FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE:
MARCH 8, 2010
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
BOB ROTATORI - 216-635-3263
KAREN FREEDMAN - 216-635-3253
There's a lot of singing and dancing going on in Cleveland
Metroparks this spring. But, not by humans - by birds- the American
woodcocks!
Everyone is invited to witness the elaborate song and dance of
American woodcocks, and learn more about their lifestyles and
mating rituals by attending the following free programs in March
& April:
Woodcock Watch
Tuesday, March 29 � 7 p.m.
CanalWay Center � Ohio & Erie Canal Reservation
Each spring the male woodcock returns to northern Ohio and
begins a nightly performance of calls and aerial dances to attract
a mate. Search for this common, but elusive bird and watch his
�skydance.� Wear hiking footwear and dress for the weather.
CanalWay Center is located on Whittlesey Way, off the East
49th Street entrance of Ohio & Erie Canal
Reservation, between Grant Avenue and Canal Road in Cuyahoga
Heights. For more information, call 216-206-1000.
The Sky Dance of the Woodcock
Thursday, March 31 � 7:45 - 8:45 p.m.
Main Street Ballfield � Big Creek Reservation
Some people call it the bogsucker or the timberdoodle, but you
might know it as the woodcock. This intriguing bird is making its
annual mating flight at this time. This is one for the bucket list
- a must see!
Main Street Ballfield is located off Main Street in Big Creek
Reservation, north of Pearl Road/Route 42 in Strongsville. For more
information, call 440-734-6660.
Romancing A Woodcock
Friday, April 8 � 7:30 - 9 p.m.
North Chagrin Nature Center � North Chagrin
Reservation
Find out what it takes to court a woodcock lady. It's a sign of
spring each year as males start their courtship. Take a walk to a
nearby courtship site.North Chagrin Nature Center is located off
Buttermilk Falls Parkway, off the Sunset Lane entrance of North
Chagrin Reservation, off SOM Center Road/Route 91 in Mayfield
Village. For more information, call 440-473-3370.
An Evening Stroll
Saturday, April 16 � 7:30 - 9 p.m.
Strawberry Picnic Area parking lot � North Chagrin
Reservation
Enjoy a relaxed hike as the day ends and evening begins. If
timing is right, hear the local woodcock calling to prospective
mates. Strawberry Picnic Area is located off Buttermilk Falls
Parkway, off the Strawberry Lane entrance of North Chagrin
Reservation, off SOM Center Road/Route 91 in Willoughby Hills. For
more information, call 440-473-3370.
Woodcock Watch
Friday, April 29 � 7:45 - 8:30 p.m.
Royalview Picnic Area � Ohio & Erie Canal
Reservation
Join Naturalist John Miller to experience the spectacular flight
of this amorous woodland sandpiper and learn what he hopes to
accomplish with his peenting, twittering and chirping. Royalview
Picnic Area is located off Royalview Lane in Mill Stream Run
Reservation, off Valley Parkway, just south of Royalton Road/Route
82 in Strongsville. For more information, call 440-526-1012.
A rotund little bird with a long beak that is used to pull
earthworms out of the mud, the American woodcock lives in forests.
The male woos his mate with an elaborate song and dance ritual that
is one of spring's birding delights.
Woodcocks can be heard in the eastern United States and Canada
in April, and can continue to be heard in some northern sites in
May. These spectacular sky dances only take place when it's darker,
so most predators can't easily see them. In addition, owls, prime
nocturnal predators, are not attracted by the low-frequency
�peents� and the higher pitched wing and warbling sounds that are
made, because the bird is too high in the air for owls to
catch.
Watch and listen this spring for woodcocks singing and dancing
in Cleveland Metroparks - part of your life, naturally.
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