De 

in a trap placed on a singing ground and was later 
found on a nest three-quarters of a mile away. The 
nest was only 50 yards from the singing ground of 
another male bird. This observation indicates that 
females may not nest near the singing ground of the 
male with which they mate, or that female woodcock 
visit more than one singing ground prior to nesting. 
Alder covers, which are of considerable importance to 
woodcock, have a very short period of usefulness. All 
alder stands used by woodcock at Greenbush average 
from seven to nine years of age; unused stands averaze 
10 to 12 years. Alder is a short-lived syecies, prob- 
ably not surviving more than 20 years under favorable 
soil conditions. However, since most alder covers are 
of uneven age, they are probably used by woodcock for 
approximately seven or eight years, 
In connection with the study of woodcock activities, a 
device for recording the movements of nesting females 
was constructed, This device is inexvensive, easy to 
build and maintain, and has no electrically activated 
parts. With some modifications in construction and 
use, such a recorder should be of value in many studies 
of nesting birds. 
Future management of the Greenbush area for improved 
woodcock usage should include (1) heavy thinning of 
existing overmature alder stands; (2) anmual grazing 
of some alder and birch-alder stands; (3) the estab- 
lishment of new singing grounds in areas of dense 
mixed growth; (1) the cutting of bushes and trees on 
several of the singing grounds now in use. 
)2 
