I was pulling garlic mustard in the woods, when I saw a woodcock 
running along not far from me.  I never see woodcock unless I inadvertently
flush them, and then they typically fly a short distance in sort of an arc, and
drop down again.  This bird was sort of hunched up, and had it’s wings lifted
just a little bit away from the body. It kept moving pretty steadily, and then reversed
direction and started going back again.  I could watch it moving on the ground
for several minutes.  It took only one or two small hopping flights.  I’d sort
of lost track of it behind the ground cover when I saw it fly  up and come down
again.  Very close to the place where I had flushed one from it’s nest a few
years back.  So I started thinking that this could have been distraction display? 
though it is no where near as pronounced as say killdeer. 

Inga Schnidt
Chagrin River Road Geauga Co. at the Cuy. Co. koine

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