RETA UDUBON, BULDETEN 3] 
The American Woodcock 
By E. R. Forp 
The Woodcock arrives early in the Spring, between March 15 and 
20, and repairs at once to its breeding haunts in the brushy woodland 
borders of streams, runs and swampy areas; borings and characteristic 
“chalkings’ soon mark the locality. “The bird is of nocturnal habit and 
does not flush readily. It rests upon the ground, its pattern and color 
making it inconspicuous amid the forest litter and, usually, one is made 
aware of its presence by a whistling sound caused by the rapid movement 
of its wings as it seems to hurl itself into the air. A short, low flight and 
it settles again into concealment. At dusk the male calls from the ground, 
a nasal “‘peent’’ something like that of the Nighthawk. ‘This is repeated 
several times, the length of the notes and the intervals being about equal. 
One listens expectant in the chill of the deepening shadows and the rising 
mist. A lone star appears. Frogs pipe bodingly. Suddenly the faint form 
of the bird is seen against the sky-line. He rises and circles with a shrill, 
continuous sound of wings until, reaching at the same time, it would seem, 
the climax of his ecstasy and the zenith of his flight he pitches to earth 
to the accompaniment of a “clear, twittering whistle.’ He alights near 
the spot from whence he arose where, also, not far away the female sits. 
Soon again the bleating note recurs and the frenzied flight is repeated. 
The performance seen in clear light is thus recorded: “Between six and 
half past eight on a dull, muggy morning in April I watched a Woodcock’s 
evolutions. He flew with extreme rapidity from one end of the cover to 
the other, a distance of more than 300 feet, his course describing an oval. 
Most of the time he kept an altitude of about 200 feet. he winnowing 
of the air whica results in the whistling sound seemed to be made by the 
lower part’ of. the wing as the bird’s body, sharply tilted, was thrown side- 
Wise In the direction of its flight.’ —Stoddard. 
The site chosen for the nest is among the dry leaves “‘at the base 
of a clump of sprouts,” “beside a wild gooseberry bush,” “beside a fallen 
branch,” ‘“‘at the base of a sapling,” or “between a fragment of a dead 
branch and a fallen grapevine.’ ‘The position of the nest thus usually 
insures against the mischance of being trod upon by men or cattle. Odaks, 
Willows, Prickly Ash, Hazel and Elderberry form favorite coverts for 
the brooding Woodcock. 
The eggs, numbering four, color clear buff to light brown, spotted 
and blotched with shades of rufous, are laid in April. From 25 nesting 
records, March 31 is the earliest date for the laying of the first egg, and 
May 1 the latest. “he average date for full sets as obtained from these 
records is April 16. Usually the female does not cover the eggs until the 
