Outside Observations
 

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

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

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

.................. :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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Wow, that is just awesome!

Tequila

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.

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






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Such a cool bird!

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.