Although the walk started out as cold and gray, the sun broke through a few times. As I was walking on the Woodcock trail by the Blue Minnow pond, I was startled by a long-billed bird flushing from the ground under brushy cover east of the trail, crossing the trail and quickly dropping back into thick cover on the pond side of the trail. It was either an American Woodcock or Wilson’s Snipe, neither of which I’ve seen it at the reserve. Either one would seem late to me for mid-November—any thoughts?

 I did not have time to get bins on it and the light was such that I could not pick out much more than the flight silhouette. It did make a soft, rapid chittering sound as it flew but I did not hear a call/alarm note. I listened to some vocalizations on the Cornell site and the closest I could find was a Wilson’s Snipe wing sound as it took off on a call recording from Florida taped in November. I don’t think the head was big enough to be a Woodcock and my initial impression was of a snipe. I hung around the area, peering into the undergrowth and checking the pond edges but did not find anything. V cool.

I was also treated to 2 adult Bald Eagles flying over and two Red-shouldered Hawks.

 Other birds:
Catbird that was vocalizing and eating berries
at least two Hermit Thrushes
Bluebirds heard
Robins
couple towhees 
white-throated and song sparrows

Peggy Wang
Granville 
Sent from my iPad
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