I went down to Dyke marsh to check on the active Osprey and Bald Eagle nests
this afternoon for our annual breeding bird survey. There are now at least
five active Osprey nests, including the one on the leaning pole at the
marina. How that nest stays put is incredible! Waterfowl numbers have really
gone down. Besides the Mallards, there were three Red-breasted Mergansers
and two Ruddy Ducks. There were also three Horned Grebes, one still in basic
plumage, and the other two well on their way to alternate. It was breezy,
but not terribly cold. Katherine Wychulis joined me to continue the search
as dusk approached. I believe Katherine heard the first "peent" at about
7:45 as we approached the bend in the dogleg at Haul Road. The initial
vocalizations came in rapid succession as if the woodcock was on an urgent
mission. He soon launched himself into the air and when he descended, the
"peents" came at a much slower pace, perhaps 5 or 6 seconds apart. A second
more distant woodcock began "peenting" at 7:55, and the bird may actually
have been displaying on the exposed mud. Our original guy was still going
strong at 8:15 PM, so we left him in peace, hoping that he would find a
partner to help make more woodcocks, and went on to look for owls.
Larry Cartwright
prowarbler@xxxxxxxxxxx
