Birds of March 2021 - Woodcocks, Killdeer, and the Return of the Devilish Red-Winged Blackbirds
While many of our winter ducks begin leaving us for their northern breeding grounds, one of our native birds decides it is prime time to start attracting the ladies: the American Woodcock. These unmistakably plump birds with a long bill have an incredible breeding display in March, and the Outdoor Discovery Center in Holland is a prime location to witness this activity. These birds gather in the open pasture of the ODC near the visitor center and conduct an aerial spectacle. Patience is rewarded while watching the spectacle as you often wait a while watching the woodcock repeating a nasally "peent" call over and over. However, suddenly this plump bird acrobatically ascends a football field up into the air and makes a twittering noise while descending back down nearly to the same location it took off from. This spectacle is a delight to enjoy on a cold March night and provides a great reason to be outdoors in the early spring. Photo taken of an American Woodcock during a Marc...