It required approximately 10 subsequent evenings of following this 
line of flight to discover the destination of these birds. During this 
period lesser numbers from all points of the compass were observed fly- 
ing at dusk to the same general locality. 
The majority of the birds lighted in an old burn grown up to gray 
birch and blueberries. Many lighted directly in the blueberry bushes. 
The berries were not ripe and there was no evidence of feeding on the 
‘fruit by the woodcock. In one small field of less than half an acre 
as many as 20 birds lit. Many departed soon after lighting. 
The phenomenon was not unlike what many hunters have described as 
the behavior of assumed migrants in the fall. 
One old gravel pit in the area was wet and probings were present. 
A few birds lit in this each evening. Of 11 birds captured in blind 
butterfly traps in the pit, 2 were females on the basis of weights and 
bill lengths. One of these females was collected. It could not be 
determined whether the latter were strictly local birds. Two of the 9 
males captured had been captured and banded earlier in July in a funnel 
trap, one and one-fourth miles to the west on the edge of a large alder 
swamp. Of particular interest was the observation of several birds 
leaving the edge of a large alder swamp at dusk and flying in the 
direction of the burn. 
On July 21, 7 Japanese mist nets were set in one small field, and 
during the following week, 10 additional birds were captured, Many 
birds hit the nets and bounced out. In one evening, 9 birds hit nets, 
but only 3 became entangled. On the basis of bill lengths and 2 speci- 
mens, all were presumed males. Up to July 29 when the last bird was 
caught, there was no sign of moulting in these male birds, whereas 
both captured females were in full moult. One bird had a bill only 
57 mm. long, suggesting it was a juvenile of the year. 
Most of these males performed half-hearted courtship flights 
flying up in spirals and descending in the typical courtship manner. 
Although the wing twitter was very audible and indistinguishable from 
the spring flight, the true msical chirp note was not heard. Speci- 
mens examined had minute testes, and there was no evidence that this 
phenomenon could be related to any form of breeding, 
Many of the birds "peented"” erratically after lighting. Some of 
these uttered a "peent!' typical of a breeding male. Others, possibly 
young birds, made a vocal sound not heard before, It can best be 
described as what a young bird might be expected to sound like when 
attempting to "peent!! One bird, while flying, was heard to make a 
quack" note not unlike the sound a wounded bird makes when picked up 
by a hunter, 
The birds were most active on hot nights when the temperature 
exceeded 70° F. Flights fell off rapidly by August 1, and regular 
38 
