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Hi Pat & All, Mar 229, 2013
This two-step shufle sounds like the technique used by Wood Turtles =
in NA and by Gulls and Plovers in Europe to excite earthworms into =
emerging. When humans do this, by dragging a stick over a serrated post, =
it is called grunting (Kaufmann, Nat. Hist. 89(8): 8-13, 1989). The =
vibrations presumably convince earthworms that it is raining very hard =
so they head for the surface.
Yt, DW. Kentville
----- Original Message -----=20
From: P.L. Chalmers=20
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca=20
Sent: Friday, March 29, 2013 12:38 AM
Subject: [NatureNS] Another Backyard Woodcock
I have always read with envy reports like Lois's New Brunswick =
sighting. My experience of American Woodcocks seems to be limited to =
unsatisfactory encounters: either briefly glimpsing something brown that =
flushes from an alder thicket; or standing at the edge of a country road =
and straining to distinguish, against a darkening sky, the winnowing =
bird overhead which one can hear but never see. This evening was =
different. As I drove up my parents' birch-lined drive, I saw a brown =
lump on the grass ahead, profiled against the snowbank beyond. Somehow =
I felt I knew what it might just be. I stopped the car and reached for =
the binoculars under the seat, and sure enough, it was - a Woodcock! It =
sat motionless for a minute or so, and then began to move a little, =
shuffling from one foot to the other, rocking from side to side, as =
though palpating the soil underfoot. At length it jabbed the grass with =
its long bill, and drew out a worm. This went on for a few minutes, as =
I watched and studied its beautiful plumage. Eventually I felt I should =
share the news with my family of the unusual bird which had appeared in =
the yard. My brother joined me and we watched it for several more =
minutes: it was aware of us, but continued to feed. What a memorable =
sight! This is the first time any of us have ever seen one at our home =
in Bedford.
Patricia L. Chalmers
Halifax
At 09:23 PM 23/03/2013, Lois Codling wrote:
I happened to open the back door tonight at 8 p.m., and heard a =
sound which at first registered as 'Nighthawk'(???), then I realized =
that it must be a Woodcock. It was very close, about 30 M., and I =
yelled for my husband to come and look for it. He eventually saw it fly =
off, but it had been on some bare ground from which our neighbour had =
shovelled snow. We identified it by sound, not by sight. Hope he found =
some worms and will return! A new yard bird!
Reminds me of the first Am. Woodcock we ever saw, waddling through =
the deep snow in late winter or early spring towards our door when we =
lived in Northern N.B. years ago. Had no idea what it was at the time, =
but it is a picture I will never forget.
Lois Codling
L. Sackville
No virus found in this message.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
Version: 2013.0.3267 / Virus Database: 3161/6210 - Release Date: =
03/28/13
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<HTML><HEAD>
<META content=3D"text/html; charset=3Diso-8859-1" =
http-equiv=3DContent-Type>
<META name=3DGENERATOR content=3D"MSHTML 8.00.6001.19403">
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Hi Pat & All, =
=20
=
=20
Mar 229, 2013</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2> This two-step shufle sounds like =
the=20
technique used by Wood Turtles in NA and by Gulls and Plovers in =
Europe to=20
excite earthworms into emerging. When humans do this, by dragging a =
stick over a=20
serrated post, it is called grunting (Kaufmann, Nat. Hist. 89(8): =
8-13,=20
1989). The vibrations presumably convince earthworms that it is raining =
very=20
hard so they head for the surface.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Yt, DW. Kentville</FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE=20
style=3D"BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; =
PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"=20
dir=3Dltr>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV=20
style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial; BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: =
black"><B>From:</B>=20
<A title=3Dplchalmers@ns.sympatico.ca=20
href=3D"mailto:plchalmers@ns.sympatico.ca">P.L. Chalmers</A> </DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A =
title=3Dnaturens@chebucto.ns.ca=20
href=3D"mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca">naturens@chebucto.ns.ca</A> =
</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Friday, March 29, 2013 =
12:38=20
AM</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [NatureNS] Another =
Backyard=20
Woodcock</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV><FONT=20
=
size=3D3><X-TAB> </X-TAB>I=
have=20
always read with envy reports like Lois's New Brunswick =
sighting. My=20
experience of American Woodcocks seems to be limited to unsatisfactory =
encounters: either briefly glimpsing something brown that flushes from =
an=20
alder thicket; or standing at the edge of a country road and straining =
to=20
distinguish, against a darkening sky, the winnowing bird overhead =
which one=20
can hear but never see. This evening was different. As I =
drove up=20
my parents' birch-lined drive, I saw a brown lump on the grass ahead, =
profiled=20
against the snowbank beyond. Somehow I felt I knew what it might =
just=20
be. I stopped the car and reached for the binoculars under the =
seat, and=20
sure enough, it was - a Woodcock! It sat motionless for a minute =
or so,=20
and then began to move a little, shuffling from one foot to the other, =
rocking=20
from side to side, as though palpating the soil underfoot. At =
length it=20
jabbed the grass with its long bill, and drew out a worm. This =
went on=20
for a few minutes, as I watched and studied its beautiful =
plumage. =20
Eventually I felt I should share the news with my family of the =
unusual =20
bird which had appeared in the yard. My brother joined me and we =
watched=20
it for several more minutes: it was aware of us, but continued to =
feed. =20
What a memorable sight! This is the first time any of us have =
ever seen=20
one at our home in=20
=
Bedford.<BR><BR><X-TAB> </=
X-TAB>Patricia=20
L.=20
=
Chalmers<BR><X-TAB> </X-TA=
B>Halifax<BR><BR><BR>At=20
09:23 PM 23/03/2013, Lois Codling wrote:<BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE class=3Dcite cite=3D"" type=3D"cite">I happened to open =
the back door=20
tonight at 8 p.m., and heard a sound which at first registered as=20
'Nighthawk'(???), then I realized that it must be a Woodcock. =
It was=20
very close, about 30 M., and I yelled for my husband to come and =
look for=20
it. He eventually saw it fly off, but it had been on some bare =
ground=20
from which our neighbour had shovelled snow. We identified it =
by=20
sound, not by sight. Hope he found some worms and will =
return! A=20
new yard bird!<BR><BR>Reminds me of the first Am. Woodcock we ever =
saw,=20
waddling through the deep snow in late winter or early spring =
towards our=20
door when we lived in Northern N.B. years ago. Had no idea =
what it was=20
at the time, but it is a picture I will never forget.<BR><BR>Lois=20
Codling<BR>L. Sackville</FONT></BLOCKQUOTE><A></A>
<P align=3Dleft color=3D"#000000" avgcert??>No virus found in this=20
message.<BR>Checked by AVG - <A=20
href=3D"http://www.avg.com">www.avg.com</A><BR>Version: 2013.0.3267 / =
Virus=20
Database: 3161/6210 - Release Date: =
03/28/13</P></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>
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