From Birds in Literature by Abby Churchill, 1911: “How many evenings have I tempted malaria germs. … to watch the woodcock perform his strange sky dance! He begins on the ground with a formal, periodic peent, peent. It is repeated several times before he springs from the ground and on whistling wings sweeps out on the first loop of a spiral which may take him three hundred feet from the ground. Faster and faster he goes, louder and shriller sounds his wing-song; then after a moment’s pause, with darting, headlong flight, he pitches in zigzags to the earth, uttering as he falls a clear, twitter-ing whistle.”

by Sara Swanson

Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation (WCPARC) states, “As the sunsets over open fields experience the delightful aerial display of the American Woodcock, or timberdoodle as some call it. During spring nights the males perform an elaborate routine to impress females, providing a quirky sign of spring that you don’t want to miss!”

Join WCPARC on Friday, April 18, from 8pm to 9:30pm, in the Leonard Preserve. The Leonard Preserve parking lot is located at 375 N Union St. Please wear waterproof boots, as parts of the trail can be very wet and muddy. This event is limited to 20 people. Pre-registration is required. Register at parksonline.ewashtenaw.org, click on “831009 Spring Adult Nature Hikes” and select “Timberdoodle Tumble”. Email Kelsey at dehringk@washtenaw.org with questions.