.
Don't know that I can answer this as any kind of authority, but at my Utley
place and nearby, in some years they can be fairly common. Of course we
know what they sound like when flushed and when displaying....Those other
feather sounds, I can only think of two, are ones I hear when they are just
flying over to another destination...Sort of the haphazard Mourning Dove
thing we often hear.....AND I don't know if the male, females or both make
those incidental wing noises either. It is that time of year for
Woodcocks, but I don't think I have ever heard an "incidental" wing noise
from a nighthawk except when displaying. They fly silently as best as I
can tell. Lytle Blankenship would have been the man to ask about the
Woodcocks.
**********************************************************************
Brush Freeman
Senior Wildlife Biologist/Partner. Bio-Spatial Services Inc, TXESA,
Independent consulting.
www.biospatialservices.com <http://www.biospatialsevices.com>
503-551-5150 Cell
120 N. Red Bud Trail. Elgin, Tx. 78621
Finca Alacranes., Utley,Texas
On Tue, Dec 1, 2015 at 11:00 PM, Berner Family <dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
Texbirders:
Had a single Common Nighthawk fly over reasonably low to the north at
5:10PM tonight (Dec 1) in Addicks Reservoir N. of Clay Rd. about 1/2 mile
west of Eldridge (W. Houston). There are still mosquitoes there as we've
had no hard freeze yet this winter. For some reason this same area has had
previous December Common Nighthawks in 1997, 2000 and 2010. No American
Woodcocks were present tonight (although this is a known woodcock area)
nor were there any present November 20 nor November 22.
I Have a American Woodcock wing trill question for Texbirders. It is
well known that Male American Woodcock have three modified (narrow) outer
primaries that produce a twittering sound in flight. I am wondering though
whether this wing twitter sound is always made by all woodcocks in flight
or are they sometimes more silent.
Per David Sibley "Immatures and females have slightly broader outer
primaries, and presumably make a slightly different sound." ("presumably"
indicates Sibley doesn't know for sure how the sound varies). BNA doesn't
discuss sounds made by female or immatures (Thanks Brent O). Xeno-Canto
doesn't have anything on this either.
On Thanksgiving morning very early (well before sunrise, a bit before
dawn), two birds flew out of a fallow turf farm with 4" high grass
alternating with bare dirt strips heading towards a young forest just
outside Sheldon Lake State Park. The birds resembled woodcocks in size wing
shape and flight style (although it was dark, the overcast sky reflected a
lot of houston city lights). This area has traditionally had woodcocks and
the park has already had one earlier this fall.
One problem--although i was only 40 yards away when the birds decided to
finish for the night and head for the woods i heard no wing twittering.
Although i was nearby, I didn't flush the birds which might potentially
reduce wing sound vs. a panicked fast takeoff (woodcocks usually only flush
when you are quite near them) . Also it appears that age and gender affects
the sound. Lastly i read on one of the Cornell sites that even male
woodcocks during their display flight can finish the final part of their
descent silently.
QUESTION FOR TEXBIRDERS--can certain woodcocks sometimes fly relatively
silently if not flushed or is this not true?
Appreciate your thoughts, Thanks much! The Berners
John, Cathy, Abby and Zach
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