Plenty of woodcock in south jersey

[aceswild]

Took my GSP out with me scouting for new deer spots for next fall and found and pointed 4 woodcocks, in the low wet areas in the woods, wish they were open, they are fun to target, the dog had a great time "pretend" hunting

[Bonefreak]

Kicked up 4 in Cape May last week!!

[megavites]

they always scare the crap out of me when I'm scouting this time of year.

[Batsto]

Soon we can see the males do their moonlight dance to locate a female. 

[Bucksnbows]

14 minutes ago, Batsto said:

Soon we can see the males do their moonlight dance to locate a female. 

Maybe next week if the weather stays warm as it supposed to.  I have a few great places to watch the spring dance around me! 

[Batsto]

6 minutes ago, Bucksnbows said:

Maybe next week if the weather stays warm as it supposed to.  I have a few great places to watch the spring dance around me! 

I love the noise they make.  Bug or frog like. 

[Bucksnbows]

"Peent, peent, peent" 

I love hearing the wind whistling through their wings when the males descent so rapidly on their mating flights.  But I agree that while on the ground calling, they sound more like some species of frog or toad.   

[Batsto]

5 minutes ago, Bucksnbows said:

"Peent, peent, peent" 

I love hearing the wind whistling through their wings when the males descent so rapidly on their mating flights.  But I agree that while on the ground calling, they sound more like some species of frog or toad.   

Funny story......when my kids were very young, I told them that "peent call" was the jersey devil. I had them hooked on the Jersey Devil Legend for a bit. 

Edited February 22, 2019 by Batsto

[mazzgolf]

They are funny looking things  PEEEEENT!

 

 

[Bucksnbows]

Useless trivia: the woodcock's brain is upside down in its head.  Unusual for most bird species.  It has to do with adaptation for boring into the ground for earthworms and other invertebrates all day.

[Ringtail]

Had one in my yard last week walking under the house

[mazzgolf]

Question: why do they say the noise is "PEEENT" with a P?

I don't hear a P. If anything its "MEEEENT" ... or just "EEEEEENT"

Inquiring minds want to know.

[archer36]

We sometimes used to flush some at the end of the Semi-Wild Season in March. I guess they were on their way back from migration.

[njbirddog]

Our pheasant preserve season ends this weekend and I've move more now then I did during the open hunting season.    They say that they will migrate at night and can more or less bypass the entire state of NJ in doing so.  

[Batsto]

This winter has not been real bad. Many woodcock did not need  to cross the Delaware Bay, but the migrants are on the way back.