Woodcock! Woodcock! Woodcock!

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker holes

Joey picking through finches

There be Woodcocks here...

Ruby-crowned Kinglet Regulus calendula

Winter Wren Troglodytes hiemalis

Hermit Thrush Catharus guttatus

Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura

Purple Finch Carpodacus purpureus

Female Dark-eyed Junco Junco hyemalis

White-crowned Sparrow Zonotrichia leucophrys

drab White-throated Sparrow Zonotrichia albicollis

bright White-throated Sparrow Zonotrichia albicollis

White-tailed Deer Odocoileus virginianus

Eastern Chipmunk Tamias striatus

Eastern Comma Polygonia comma

Epic trip up north, April 18-20, 2016

  Yes that’s right. I saw an American Woodcock! I went up north to Prévost to hang out at Joey’s for a few days, and the birding was solid. “The Woodcock Incident of ‘16” was one of those serendipitous birding events that you remember for a while. Joey and I went out for a digestive constitutional at about 9:30pm, and a few blocks from his house we heard a nasal, Nighthawk-like ‘Peeent!’ coming from a roadside field. “Woodcock! Woodcock! Woodcock!” I hissed while hopping up and down like a crazy person. The sun was fully down, and the field was country dark, so we didn’t see it that night. I rose at 5:30 the following morning to have a go, but I knew it was a long shot, as dusk really seems to be the time to see them. That night we returned to the field and set up a silent stakeout, and after almost an hour of waiting, we heard the display flight twitter on our right at 8:30. We froze. Seconds later, a ‘Peeent!’ from our left. Two birds! We ended up seeing one bird in display flight several times, and got sketchy blobby views of the stationary bird calling on the ground. Terrible, dim views, but still a spectacular moment. As soon as I figure out how to, I’ll post up the sound recordings I got. Woodcock!

  Early on the 19th, we went to Les Sentiers Écologiques de Saint Hippolyte for a hike. We probably should have brought snowshoes, as one step off the trail and kapow you’re up to your hips in snow. Tiring, but entertaining. Ruffed Grouse along the trail, and singing Winter Wrens were the obvious highlights.

  Back at Joey’s, the staggering numbers and variety of birds drawn to his backyard feeder had me glued to the back window literally for hours. Terrible houseguest. Woodcock!

Prévost, April 18-20

Canada Goose – 45+

Wood Duck – 2

Mallard – 5

Turkey Vulture – 7

American Woodcock – 2

Ring-billed Gull – 8

Rock Dove – 4

Mourning Dove – 3

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker – 1

Downy Woodpecker – 2

Hairy Woodpecker – 2

Northern Flicker – 2

Pileated Woodpecker- 1

Eastern Phoebe – 2

American Crow – 6

Black-capped Chickadee – 12+

White-breasted Nuthatch – 1

Red-breasted Nuthatch – 1 heard

Ruby-crowned Kinglet – 1 picking bugs off a pine with a near-hover maneuver

Hermit Thrush – 1 pair ghosting along the forest floor at dawn

American Robin – 10+

European Starling – 6

Chipping Sparrow - 1

American Tree Sparrow – 6+

Song Sparrow – 8+

White-crowned Sparrow – 1

White-throated Sparrow - 2 (one drab 'Tan-striped' and one bright 'White-striped' spotted on different days)

Dark-eyed Junco – 12+

Red-winged Blackbird – 4

Common Grackle – 9

Brown-headed Cowbird – 1

American Goldfinch – 20+

Pine Siskin – 35+

Common Redpoll – 12+

Purple Finch - 11

Les Sentiers Écologiques de Saint Hippolyte, April 19

Turkey Vulture – 3

(Northern Goshawk – 1 possibly heard)

Red-shouldered Hawk – 1

Ruffed Grouse – 2

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker – 3

Downy Woodpecker – 1

Hairy Woodpecker – 2

American Crow – 6

Common Raven – 2

Tree Swallow – 1

Black-capped Chickadee – 20+

Brown Creeper – 1

White-breasted Nuthatch – 4

Red-breasted Nuthatch – 1 heard

Winter Wren – 2 singing up in the treetops – not where I would expect to find this species!

Dark-eyed Junco – 8

Pine Siskin – 25+

(+ two Eastern Painted Turtles and two Eastern Commas)