awarded with a "preent" sound. The nightly sky dance of the woodcock was about to begin.

For several minutes, every ten seconds or so, the male woodcock would emit his special call. Although I couldn't see him, he was strutting around like a miniature turkey, trying to attract a mate. Soon, this long-beaked bird would take his performance to the air.

I stealthily approached, hoping to catch a glimpse, but I didn't want to disturb the actor and spoil the performance.

Abruptly the sound stopped. It was replaced by a twittering noise. The woodcock had emerged, evidenced by the twittering/whistling noise being produced by air passing over his wings while in flight. My eyes strained in the fading light and soon I saw him.

He kept circling, higher and higher, in ever-widening rotations. Up toward the heavens he ascended. He was nearly out of sight, just a small vanishing speck.

The twittering became erratic, signaling the beginning of the woodcock's descent. I strained to glimpse him as he fell. At the very last moment, before crashing into the ground, the woodcock regained control and glided into the field about 10 yards away.

He began preenting again, this time very close. On the other end of the field another joined him.

I had no idea how the females would be able to distinguish between the two woodcock performances. Obviously their tastes were more refined than mine.

As darkness descended, they would take off into their sky dance again and again, but there was nothing left to see.

Woodcocks are fascinating creatures. Perhaps their most amazing characteristic is their nightly sky dance/mating behavior each spring after returning from wintering in the south.

Ideal habitat for woodcocks is an old field surrounded by thickets. The alder and silky dogwood thickets found in wetlands are especially sought out by woodcocks. Such habitat provides plenty of cover and ideal conditions for woodcocks to probe the moist soils with their long beaks in search of earthworms.

The display starts at dusk and continues until the woodcocks determine it is too dark to see. Often, right before dawn the male woodcock picks up where he left off the night before. On moonlit nights, the sky dances will sometimes continue throughout the entire night.