Hi everyone, You've probably noticed that American Woodcocks have arrived. During the first Ohio Breeding Atlas, woodcocks were detected in 35% of all blocks surveyed, in every county except Logan and Monroe. So far, data from the second atlas show that woodcocks are missing from key regions, and increased detections are needed. With so many woodcock admirers in the field experiencing spring courtship displays, now is the perfect time to add woodcock to your blocks (or anywhere else you find them in Ohio) by listening for their distinctive courtship displays. Current OBBA2 data show a peak in detection of courtship flights around March 25th and again in mid- to late-April. Or, if you're planning on doing owl surveys soon, please consider being in your block around dusk (prior to owling) or dawn (after owling) to record woodcocks. If your blocks contain suitable habitat, your chances are very good. Peterjohn and Rice (first Ohio Breeding Bird Atlas) described American Woodcocks as occupants of scrub/shrub successional habitats and the brushy edges of woods and fields. Suitable nesting areas vary in age from old fields with scattered shrubs to young woods with several small openings. In Ohio, their nests have also been found in orchards, grassy fields with planted pines, and even a cultivated field. Recorded egg-dates area as early as mid-March and fledgling woodcocks can be recorded (rarely) as early as the first week of April. (Access the first OBBA2 species account for woodcock at http://www.ohiobirds.org/obba2/pdfs/pdfselect.php) Safe dates for American Woodcock begin April 10th, but the species doesn't fit well within the atlas framework. During the first Atlas, aerial displays recorded before April 15th weren't included, probably because woodcock are known to do courtship flights during northbound migration. There is now uncertainty about this behavior and some evidence suggests that males may mate with females and then migrate north to breed again (females rear young on their own). Because it is difficult to determine breeding status of displaying woodcock, it is important to record all woodcocks seen or heard in Ohio prior to safe dates (courtship flights should be coded as "CC"). This will allow us to make decisions later, hopefully after more is known about displaying male woodcock in early spring. The bottom line: Please contribute all displaying woodcock observations to the Atlas, even if they occur in late-February to early April! If you observe birds in March, you may want to check for them again after April 10th to see if they are still present. To increase the value of your woodcock observations before safe dates, consider plotting your observations on the interactive block maps or by recording latitude and longitude of the display sites. A general description of the habitat in the notes section might also be useful from our perspective. As always, thanks for your involvement and dedication to the Atlas! Aaron Boone & Paul Rodewald Ohio Breeding Bird Atlas II School of Environment & Natural Resources The Ohio State University 210 Kottman Hall 2021 Coffey Road Columbus, OH 43210-1085 614.247.6458 (office) www.ohiobirds.org/obba2/ ______________________________________________________________________ Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at www.ohiobirds.org/forum/. You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]