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    Witness The Song and Dance of American Woodcocks This Spring in Cleveland Metroparks

    News & Press | March 2011

    Witness The Song and Dance of American Woodcocks This Spring in Cleveland Metroparks

    Posted: March 8, 2011
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    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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