Re: Snipe or Woodcock?

["Will Cook" <cwcook@duke.edu>]

> This morning at Mason Farm, in addition to the usual winter birds, two of
> us were treated to a ~30sec. flight of a very long billed, round bodied
> bird that never made a sound. We both got the bird solidly in our

If it flushed from a field during the day, I'd bet on a Wilson's Snipe 
(which has just been unlumped from the Common Snipe of Europe), though 
they aren't usually silent.  I flushed up 3 here on the Chapel Hill CBC 
last Sunday by walking through the fields.  I also counted 7 American 
Woodcock at Mason Farm on count day -- all males doing their fantastic 
display flights at twilight from about 5:25-5:45 pm.  Directions: 
http://www.duke.edu/~cwcook/tbg/masonfarm.html


--
Charles W. "Will" Cook                  w 919-660-7423
http://www.duke.edu/~cwcook            cwcook@duke.edu
Biology Dept., Duke Univ., Box 90340, Durham, NC 27708