Life on a family farm
in the wilds of
Upstate New York
Friday, March 29, 2013
Peent!
Moon shadowed back porch way before dawn, barefoot, dog seeking, cat hearing, oh, what a howling! Highways all quiet just for a bit, or quietish at least, when up in the horse pasture, just near the small pond.... Peent!!! Urgent, nasal, beloved sound.... the little round bird that is the real augur of spring in the Northeast. Hooray for woodcocks! I hadn't even been listening for them, as winter has lingered so long and so diligently that I thought that they would never come, with spring glittering off their fanning tail feathers. You can have a listen here (Although I wish you could be there on the porch with me...hey, NW, want to come down at 5:30 or so some morning???? It is SO cool to hear him out there and he does his flights right over the back yard.)
Don't miss the marvel of the wing sounds as the little guy spirals, twittering, aloft. They don't call it the sky dance for nothing...how wonderful to be able to stand on the back porch and listen.
Oh you are blessed! I haven't heard this in years and, by golly! I'm going to get crackn' here and find out when the local naturalists group heads out to watch and listen. Thank you for jarring my memories.
As I've mentioned, I heard one around here about a week or so ago. Then...nothing! I thought they had second thoughts about sticking around because of the cold and snow (it's doing it again this morning!) but I guess they're just being a wee bit more elusive.
3 comments:
Oh you are blessed!
I haven't heard this in years and, by golly! I'm going to get crackn' here and find out when the local naturalists group heads out to watch and listen. Thank you for jarring my memories.
As I've mentioned, I heard one around here about a week or so ago. Then...nothing! I thought they had second thoughts about sticking around because of the cold and snow (it's doing it again this morning!) but I guess they're just being a wee bit more elusive.
Cathy, wish you could just stand on the back porch with me at dawn and hear him...it is pretty quiet then...
joated, yes, I am always envious, because you always hear yours first. lol
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