Long ago, an evening hike led us through dense woods to an open field where we watched American Woodcocks perform their amazing twisting flight display known as a sky dance. At evening’s end, we found our way back through the dark with the light of our headlamps and spent the drive home merrily mimicking the birds' nasal call — “Peent! Peent!” — while recalling the miraculous springtime mating ritual we’d witnessed.
Had the hike leader told us back then that the birds were also known as “Timberdoodles?” If so, neither of us had retained it; so we were surprised to learn the Timberdoodle Flats Wildlife Interpretive Trail we visited while camping was so named in honor of American Woodcocks — Timberdoodles — who use the nearby forest and open areas for mating and nesting. We didn’t see or hear any Timberdoodles at the Flats, but we thoroughly enjoyed walking the scenic trails and taking turns reading the informative signs along the way. The recent rain had scents hanging heavily in the air, and who doesn’t love the scent of pine?
