Terry, If you want more whip-poor-wills, there was one in Waltham
that I was hearing up to about a week ago. I was quite close to my
house one evening. [In my home bird diary I noted one on the same
date 10 years ago.] I live on an west facing slope just north of Buck
Mountain. A neighbor actually almost stepped on one a few years ago
in the woods up above us.
If you are interested I can let you know if I hear it again. It may
have moved on.
Don Ross
Quoting Terry Wright <[log in to unmask]>:
> Hi Greg,
>
> I've been meaning to get down there as we did not net any birds in the
> Whippoorwill survey I did in Hinesburg. Where in Brandond did you
> hear/see the
> birds?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Terry
>
>
> In a message dated 5/25/2008 11:37:59 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
> [log in to unmask] writes:
>
> Just after dusk fell at Long Swamp Road in Brandon I heard one
> WHIP-POOR-WILL calling quite loudly a short ways off. At that moment I
> imagined the bird perched along a branch in the stand of trees from which I
> heard it calling and flashlight in hand I made my way into the woods in the
> hopes of seeing it. The bird continued to call and shortly I noticed
> something fluttering a few feet off the ground, weaving back and forth a
> couple times; I could make out light flashes on a generally dark blur. It
> was quiet for a few minutes as I scanned the spot with my binoculars in one
> hand and the flashlight in the other. I couldn't locate the bird on the
> ground where it appeared to have landed but eventually I heard it or another
> calling farther off.
> I've no previous experience with Whips and the fact that they nest on the
> forest floor slipped my mind in the moment, so I'm hoping I didn't harm them
> in any way by venturing back into what I now believe is the breeding site.
>
> Back on the road I headed in the direction of the same or another bird
> calling. This time the bird was a little ways off the road out in the swamp.
> When I was probably twenty feet away, standing on the road, the Whip stopped
> calling and a minute later I was surprised by a dark form passing within 10
> feet of me and then disappearing further up the road.
>
> Also of interest at Long Swamp, as I made my way up the road in the
> direction of the Whip I noticed a round shape just ahead of me. I trained my
> binoculars on the shape and lo it was Woodcock, who then set about peenting
> as if it were scolding me, its body shaking comically with indignation with
> each peent!
>
> An earlier sighting: TENNESSEE WARBLER on Zoon Road in Middlesex.
>
>
>
>
>
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>
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