Feathers ‘n Fins

Considering the attention that sportsmen, bird watchers and other outdoors addicts give to the April mating rituals of male woodcock – beginning at dusk, the repeated buzzing calls and towering flights terminated with swooping, chirping descents are entertaining to say the least – it can be said that female woodcock receive small notice for the major roles they play in maintaining the species.

Typically, a hen woodcock lays four eggs in a ground nest that is nothing more than a depression among leaves and twigs. Though the eggs and subsequent brood suggest easy pickings for predators, the plucky hen, concealed by plumage that provides incredible camouflage, is remarkably successful in protecting and rearing her offspring. Furthermore, spring storms that delay the departure of winter are as much or more of a threat to nesting woodcock than raccoons, crows, foxes and the like.

Returning from southern sojourns, woodcock usually arrive in this neck of the woods when March is either side of three weeks old. Given that the lance-billed birds feed by probing for worms, grubs and insects, it’s amazing that they survive when the ground is covered with snow and, worse yet, stiff with frost.

Obviously, male woodcock hold center stage on April singing grounds. All things considered, however, the spotlight should be shared with the low-profile protagonists of nesting grounds.

Tom Hennessey’s columns and artwork can be accessed on the BDN Internet page at www.bangornews.com. Tom’s e-mail address is: tom@tomhennessey.com. His Web site is: www.tomhennessey.com.