American Woodcock peenting

MaineNatureDiary · 230323 American Woodcock Peenting

 This evening, I went out looking for amphibians for a Maine Big Night survey. That part of the evening was a bust. But, Caroline, my companion for the survey, heard a woodcock peenting. My hearing is not the best, so she had to point me in the direction of the sound. Eventually, I heard it myself and was able to record a short snippet before a car passed by.

It is breeding season for woodcocks, and the easiest way to find them is to listen for the "Peent" call while the males are on the ground. At dawn and dusk, males perform their mating display flight where they spiral upward into the sky, and back down again. Caroline actually heard and saw the display flight of a couple of woodcocks this evening. They display in fields and openings in the forest.

This is one of a couple of photos that I took when we spied a woodcock in our woods in 2005.

Woodcocks eat earthworms and other invertebrates that they find in the soil. They will nest on the ground and it is important for the female to be perfectly camouflaged. Their coloration is key to rarely being seen in the forest. Click here to gain more knowledge about the American Woodcock.

Grackles at the feeder, Red-winged Blackbirds, and Robin Redbreast

Note that this is an old photo as I didn't get a chance to photograph the grackles today.

We saw the first grackles of springtime at the feeder today.

I used an old photo of the red-winged blackbird as I did not get a photo today.

And, red-winged blackbirds flew in with them. I heard a blackbird calling over at the pond. The call of the red-winged blackbirds is one of my favorites and really tells me that spring has sprung.

I also saw the first robin of the season poking around in a small part of the front yard that is free of snow.

Slate-colored Junco

Even though Slate-colored Juncos are supposed to be in our section of the state all year long, I don't see them very often at our feeders during winter. But, one did sit on the railing of our front deck and flew down to a stump. It is a sign of springtime for me.

Ice Out Prediction for Caesar Pond

Here is the state of Caesar Pond today. Good solid ice, but it has been so warm of late that I think that it will be an early ice out.

I have been asked when I think Ice Out will occur on Caesar Pond. Hmmm... Let me ponder that a moment. With all the above freezing daytime temps and sunshine, I am going out on a limb and predict March 27th!