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style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bott > Thanks Jim; I thought it might be a type of courtship display...but so late, and they're usually so willing to fly away. Billy Remember my note about pheasant courtship (male) in Wolfville a day > or two ago? Well, the fall "testicular recrudescence" in males may > be one explanation for Billy's intriguing sighting. This means that > in males (and females too?), coincident with changing day-length as > in Spring, in Autumn birds experience regrowth of gonads and > production of hormones -- witness singing in many species, drumming > in ruffed grouse, etc. Thus perhaps that woodcock was a male and > showing some territoriality. Many of us have experienced or heard > about the prancing that males do on the ground in the Spring (before > and after the aerial displays) Alternatively, perhaps, the spot > where it was flushed was a favourite feeding/foraging area that he? > didn't wish to give up? > > Other comments? > > Cheers from Jim in Wolfville. > > Begin forwarded message: > >> From: bdigout@seaside.ns.ca >> Date: October 6, 2012 5:17:37 PM ADT >> To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca >> Subject: [NatureNS] odd woodcock behavior >> Reply-To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca >> >> Today, while walking through some alders in Oban, Rich. Co., I >> flushed a >> woodcock from under my feet. It flew a few feet into the air, then >> came >> down in almost the same spot. When I moved again, it flew a few feet >> ahead and came down and started "strutting" like a turkey or ruffed >> grouse, with its tail fanned outward and upward. This is the first >> time >> I've seen this behavior. Does anybody know why it would do this, >> especially this time of year? >> Billy >> > >
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