Coming soon “Sky Dance” to an outdoor theater near you.
The curtain goes up at dusk, just like the old drive-in theaters. And although "Sky Dance" has adult themes, general audiences are admitted.
"Sky Dance" could be playing in your own backyard, yet you may be unaware. The show starts at about 20 minutes after sunset, when the light is a romantic just-so. Don't worry about finding a seat, "Sky Dance" has been playing for eons and the theaters remain nearly audience-free.
"Sky Dance" is the springtime courtship ritual of male woodcock. As soon as woodcock migrate into the area, they begin their show, usually in late March when most snow has disappeared. There is plenty of time to view this most unusual proclamation of love because woodcock males actively court through mid-May.
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The woodcock is normally a reclusive bird with its cryptic coloration blending perfectly with its wooded environment. But during spring the males attempt to become obvious to females.
Suddenly the male bird will appear out of obscurity and land at his predetermined stage. Upon arriving, the woodcock begins to call, emitting a nasally “peent” every three or four seconds, a sound somewhat like that of a nighthawk’s call. From close range, a subdued burp or gurgle can be heard preceding each peent. After a few peents in one direction, the bird shifts roughly 90 degrees, until after a minute or so, he has declared in all directions his affections to local females, and warnings to other males.
Then without signal, he takes flight. Leaving his singing ground, the woodcock can be seen silhouetted against the western sky as it flies low, parallel to the ground for a distance before rising in wide arcs, the circles becoming steeper and smaller until he is hundreds of feet high – the Sky Dance. During this flight, the bird emits a musical twitter as air rushes through odd-shaped primary wing feathers. Upon reaching its peak, the sky dancer hovers momentarily before pitching toward earth on folded wings. Slipping sideways the bird alternately dives and checks its fall, uttering a melodic tune as it plummets earthward, returning sometimes to the exact spot where the performance began.
Sometimes a male woodcock is lucky enough to attract a female to his singing grounds. There he will strut by holding his wings high and walking about in a characteristic bobbing fashion. Male woodcock are polygamous and will mate with any willing female.
The males take no part in nesting or young-raising duties. Typically, female woodcock lay four well-camouflaged eggs in a rough ground nest. After 20 days of incubation the eggs hatch into equally well-camouflaged young. Woodcock are precocious, meaning the chicks mature quickly. By three weeks of age, young woodcock are nearly the size of their mother.
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Woodcock primarily eat earthworms. They find worms by probing the soft, damp earth with their 2- to 3-inch-long bill, which contains sensitive nerve endings. Even with its bill embedded entirely in the soil, a woodcock can open and close the last half-inch enough to grasp a worm.
Somehow it seems fitting a bird as reclusive as a woodcock would use the cover of darkness for its spectacular courting display. Among birders, few courtship rituals rate as highly.
I'll bet "Sky Dance" would get two thumbs up from the movie critics.
BILL MARCHEL is a wildlife and outdoors photographer and writer whose work appears in many regional and national publications as well as the Brainerd Dispatch. He may be reached at bill@billmarchel.com. You also can visit his website at BillMARCHEL.com.
