Hi all,



In keeping with the three separate incidences of displaying American
Woodcock thus far reported here in January, I can add two more. Bill
Thompson had one at dusk back on January 6th at the Wilds in Muskingum
County. And a friend down in Adams County, Steve Wilson, wrote to say that
he's had a woodcock displaying since October 10, and it still continues. And
this is the 2nd year in a row! So, we're up to at least five January
reports, and there's no doubt many more woodcock than that out there.
Although they might regret this behavior right about now, with the weather
becoming winter-like again.



I see where Peterjohn (The Birds of Ohio, 2001) lists but four January
records. So, this run of woodcock really is unprecedented, based on historic
records. Woodcock are worm-eaters, and have to have soft soil to probe in,
so finding food has been no problem for them thus far. I've seen a number of
rainy days this January where earthworms have been all over the pavement,
forced from the ground by all of the precipitation.



Something that isn't widely known but of interest when one considers
woodcock - and many other issues of forest ecology - are non-native
earthworms. Apparently, an enormous number of worms are not native - they
are introductions from Europe and Asia, and have built in numbers until they
are abundant and often the only worms to be found in some locales. This worm
invasion has been shown to have ill effects on the ecology of forests'
ground layers, but woodcock may well benefit, at least in the short term,
because of this bonanza of food.



Jim McCormac

Columbus, Ohio




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