Got cabin fever? Join Union County Parks, Friends of Lenape Park and birder Frank Budney tonight, March 16, for a Woodcock Watch at Lenape Park, from 6:45 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. Woodcocks or timberdoodles are short, stocky shorebirds in the sandpiper family with long bills. They spend most of their time in shrubby forests.
The male woodcock, famous for its beautiful mating flight and courtship behavior, is often considered a harbinger of spring.
For this informal presentation, there will be a brief introduction and then participants will head to the nearby field to listen for woodcocks and observe the male’s flight.
The program starts promptly at 6:45 p.m. Dress warm and bring a flashlight.
To register, email bkelly@ucnj.org. The Woodcock Watch is free and open to adults and children ages 10 years and up with adult.
Participants will meet at the old Trap & Skeet field house, accessed via the main park entrance off Kenilworth Boulevard in Cranford (for map visit mapquest.com at mapq.st/1M3VkhU).
For more information on programs in Union County Parks, call 908-527-4900.
Photo: Courtesy of US Department of Agriculture.