THE WOODCOCK 



SCO LOP AX RUSTICOLA 



COILEACH-COILLE, CROM-NAN-DXJILLEAG CREuTHAR (Gaelic) ; Bl^CASSB 



{French) ; Waldschneppe {German). Local names : — Muff cock, 



MUCKLE SNIPPACK. 



To those who know the wooded glens of the Highlands 

 during the months of April and ]May the Woodcock compels 

 attention from its curious and distinctive habit of emerg- 

 ing from the obscurity in which it has hidden itself during 

 the day and flying over the tree-tops with rapid, trembling 

 wing-beats. To this behaviour the Scandinavians have 

 given the term " Roding," and, as in our own language 

 there is, so far as I am aware, no distinctive name in use, I 

 think it may be as well to keep to it throughout this chapter. 

 Immediately after sunset the entire male Woodcock 

 population leave their secluded haunts and fly backwards 

 and forwards over the same line of country, uttering a 

 peculiar cry, unheard except during the season of nesting. 

 The notes may be termed the song of the males, and are 

 uttered by the birds previous to their departure for their 

 feeding-grounds in the evening. The song commences 

 with grunting cries, ending up with a sharp and penetrat- 

 ing note repeated, maybe several times in quick succes- 

 sion, "pisick, pisick." At times two cock birds during 

 their aerial manoeuvres cross one another's path, and then 

 ensues a stern chase over the tree-tops, the birds uttering 

 repeatedly their chirping cries. Tlie " roding " of the 

 Woodcock never takes place before the sun has set during 

 the earlier part of spring, but at a more advanced period 

 — m May — the birds commence their evening flights 



