In the fall, it’s not unheard of to flush an American Woodcock while walking in Green-Wood. They explode out of the leaf litter — the first time it happened to me, I was unknowingly close to the bird, so I was perhaps more startled than it was. Their plumage corresponds wonderfully to leaf litter. They will usually vocalize with a distinct twitter as they fly, which means you may hear them more than see them. And of course, they fly away from you. I heard one yesterday but saw no sign of it. Last week I saw and heard three at a distance; it might very well have been the same bird. This afternoon, someone else flushed this bird, and so it flew closer to us and was visible between two tombstones for a moment or two before it flew off again.
Woodcock Sunday
4 responses to “Woodcock Sunday”
-
Wonderfully sweet and mysterious Woodcock.
Still waiting to see one sitting in the sun, with her big ,curious ,shiny eyes.
Thank you, Matt -
Nice work Matthew. You’ve captured all the angles.
-
The bird rotated as if it was on a platter.
-
-
[…] If you were following this blog last year at this time, there were some up-close moments with these plump timberdoodles. […]
Backyard and Beyond 
Leave a comment