Early Spring Woodcock Walk
Dartmouth, MA 02748
Join the Lloyd Center for the Environment to observe one of the first, and most spectacular, signs of spring in the bird world!
The fabled American woodcock (Scolopax minor) courtship flights are a true sign of spring that occurs across open landscapes often before the last snows have melted. Woodcocks are actually shorebirds, but forests are integral to their nesting ecology. Experience the spectacle at Noquochoke Wildlife Management Area in Dartmouth, a known staging area and site where the state manages habitat specifically for woodcocks. The right conditions yield a dazzling show!
You’ll spend the first hour enjoying the beautiful property and exploring the site for other bird activity that may occur at dusk. In case an owl is in the area, your guide will play tapes of owl calls to try and get a response. Then, settle in to hear and see the “main event”, woodcocks performing their aerial displays. A packet of background material about woodcocks will also be provided.
Pre-registration required by 12:00 noon, Tuesday, March 24. Participants should dress warmly and bring (if available) a camera, binoculars, flashlight, and chair.
Cost: $10 Lloyd Center members, $13 nonmembers
Hosted By: Lloyd Center for the Environment
