American Woodcock takes center stage in spring.
See the show!
Take a behind-the-bushes look at the courtship antics of the American Woodcock, a goofy, pop-eyed, Pinocchio-beaked bird the size and shape of a football.
What: Sky Dance: Courtship Takes Flight
When & Where: 7:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Wednesday, April 3, at Burton Wetlands Nature Preserve
15681 Old Rider Road, Burton/Newbury Townships;
Friday, April 5, at Frohring Meadows
16780 Savage Road, Bainbridge Township
Here’s how Senior Naturalist Dan Best describes what you will see at this program, suitable for children and adults who can stand still and keep quiet in the cool of an April evening:
During woodcock wooing, males scamper and make the ‘peent,’ a buzzy call that sounds like blowing raspberries, before launching into the air to perform an amazing aerial ballet.
During woodcock wooing, males scamper and make the ‘peent,’ a buzzy call that sounds like blowing raspberries, before launching into the air to perform an amazing aerial ballet.
“Its spiraling ascent is accompanied by a twittering wing song, an aerodynamically produced sound of air rushing through its outer wing feathers. Reaching the apex of its skyward climb, it plummets back to Earth with a melodious song. The song finally stops as the bird makes a careening swoop over the meadow for a silent return to its ‘stage,’ an opening among the shrub thickets.”
Woodcock courtship is a true rite of spring – once experienced, never forgotten!
Geauga Park District is online, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
