LORI DUNN SCRATCHBOARD ART
promoting conservation through artistic efforts
Timberdoodle
7 x 14
AVAILABLE
Spring arrives slowly here. The sun’s rays steadily grow warmer in March and the last of the crystallized snow dissolves with the first rains. A skim of ice slowly recedes in the wetlands. The fields are muddy, with the dried grasses from last season providing the only cover in these open areas. In the daytime, the red-winged blackbirds call out from the cattails. As dusk settles, the first spring peepers loudly announce that winter is finally over.
During these warmer evenings, it’s always been my ritual to walk the fields at night just listening. I know that beyond the deafening chorus of frogs I will hear a faint “peent, peent”…barely audible in the meadows around the property. The American woodcocks are back, and soon I will witness their mating ritual as the very last sliver of light disappears. I sit in the fields, turn off my flashlight and wait. Soon whirring noises are heard, and I can feel the birds buzzing by my head, even though I can barely see them. They circle high overhead in their spiraling dance. I dare not shine a light on them. I just listen. Crawling into bed for the night I leave the window open so I can hear the faint “peents”. I mimic it and laugh to myself. Every year the same excitement over their presence.
These bizarre little birds, the slowest flyers, the crazy walk and strange mating rituals, the weird little call…so endearing. Is it any wonder they have a dozen colloquial nicknames including brush snipe, bog sucker, Labrador twister and timberdoodle. As long as I live here, and as long as they return, I hope to continue this little spring ritual.
Many thanks to author, naturalist, artist and friend, Fiona Reid for the use of a wonderful close up photo as reference for this piece.
