Monday, March 26, 2007

Woodcock...


Meet the bird that says beeeep.
.
.

Woodcocks have evolved to blend in with their surroundings, so that's what they do when danger (a human) approaches: stay very still, imitating leaves and twigs. Many years ago my daughter and her grandpa almost stepped on a woodcock, but that's the only other close encounter I can think of during all the years we've lived here, although I've sometimes seen one flying at dusk (recognizable by its distinctive, round shape) calling its Bronx-cheer-like beeeep.

This bird's body is about six inches in length; his/her beak is about three inches long. For some reason, he was in the middle of a road when I spotted him, perhaps sunning himself, but by the time I had the camera out and ready he had disappeared. I searched quietly and finally spied him about ten feet into the woods. He tolerated two clicks of the shutter and then began to
retreat.
...
...
I was thrilled to be able to take these photos! Please click on them to have a closer look at this beautiful and seldom-seen bird.

18 comments:

Crabby said...

You know, I watch birds. I have a list of everyone I've seen around here with the exception of a couple I can't find in my book. And I have never seen one of these little fellas!
Thanks, Wise!

whimsical brainpan said...

Great pics as always Wizard! And thank you so much for sharing them! I have never seen a Wookcock before this. I'm assuming the beak is shaped that way to dig for bugs in trees.

Bardouble29 said...

Wow! I am suprised you were able to get that close, what a pretty little guy!

Baron Ectar said...

Wow what an awesome pic - how lucky to catch that close of a view!

DirkStar said...

Huh,huh... Huh, huh...

She said,"Woodcock."

"yeah, That's cool, Beavis."



Uh, I think there may be something wrong with my eyes...

darkfoam said...

wow, i'm impressed! so, has most of your snow melted? i love the photo of the little fellow hightailing out of there. i never did realize that a woodcock had such a long beak....neato

Robin said...

Thanks for sharing the photos with us! And...there's a message for you on my blog. Thank you here, as well.

Em said...

What terrific photos. Were you really close...or do you have a very powerful zoom on the camera?

Judy said...

I checked The Sibley Guide to Bird Life and Behavior and learned that the American Woodcock's "bill tip contains concentrations of tactile sensors used in locating prey." It pokes and prods the soil to find earthworms.

The American Woodcock is a cousin of the small, long-billed shorebirds (snipes, curlews, sandpipers) you might see at the edge of a pond or the ocean.

I was about twelve feet from him when I took the first photo. My camera has an 18-200mm zoom lens - not the super-high magnification used by "real" wildlife photographers, so I have to get close!

Craig D said...

Wow! Even with knowing there was a bird in these picture, I had a hard time seeing it. Amazing.

Kati said...

Wow, that bird really does blend in well!!! Even enlarged, it's hard to tell where the bird ends and the surrounding debris begins. How awesome to get to actually see one, if they're that hard to spot!!!

the blogger formerly known as yinyang said...

Ooh... pretty! These are really nice pictures! :D

Anonymous said...

I think a woodcock was the famous bird from the book "Hatchet" by Gary Paulson. The kid in the book was always trying to hunt them, but he could never see them until they flushed and it was too late (great book btw, for any age, any gender- it's typically recommended for 11-12 year old boys, but I'd beg to differ!)
It's neat to see a picture of them this close!

DirkStar said...

By the way, is this a Pay Per Post?

DNR said...

Wow, wonderful pics!! Has all your snow really melted already?

Judy said...

Craig, Kati, Yinyang - I am so delighted that so many of you enjoyed meeting the woodcock.

On this blog I am trying to show a bit of the natural world to folks who more than likely live some distance from it. Raising awareness of Nature's beauties and wonders is essential for people to begin to value and protect them.
Their - and our - very existence depends on this.

Liz - I will have to check out "Hatchet." Thanks!

Dirk - How else do you think I got the little winged softball to pose?

DNR - Yes, our snow is gone! (Well, except for some patches here and there in the woods).

DirkStar said...

Ah, a blog uncontaminated by the crass stench of commercialization.

Whew, I love the smell of decency in the morning.

Now if this darned gnome will just stop humping my ankle...

The Lone Beader® said...

I love this bird!! And, I have never seen one before. Awesome that you got to take these pics=:)