March 22, 2021- Field Journal
Date - March 13, 2021
Start time - 5:28pm
End time - 6:53pm
Location - Kikas Valley Farm, Jericho, VT
Weather - 32 degrees F, little to no wind, no precipitation.
Habitat(s) - Mixture of agricultural field and shrubby swamp area.
My group arrived at the farm around 5:30, and was immediately greeted by the most glorious sign of spring, Red-winged Blackbirds singing! After spotting some Grackles, and watching Wood Ducks fly over, we walked through the muddy out-of-season broccoli field and into a shrubby swamp area. We chatted for a little while the sun was setting, and waited to hear our first sign of what we came for: an American Woodcock. The American Woodcock is a goofy bird, with a goofier call. Their most notable noise is the "PEENT".
My group was chatting, when we suddenly saw two silhouettes appear overhead. There were two American Woodcocks chasing each other. This interaction was due to the Woodcock being an extremely territorial species, and now is the time they are establishing their territory. The birds swooped over our heads, as we saw one Woodcock chase the other to a space to the left of where we were positioned. After this interaction, we heard their communication through peenting.
Peenting is a courtship display that American Woodcocks do along with evening flight displays. In the audio attached, the American Woodcock is heard peenting for about 30 seconds before stopping and flying in an intricate pattern. They then essentially dive bomb back to the ground where they repeat the process, until it gets too dark for them to continue. This behavior fits into the American Woodcock's circannual rhythm, as it is nearing time for the species' breeding season and is trying to find a mate.
Two plumages I saw were the Wood Duck and an American Woodcock. The Wood Duck has a flashy, bright plumage made for attracting a mate. On the other hand, the American Woodcock has a dull, earthy plumage made for stealth and blending in to their surroundings. The American Woodcock commonly is found is open area with woody vegetation, and forest edges. This makes them potential prey. It makes sense for these birds to have a earthy plumage, to easily blend in with scrubby vegetation and not stick out to predators. On the other hand, Wood Ducks are obviously found on bodies of water. To not stick out a lot to predators, the Wood Ducks' plumage dulls out when not trying to attract a mate. However, in breeding season their plumage becomes flashy and saturated to attract mates.
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