Timberdoodles in Burgoyne Woods

Spring is here and American Woodcock are being observed in Niagara. Even before the Spring Equinox, I was receiving eBird alerts for the shorebird that is also known as a timberdoodle. Friends had observed woodcock in reliable areas of Niagara but the one evening Jean and I searched for them near Woodend Conservation Area on the Niagara Escarpment, we came home without an annual tick.

It is still early in the year and another visit could produce an observation. Or we could try another location. The opportunity arose at the Peninsula Field Naturalists' indoor meeting this past Monday. When I asked members to share their recent nature sightings, Ken Smith informed us that he heard and saw American Woodcock in the St. Catharines park Burgoyne Woods.

Jean and I went to the park the next evening and waited to hear the peent call at dusk. The area is on the east side of the municipal park and it has suitable habitat near the dog park. The only disadvantage was that it's close to the Highway 406. The drone of the cars did not have a negative effect and Jean and I heard the first call of an American Woodcock 10 minutes into our survey. Another call came from the opposite direction and the bird flew upward and started its flight display over our heads. With a limited amount of sunlight left, it was quite the sight.

We stayed a bit longer and I recorded a couple videos and though it was a shot in the dark, I managed to capture a quick glimpse of the timberdoodle in flight.

Tick number 90 for our Niagara year list. Though there are some species missing when comparing the current list to 2018 we're still on track and I expect to add some more ticks before the end of the month.