Outside Observations

[Mike Koneski]

Hung out around the course this evening to see if there were any mudbat here. I sat out by #9 and heard at least three or four and saw three doing the mudbat flight of bootie!! Very cool.

https://youtu.be/UEISiCmjwH8

[Daniel Carter]

Thank you for posting that, i have never seen them behave that way and now have to find out why.

[Daniel Carter]

Well Google is your friend, seems that it is used in finding worms ,feeling for their movement in the ground.

[Dean Romig]

.................. :whistle:


It may have something to do with finding worms beneath the ground but I have seen that behavior several times and it apoears to be just the way they walk.





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[todd allen]

Wow, that is just awesome!

[Ken Descovich]

Tequila

[Garry L Gordon]

Back when I was more energetic (and limber) I snugged up under a cedar in a singing ground and was able to get a very close view of the male peenting and strutting. He came within a few feet of me. A real treat.

I taught a college class on hunting (the literature, art, and conservation issues) for several semesters before I retired. A class requirement was for each student to go on a "hunt." There were many ways to satisfy the requirement, and often I would bring students along with me and the dogs (sans gun) at one of the nearby WMAs. For one "hunt" I took students to a nearby singing ground where we were able to see and hear the sky dance. I'd prepped them with Leopold's writings (and others) and we had a biologist friend come in to talk with them about the bird.

I'll never forget the reaction of some of the students, many of whom were from St. Louis and Kansas City, when they found out these birds existed. It's too bad that so many have become detached from nature, or have the Nat. Geo version only (or even worse, the current Disney version).

The woodcock is a mysterious and marvelous creation.

[Dean Romig]

I consider myself a grouse hunter but I am Passionate about woodcock.






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[Shawn Wayment]

Such a cool bird!

[Andrew Sacco]

Mike we have had about a half dozen birds adjacent to our house and in the neighbors field going off for the past few weeks. I think I temporarily messed it up as we just cleared part of it for a pond, but when all is said and done the land will be better for the bogsuckers and grouse. I think the diverted outflow for the pond will make a better moist area of habitat for them.

[Joseph Sheerin]

Love the diminutive timberdoodle....

I had one basically land in our laps while sitting against a tree with my son for a youth turkey hunt one morning.... I've never hunted them, but always enjoyed seeing them. Hunting them near me would be nothing more than a walk in the woods hoping to just see one...

[Larry Stauch]

That's hilarious. I've never seen that before.

[Gary Laudermilch]

They are indeed goofy, crazy, and fascinating birds I assure you that when they want to they can run quite fast, if not far. I've had them scoot out from a dog's point like a sprinter.

I hope you watched the other videos following the one that Mike suggested. More chuckle worthy antics.

[Daniel Carter]

While hunting them i have seen them moving away from myself, the dog or my hunting partners and not seen them move that way. Watching a robin this morning i noticed they run 10 or so steps, stop and cock their head do it again until they locate a worm. Another way to get the worm to reveal itself?