Date: 2/28/26 5:04 am From: Karyn Delaney <delaneykaryn...> Subject: Re: Clarion Co- first woodcock of the spring last evening ! and a screech owl pair again
Hi Carole... this is amazing! Do they always arrive this early? And do they stay in the area, or move on?
Karyn Delaney
On Sun, Feb 22, 2026, 3:40 PM Carole Winslow <cjwinslow94...> wrote:
> After the past week the ground had thawed and all the snow was gone > yesterday evening. It was a beautiful calm, clear evening after a little > afternoon sun, it smelled wonderful and so I went out at dusk just on the > off chance of hearing the first woodcock. After the pretty brutal winter I > wasn't really expecting to hear one yet but shockingly, there it was right > on cue at dusk, twittering up into the evening sky and chirping its way > down again. If I hadn't heard it twice I might have convinced myself that I > dreamed it. It's always such a treat the first one I hear, giving me hope > that spring will indeed arrive. We are missing the blizzard today up here > and the next week doesn't look so bad, so I think it should manage to > survive the late winter weather. > > Also my female screech owl that spent the winter roosting in the barn > has survived and the other day a male showed up roosting next to her in the > barn. Last night one was also calling after dusk. Good news for another > nesting season ! He looks mostly gray but with some reddish around the > face and ears so I guess he'd be called a brown morph. > > Good end of winter birding, > > Carole Winslow > Sligo, Clarion Co. >
