U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service                                  A Wilson’s snipe sits on its nest.

Have you ever gone on a wild goose chase? Do you have memories of being taken on a snipe hunt? If so, I don’t need to tell you that our feathered friends have inspired a lot of unusual sayings and activities. The snipe hunt is widely regarded as a rite of passage. I’m not sure if these “hunts” are still organized on moonless nights to pull a playful prank on unsuspecting or naive adolescents. The gist of this practical joke is that these would-be snipe hunters are given a bag or sack to use in capturing the supposedly elusive, perhaps mythical snipe.
The “snipe hunt” has also come to symbolize a lesson in futility since the target of the hunt is never found despite some diligent efforts. It’s all harmless fun, but what bothers me is that the tradition of the snipe hunt reinforces the mistaken idea that this evasive creature is a make-believe bird.

That’s not the case, and I’ve seen plenty of snipes over the years to prove my point. There are some things about this unusual bird that makes it understandable how this creature became the focus of the long-running tradition of the snipe hunt.

Photo by Bryan Stevens                                            A Wilson’s snipe hides in the grass of a flood field.

The Wilson’s snipe is one of North America’s more elusive birds. It’s an aberrant shorebird that doesn’t exactly fit the mold of the birds any coastal visitor has probably seen running along the surf’s edge on a beach. It’s an odd, gangly bird with long legs and an even more absurdly long bill. It’s also remarkably well camouflaged to blend with its preferred surroundings in flooded fields and wetland marshes. It is one of those shorebirds that usually makes its home far from beaches and the crash of the ocean’s surf.

So, as I have indicated, there really is such a bird as a snipe. In fact, there are several species of snipes, although only one — Wilson’s snipe — can be found in Western North Carolina and Northeast Tennessee. Some of the world’s other 25 species of snipe include jack snipe, wood snipe, pintail snipe, noble snipe and imperial snipe.

Any wet field or pasture may conceal hidden Wilson’s snipes during the spring. A few of these hardy shorebirds sometimes spend the winter in the region. Flushing a snipe from a tangle of grass right at your feet as you walk through a wet field always works to get the heart pumping faster. While Wilson’s snipe is elusive and able to easily conceal itself, other shorebirds definitely stand out in a crowd.

Photo by Bryan Stevens                                            The Wilson’s snipe is usually found far from the seashore. Wet fields, ditches and marshy areas are favored habitats.

The members of the shorebird family vary greatly in size. The smallest member, appropriately enough, is the least sandpiper. This tiny shorebird is less than six inches in length and usually weighs barely an ounce. The largest shorebird — depending on how “largest” is defined — is either the Far Eastern curlew ( Numenius madagascariensis) or the beach thick-knee ( Esacus giganteus). The Far Eastern curlew is a large shorebird most similar in appearance to North America’s long-billed curlew, but it is slightly larger. This bird definitely has the longest bill of any shorebird and is probably the world’s largest sandpiper. The Far Eastern curlew is 25 inches in body length. If the criteria for biggest comes down to weight, the heaviest shorebird is the beach thick-knee, a bird native to Australia and the islands of Southeast Asia and India. This unusual shorebird can weigh as much as 2.2 pounds, but is only 22 inches long. The Far Eastern curlew, in comparison, weighs about 27 ounces.

The medium-sized Wilson’s snipe has a close relative known as the American woodcock. This feathered oddity also has some other colorful names, including “bog-sucker” and “timberdoodle.” In late winter and early spring, this true oddball among the shorebirds begins courting.

Photo by Bryan Stevens                                                The Wilson’s snipe blends easily with its surroundings.

Having abandoned the beach for damp woodlands, this strange shorebird is famous for its mating displays, which usually begin nightly right at dusk. The display combines aerial acrobatics with an assortment of unusual acoustical flourishes. Any wet field adjacent to a wooded area may provide a stage for these evening displays, but unless you know where to look and make an effort to do so, the American woodcock might as well remain a phantom of the night. These mating rituals are almost the only time that this bird makes itself visible to us. It’s only during this brief window that opens into their lives that we can be assured a glimpse. The rest of the year, almost nothing but blind, sheer luck allows a birder to stumble across an American woodcock. It’s almost as if they disappear after these spring flights of fancy.

Alexander Wilson

The Wilson’s snipe uses its long bill to probe in the mud for prey, which can include earthworms, insects and other invertebrates. Formerly known as the common snipe, the Wilson’s snipe nests in wetland habitats across Canada and the northern United States. The bird’s common name pays homage to Alexander Wilson, an early American ornithologist. In addition to his expertise on birds, Wilson was also a poet and an illustrator. He was born in Scotland in 1766, but he died at age 47 in 1813 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

During a spring trip to coastal South Carolina, I enjoyed a fascinating, close-range observation of a Wilson’s snipe while visiting Huntington Beach State Park. My visits to the park also yielded observations of other shorebirds, including willet, greater yellowlegs, black-bellied plover, short-billed dowitcher and Wilson’s plover, yet another shorebird named in honor of Wilson.

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service                                                                                The Wilson’s snipe may be a little-known bird, but it is quite real.

Those shorebirds that migrated as far as the Arctic tundra this spring will soon be making their return migration as they return to their wintering grounds in South and Central America. Many of these shorebirds will make migratory stops along the shores of lakes and rivers or by the edges of farm ponds. Look for Wilson’s snipes around puddles in flooded fields or even along the banks of small streams. The family of shorebirds is dazzling in its diversity, and they’re definitely worth seeking out.

I took part in the annual Spring Bird Count conducted by the Elizabethton Bird Club on Saturday, May 9.

Photo by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service                  A close-up shows the facial pattern of an American Kestrel.

We found a lot of good birds, including an American Kestrel in a field near Sycamore Shoals Hospital. This field has been a reliable location for this small falcon for years.

This small falcon, although present throughout the year in the region, is somewhat more prominent during the winter months when kestrels from farther north migrate into the region. However, this falcon also nests in the region and can be found at any time of the year in suitable habitat, which is usually open countryside.

The American Kestrel is a small member of the falcon family, which includes such larger relatives as Merlin, Peregrine Falcon and Gyrfalcon.

All falcons share a similar aerodynamic design that includes sleek, streamlined bodies and long, slim wings which taper to pointed tips. They fly with rapid wingbeats and are capable of swift flight.

Photo by Bryan Stevens                        An American Kestrel perches on a fence post.

The male American Kestrel is a colorful bird. He shows a rusty back with some black barring, a rusty tail and steel blue-gray wings. The female American Kestrel is brownish with black barring on her back and tail. She also shows a buff-colored wash streaked with brown on her under- parts. Both sexes show a strong facial pattern marked by two black “sideburns” on the side of the face.

The American Kestrel has long been one of my favorite raptors. They’re seldom as skittish as many other raptors and will permit close observation.

The American Kestrel, formerly known by the name “Sparrow Hawk,” does not feed entirely on other birds. In fact, a large part of this small falcon’s diet includes rodents and insects.

In its nesting preference, the American Kestrel is unusual among other native falcons and hawks. Kestrels nest in cavities, including abandoned woodpecker holes and nest boxes provided by humans.

Like many raptors, the American Kestrel likes to hunt from a perch, swooping down on unsuspecting prey. The Kestrel, however, is also capable of hovering, a type of flight that only a relatively few birds, including the Belted Kingfisher and the Ruby-throated Hummingbird, are capable of performing.

Photo by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service    American Kestrel shows why falcons are such efficient aerial predators.

The falcons comprise a family of birds with a long history with humans. The sport of falconry, although not as widely practiced today, long ago became associated with royalty and nobility. In fact, falconry has been called “the sport of kings.” The sport basically involved hunting prey, usually other birds, with birds of prey such as falcons.

As a pastime, falconry never became as popular in the United States as in other parts of the world.

There are more than 60 species of falcons found worldwide. While the Peregrine Falcon’s endangered status became well-known in the United States, other falcons have been threatened with extinction. The Mauritius Kestrel once dwindled to a population of only six individuals. Today, the population, due to intensive human effort, has greatly recovered.

Photo by U.S. Fish & Wildlife/Steve Hillebrand A perched American Kestrel makes a sharp-eyed survey of its surroundings.

Other members of the falcon family can be found in the region, including the Peregrine Falcon and the Merlin. Other falcons in North America include the Prairie Falcon and the Aplomado Falcon.

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I’ll provide more specific details on the spring count results in upcoming posts.

Early naturalist John James Audubon painted this family of American Kestrels.

Photo by Bryan Stevens                                      A Red-bellied Woodpecker looks for sunflower seeds at a feeder during a snowstorm.

For most woodpeckers, a vertical lifestyle’s not a problem. These birds even have amazing adaptations to help them with their specialist lifestyles. For instance, their tail feathers are usually quite stiff to provide a means to prop the body against tree trunks as they excavate into the bark either in search of food or to fashion a roost or nesting site. Since they spend so much of their time hammering against tree trunks, woodpeckers even have special “shock absorbing” cushioning to protect their little bird brains.

Photo by Bryan Stevens                                                    A male Downy Woodpecker climbs along a branch.

The region is home to seven species of woodpeckers, ranging in size from the sparrow-sized downy woodpecker to the crow-sized pileated woodpecker.

English naturalist Mark Catesby, who died in 1749, gave the large pileated woodpecker the name of “large red-crested woodpecker.” Swedish botanist Carolus Linnaeus apparently gave this woodpecker its scientific name of Dryocopus pileatus. The Latin word, pileatus, translates into English as “capped,” and is derived from an old term that literally means “felt cap.” So, apparently, this woodpecker’s red crest reminded early observers of a red cloth cap. Another English naturalist, John Latham, apparently gave the bird the common name of pileated woodpecker, basing the name on the scientific name established by Linnaeus.

Photo by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service The Pileated Woodpecker is surprisingly evasive for such a large bird. Their presence in a woodland might go unnoticed if not for their noisy vocalizations.

The pileated woodpecker has actually had an abundance of common names associated with it, including wood-hen and “Good Lord Bird,” which was inspired by the common exclamation people make when they’re surprised by an unexpected observation of this rather large, often noisy, woodpecker.

Beyond this history of how the bird eventually got the name pileated woodpecker, there are a lot of folk names for this particular bird, including such interesting ones as “king of the woods” and “stump breaker.”

The loud vocalization of this woodpecker has also inspired names such as wood hen, Indian hen and laughing woodpecker. If anyone knows of other common names for the pileated woodpecker, I’d enjoy hearing about them.

Depending on whether you believe that the ivory-billed woodpecker still exists somewhere in Cuba or Arkansas, the pileated woodpecker is the largest of North America’s woodpeckers.

Pileated woodpeckers are cavity-nesting birds, and they use their large, stout bills to efficiently excavate their own nesting cavities in dead or dying trees. These cavities can be used in subsequent nesting seasons by such cavity-nesting birds as Eastern screech-owls and wood ducks, which are incapable of excavating their own nesting cavities.

Photo by Bryan Stevens                                            A Red-bellied Woodpecker stops by a feeder during a snowstorm.

Male pileated woodpeckers show a red whisker stripe on the side of the face that is absent in the female. Otherwise, the sexes look similar. These large woodpeckers — they can reach a length of about 19 inches — often forage close to the ground on old stumps or fallen logs. The pileated woodpecker is widespread in the United States and Canada, favoring wooded areas in both countries. This woodpecker has proven adaptable, now thriving even in suburban areas offering sufficient woodland habitat.

During the recent bout of wintry weather with its abundant snowfall, a pair of red-bellied woodpecker have joined the downy woodpeckers as daily visitors. This is a bird that was once considered primarily a resident of the southeastern United States. It has expanded its range northward over the past century. It is often confused with its relative, the red-headed woodpecker. In truth, the red-bellied is named for a feature not readily apparent. Although it has red feathers on its belly, they are often hidden as the bird clings to the trunk of a tree.

Photo by Bryan Stevens                                                                            A feeder stocked with peanuts attracts a Downy Woodpecker.

The downy woodpecker, which occupies the other end of the size scale from its larger relative, is a rather frequent visitor to feeders. This small woodpecker, which is only about six to seven inches in length, frequents a variety of habitats, including open woodlands, parks and well-planted yards. The male shows a red crown patch at the back of the head, a feature which is absent in the female.

At feeders, downy woodpeckers like sunflower seeds, peanuts and suet cakes. Away from feeders, this small woodpecker is quite efficient at boring into trees in search of insects and their larvae.

Photo by Bryan Stevens                                  A Downy Woodpecker clings to the underside of a branch.

The other woodpeckers in the region include red-bellied woodpecker, Northern flicker, hairy woodpecker, yellow-bellied sapsucker and red-headed woodpecker. Worldwide, there are about 200 species in the woodpecker family, which also consists of sapsuckers, piculets and wrynecks.

Some species have some very colorful names, such as the red-throated wryneck, arrowhead piculet, ochre-collared piculet, black-rumped flameback, crimson-winged woodpecker, imperial woodpecker, brown-capped pygmy woodpecker, splendid woodpecker, melancholy woodpecker and red-naped sapsucker.

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To learn more about birds and other topics from the natural world, friend Stevens on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ahoodedwarbler. He is always posting about local birds, wildlife, flowers, insects and much more. If you have a question, wish to make a comment or share a sighting, email ahoodedwarbler@aol.com.

Photo by Bryan Stevens                                                                                                                              The Red-bellied Woodpecker is a medium-sized member of the woodpecker family.