they know where they are safe

[mazzgolf]

Heard some birds this morning, but were far off on another property and I couldn't get them to come in. Well, I get in the truck to go home, turn onto the street off the dirt driveway, and then.... OH! So there you are!! 

 

This one was with another Tom (can't see it in the pic). As I drove up, he starts strutting.

 

 

This one figured no one will bother him. This is from my crappy dumb phone so the picture doesn't do it justice - another inch or two and this Tom would be tripping over its beard it was so long. This was a BIG bird.

 

 

I saw two others I didn't take a picture of - one was walking in the middle of the road, straddling the yellow line.

 

All of this about a third of a mile from my buddy's property where I was hunting.

 

On a separate note, while running-n-gunning I spooked up what looked like a small hawk-like bird. It was nesting on the ground. I never saw it until it flew away when I got to about 10 feet from it. I looked, and it was sitting on these eggs. No idea what kind of bird it was - feel free to give me your guesses. I would be interested to know - it had a neat color - entire body seemed to be all reddish-orange.

 

[DeplorableDan]

Woodcock?

[County Hunter]

Still a great morning. Beats working. Tag soup for me due to work.

[Rusty]

How far south are you?

 

Possibly the Whip-poor-will or the Chuck-will's-widow???  

[1957Buck]

Still nice photos. Never heard of any in the Hawk family nesting on the Ground How big were the eggs compared to Reg. Chicken eggs?

[mazzgolf]

How far south are you?

 

Possibly the Whip-poor-will or the Chuck-will's-widow???  

 

This is central Camden County.

 

Never heard of any in the Hawk family nesting on the Ground How big were the eggs compared to Reg. Chicken eggs?

 

 

I wondered about that, too. Seemed weird it was nesting on the ground. I am not sure it was a hawk - kinda looked like it - but it was fast and I didn't get a good look. Eggs are much smaller than chicken eggs. Almost the size of robin eggs, maybe slightly bigger, but not much.

[mazzgolf]

... Possibly the Whip-poor-will ...

 

Hey! How about that! I was going to start a new thread this morning and ask you folks what bird is it that makes those ANNOYING whistling sounds over and over and over and over again in the morning? I hear them every morning and it drives me nuts. Those stupid birds just go on and on and on. But I had no idea how to describe it in words.

 

Well, you just mentioned Whippoorwill and I looked it up and the first video I see is --- what do you know? --- it's that damn whistling sound!! I really hate those guys!

[mazzgolf]

Possibly the Whip-poor-will or the Chuck-will's-widow???  

 

Rusty - you're good. I think you got it   http://thebirdersreport.com/egg-and-nest-identification

 

"The Whip-poor-will breeds in drier, more open woodlands, or near woodland edge. They don’t build a nest but lay their two eggs on the ground in an open site under trees or under a bush, usually on a bed of dead leaves."

 

The bird I saw was bigger than, say, a robin or cardinal or something like that. Dunno how big Whip-poor-will's get. But you can see my picture and the picture on that website look almost identical. In fact, the *Chuck-will-widow* egg's picture on the website looks even more identical to the eggs I took a picture of. But it says those are more in the south: "The Chuck-will’s-widow is the southern cousin to the Whip-poor-will. It breeds in mixed oak and pine woods and lays two eggs on the leaves or pine needles of open ground under the trees."

 

Funny that I've been cursing these birds out for the past few weeks because of their annoying whistling in the morning - and here I find one on the nest. I'll have to keep an eye out and see how the nesting progresses. I remember where it is - real close to where I have a blind set up.

[1957Buck]

I have doves that call over and over every morning on my roof along with the turkeys they have become my alarm clock. I feel your Pain  

[Bucndoe]

Grouse lay on the ground but their eggs are bigger than robin eggs

Edited May 11, 2017 by Bucndoe

[rgw]

I am going with grouse eggs, now stay out of there

[mazzgolf]

I am going with grouse eggs, now stay out of there

 

But my turkeys are here! Oh, there are also coyotes in this spot, too - they are back again. Heard the bastids howling a couple mornings ago when the town's siren started going off.

 

I don't think we have grouse down here, though. But in any case, woodcock usually have a clutch of 4 eggs and grouse 8 to 14 (got this from RGS - from http://www.ruffedgrousesociety.org/grousewoodcock). I saw 2 which is how many Whip-poor-will and Chuck-will-widow lay normally.  I'm going with Whip-poor-will because I hear them all the time. Though I swear the bird I saw fly away looked bigger - then again, my eyes are pretty bad. Stupid glasses.

[Batsto]

But my turkeys are here! Oh, there are also coyotes in this spot, too - they are back again. Heard the bastids howling a couple mornings ago when the town's siren started going off.

 

I don't think we have grouse down here, though. But in any case, woodcock usually have a clutch of 4 eggs and grouse 8 to 14 (got this from RGS - from http://www.ruffedgrousesociety.org/grousewoodcock). I saw 2 which is how many Whip-poor-will and Chuck-will-widow lay normally.  I'm going with Whip-poor-will because I hear them all the time. Though I swear the bird I saw fly away looked bigger - then again, my eyes are pretty bad. Stupid glasses.

Use to be a ton a grouse off of piney hollow Rd back in the 70s and 80s.

[Bucndoe]

But my turkeys are here! Oh, there are also coyotes in this spot, too - they are back again. Heard the bastids howling a couple mornings ago when the town's siren started going off.

 

I don't think we have grouse down here, though. But in any case, woodcock usually have a clutch of 4 eggs and grouse 8 to 14 (got this from RGS - from http://www.ruffedgrousesociety.org/grousewoodcock). I saw 2 which is how many Whip-poor-will and Chuck-will-widow lay normally.  I'm going with Whip-poor-will because I hear them all the time. Though I swear the bird I saw fly away looked bigger - then again, my eyes are pretty bad. Stupid glasses.

 

Put the glasses on and you will shoot that red headed hen

[Lunatic]

How far south are you?

 

Possibly the Whip-poor-will or the Chuck-will's-widow???  

 

 

I agree.

Grouse would be in something resembling a nest and there would be more eggs of different color..IMO