I live in a small town, definitely not rural(as it was in my father's time) but not urban. And suburban doesn't quite fit either. Everybody clear on that?
OK - I was outside in the backyard with my Brittany Gabe, drinking my morning coffee and checking out the weather, a beautiful springy morning in winter with sun and chilled air making anything seem possible. A couple of the dogs in the big yard on the other side of the fence and arbutus bushes and cedar tree etc. were trying to get Gabe's attention.
A little toddler I never saw before came and quieted the dogs down. It was touching seeing how much mutt # 1 was obviously protecting the little boy. Anyway, we were "talking", discussing the significance of the Magna Carta in relation to Jeffersonian democracy, when a third dog came into view about 40 yards or so at the far end of the yard running and barking towards us. Chasing a bird that was definitely not the usual bird I would see out there.
My brain was putting it together as my eyes were frozen on the beating of the wings and the erratic flight and lickety-split the bird zipped over the fence in front of me, froze in the air about 6 feet from me, just long enough for the synapses to fire and "woodcock" to flash behind my eyeballs, then corkscrewed to the right and disappeared in the tall hemlocks.
It was breathtaking! Definitely a first around these neck of the woods, at least for me, and, tellingly, the earliest I've EVER seen or heard word of this species to be passing through.
This weird winter has definitely had its part in this morning's sighting. March 7. In my experience that's quite early for western Massachusetts.
What a gift!
I'd love to hear from other members from these parts with their side of the story. For that matter, it would be GREAT to hear EVERYONE chiming in with their stories of brushes with gamebirds outside of the hunting season.
Sorry to have rambled on. The morning coffee is racing with the adrenaline from the woody sighting!
