Friday, November 7, 2014

Spotted: The American Woodcock

In all the years living on the eastern shore this was my
 first sighting of an American Woodcock.  I took lots of pictures
but Wilson pulled out his 'big' camera and took
this one.  These beautiful little birds are 'hidders' and
are rarely seen ... so I feel blessed having had the
pleasure ... before we move! 
  
 The American woodcock (Scolopax minor), sometimes colloquially
referred to as the timberdoodle,[2] is a small chunky shorebird species
 found primarily in the eastern half of North America
Woodcocks spend most of their time on the ground in brushy, 
young-forest habitats, where the birds' brown, black, 
and gray plumage provides excellent camouflage.
Its many folk names include timberdoodle, bogsucker, 
night partridge, brush snipe, hokumpoke, and becasse.[5]
Winter Range
Most woodcock spend the winter in the Gulf Coast
 and southeastern Atlantic Coast states. Some may remain as far 
north as southern Maryland, eastern Virginia, and southern New Jersey. 
The core of the wintering range centers on Louisiana, Mississippi, 
Alabama, and Georgia.[8] Based on the Christmas Bird Count 
results, winter concentrations are highest in the northern half of Alabama.


4 comments:

  1. He is very cute looking. Have a fabulous Friday.
    Best wishes Molly

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  2. K,
    I can't picture you tromping around the woods, but the photo of the "timberdoodle" is beautiful and rare. You should definitely frame it.
    J.

    ReplyDelete
  3. what an awesome picture of a beautiful bird. I've never seen one of those

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