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  1. #361
    Real Retriever Coalman's Avatar
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    March 08, 2017
    Belle saw them first. 6:02 PM. At heel, same spot. Her eyes to the sky. Two woodcock. One behind the other.

    The same path as last week. SSW.

    Tonight they turned, hard right, against the horizon resembling a wood duck and a bat. They looked like a mammal but maneuver like a fowl.

    Apartment buildings now light up our western sky.

    They cupped their wings and disappeared under the tree line into our ribbon of brook. We live on the edge. Between the future and the past.

    The unseen nightly spring migration is on.





    03-09-17
    Between 6:02 and 6:10 PM tonight I saw 8 woodcock come to roost on a piece of conservation land bordered by a local river. There were more. I could hear them but couldn't see them.

    Belle and I saw geese, ducks and a barred owl. She barked treed on the owl just like she does for grouse.

    Spring has sprung in southern NH.

  2. #362
    Real Retriever Coalman's Avatar
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    Tough little buggers

    03-12-17
    Saw my BIL at my son's B-Day party yesterday. He saw this woodcock in his yard along the driveway about 4PM yesterday. And another one roadside a few minutes later.

    These were in New Castle, NH. Right on the ocean.

    So far this has been a really good flight. I wish them the best.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails -castle-nh-woodcock-03-12-17-web-jpg  

  3. #363
    Real Retriever Coalman's Avatar
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    03-13-17
    Update. BIL just texted me. Flushed nine woodcock in the swamp behind his house in one group.

    Up to 20" of snow predicted in the next 24 hours here. Not supposed to go over 40 degrees for a week.

    Tough little buggers.

  4. #364
    Real Retriever Coalman's Avatar
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    The Brook that Never Freezes

    I think they are going to be OK. It is all about spring seeps right now.

    03-16-17
    Tuesday’s blizzard was a blessing to this snowshoe enthusiast. The backyard trail is open, nicely packed and groomed.

    The storm is allowing me to go backwards just as I was going forward enjoying the annual migration north of the American Woodcock.

    Having seen as many as eleven birds to date there is no doubt their internal compasses are pointing north.

    Woodcock require soft thawed ground in order for them to find their primary diet of earthworms. Looking across our current landscape as winter holds its grip it is very hard to find any open ground.

    Tonight I stopped by the raccoon den tree. At its base there is a very defined trail where raccoons have been coming down to forage in the small woodlot we call our backyard.

    The tree overlooks the brook that does not freeze. I stood a moment wondering about the migrating timberdoodles and their need for food when I saw a very familiar shape standing in the open water.

    No way I thought. My brain was trying to fool my eyes. I needed a closer look.

    As I broke trail down to the brook I swear I saw the shape move. As I approached a small woodcock took flight. In its twisting turning way it rose up and settled back down about twenty yards further up the brook.

    I stood in awe at this creature’s survival ability. I thanked the Lord for allowing me the fleeting glace.

    Not wanting to disturb it again I turned and followed the brook up to where I had seen two woodcock come to roost last week. Although I did not see any more flyers right at dusk from somewhere along the ribbon of open water came the unmistakable buzzy, nasal ‘peent’ of a male woodcock.

    Blessed, best describes my adventures.

    The Brook that Never Freezes
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails -yard-brook-03-16-17-web-jpg  

  5. #365
    Senior Dog Scoutpout's Avatar
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    thats cool right in your yard
    and even more so that they are adapting to what the weather offers for their survival
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  7. #366
    Real Retriever Coalman's Avatar
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    Spring Seeps and the American Woodcock

    03-17-17
    This spring originates on our neighbor's property. Like our boundary spring it never freezes.

    On my hike tonight just as my snowshoe touched the bridge a woodcock flushed.

    In an instinctive instant, I shouldered my imaginary shotgun and mouthed two shots. Bang-Bang.

    Thank you to my mentor who told me so many years ago that any time I flushed a game bird, in season or not, to raise that gun of air and follow through.


    My muscle reaction in now involuntary. I wish I could teach my shot pattern the same.

    This woodcock was much bigger than yesterday's. Live long my friends.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails -backyard-trail-bridge-trail-web-03-17-17-jpg  

  8. #367
    Real Retriever Coalman's Avatar
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    The Money Bird

    My son Shawn and I attended our first ever Continental Driven Shoot at New England Upland in Hillsborough, NH yesterday.

    It was based on a St Patrick's Day theme.

    The breakfast and lunch were both Irish traditional. The corned beef was the best.

    Even with temps in the single digits upon our arrival and in the teens when we were stationed at our first peg we both worked up a sweat calling shots and shooting birds.

    The luck of the Irish was with Team O'Hearn. We heard the shooting start two pegs to our north. As the shots reigned Shawn saw the bird angling in our direction.

    Shawn called the shot for me and stood as my backup.

    It was only after the birds sudden flight path stopped and it pitched to earth that we saw the two green ribbons on his legs.

    The afternoon walk up hunt with Belle was tough. As much as 20" of snow still blanketed the landscape especially in northern exposures. We hunted on snowshoes. Belle put five more birds to flight. Four of which filled our game pouches.

    Bacon wrapped pheasant breast poppers ....it's what's for dinner.

    The Money Bird. Thank you New England Upland.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails -money-bird-ne-uplands-031817-web-jpg  

  9. #368
    Senior Dog IRISHWISTLER's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Coalman View Post
    03-17-17
    This spring originates on our neighbor's property. Like our boundary spring it never freezes.

    On my hike tonight just as my snowshoe touched the bridge a woodcock flushed.

    In an instinctive instant, I shouldered my imaginary shotgun and mouthed two shots. Bang-Bang.

    Thank you to my mentor who told me so many years ago that any time I flushed a game bird, in season or not, to raise that gun of air and follow through.


    My muscle reaction in now involuntary. I wish I could teach my shot pattern the same.

    This woodcock was much bigger than yesterday's. Live long my friends.
    Given the larger size, t'was most likely a hen.

    Mikey☘️
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    Joanie Madden, Mary Bergin, Adrea Coor, and Nuala Kennedy, each an Irish whistle goddess in her own right.

  10. #369
    Real Retriever Coalman's Avatar
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    03-26-17
    Yesterday we started the release of another orchard at Habitat Improvement. The landowner said it was OK to cut down the shade trees but to save him the firewood.

    As we worked I was drawn to the melting seep with open ground to the left of the photo.

    Today I took Belle back in to see if we could locate any woodcock. I've seen them here before.

    We spent an hour looking but never flushed a bird.

    Next we went to the conservation land I'd seen eight just before winter turned to spring.

    I saw Belle test the wind and bolt straight ahead. Due to the density of the eight acre brush land I never saw the bird but was treated to its whistling wings.

    I took two more steps and a woodcock got up from this edge.

    The birds are here. Have been for a couple weeks. This will be the first place I check for singing.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails -orchard-jpg   -belle-habitat-improvement-jpg   -woodcock-habitat-jpg  

  11. #370
    Real Retriever Coalman's Avatar
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    03-30-17
    Took a walk with my wife at the conservation area tonight. I am the eyes, she is the ears.

    When we got close to where Belle flushed the birds Sunday she stopped. A woodcock was peenting just off the trail. We continued walking along the path to another potential singing area and she heard one maybe two more.

    At 19:35 from the southern end of the field I saw one woodcock come to roost. It headed to the potential singing area we just investigated.

    We saw no dancing and heard no singing wings. The peents stopped at dark.

    Snow in the forecast. Lay low my feathered friends.

 



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