Post by Deleted on Mar 12, 2015 15:37:44 GMT -5
By Bob Frye
Tuesday, March 10, 2015, 11:06 p.m.
The woodcock might not be the best-known, biggest or most widespread bird across Pennsylvania, but it is among the most interesting.
If you're not sure why, several programs being held as part of two “woodcock weekends” will provide answers.
Forbes State Forest and Laurel Hill and Ohiopyle state parks will hold woodcock programs this month. They'll provide a close-up look at the bird at its best, in early spring, when males perform what's known as the sky dance.
That's when males looking for a mate launch themselves almost straight up into the air, then corkscrew their way to the ground while voicing a distinctive “peenting” that sounds like a buzzing.
“The males get so entranced in what they're doing that you can actually get pretty close to them. It's a great wildlife viewing opportunity,” said Rachael Christie, environmental education specialist for Forbes State Forest.
Ohiopyle has been hosting woodcock programs for a number of years. It's one of the more popular at the park, environmental educator Barbara Wallace said.
“It means spring is here,” Wallace said.
Woodcock — often called timberdoodles — are what Pennsylvania Game Commission biologist Lisa Williams called a “habitat specialist,” meaning they require a particular mix of young woods, wetlands and open fields. The birds use separate spaces for feeding, mating and nesting.
There are local places on state land that offer the right mix. In Forbes State Forest, for example, foresters have been working with the commission and others to create good woodcock habitat, Christie said. Her program will showcase that work as well as the birds.
Program visitors will learn a little about woodcock biology and natural history, such as how they use their extra long, hinged beaks to locate and feed on earthworms underground, and almost assuredly will get to see birds via short hikes at dusk.
“The area we go to is usually full of woodcock,” Wallace said. “We usually have great success seeing them.”
Program details
• Forbes State Forest will hold its “What in the World is a Woodcock?” program from 7-8:30 p.m. March 20 starting at the Camp Run parking lot off Route 381. GPS coordinates will be provided to those who preregister by contacting Rachael Christie at 724-259-2201 or rachristie@pa.gov.
• Laurel Hill State Park will hold its woodcock program from 7-9 p.m. March 21 starting at the park office. No preregistration is required.
• Ohiopyle State Park will hold its woodcock program from 7:30-9 p.m. March 27 starting at the Kentuck Campground overflow parking lot. No preregistration is required.
Note: Programs are free, but participants should dress for the weather, wear sturdy shoes and bring a flashlight.
Bob Frye is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. Reach him at bfrye@tribweb.com or via Twitter
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