Spring is time for the Woodcock Mating Ritual. This male is wooing the woodcock ladies and will, if all turns out well, later engage in a spectacular “sky dance” with one of them. This video was captured by Claudia Desimone April 4th, 2020, 1:50 pm, on dirt road between Chippy’s house and East End Main Road.
To learn more about the American Woodcock (Scolopax minor) and their mating ritual, read the 2006 Nature Note post by Penni Sharp:
