AMERICAN WOODCOCK in a Box - Mt Pearl

[brucema...@gmail.com]

At 3:30 pm Thursday I received an email from the Kent Store in Mt Pearl with a picture attached showing an American Woodcock on a cement floor. The story goes like this: The fellow who opened up the contractor's side of Kent this morning discovered this odd bird flying about inside a partially enclosed building. It was bumping into things. The bird was picked up on some store stock and put in a box with a bit of water. The yard workers did not know exactly what it was or what they should do with the bird now in a subdued condition. Eventually I got the email.

I drove to Kent. Saw the beautiful woodcock alive appearing well but apparently not well. It had bright eyes, plumage looked fine. Wings held in tight to body but showed a bit of blood at base of bill indicating internal bleeding - maybe?

I took the bird to a weedy grassy place near a manure pile in the Goulds where I knew earthworms would be abundant. The bird did not fly or walk away after release from the box. It looked so alive and well except for the fact that it didn't want to escape. Hopefully it will recover and fly away. Will check in the morning.

Since birder/tickers can not tick this bird after being held in captivity, I decided it was best for the bird to let it go quietly in a place it had a good chance of finding food.

Dr. Dovekie (also works on Woodcocks)
B Mactavish

[David Shepherd]

And you can't tick it either!

DS

[Andrea Dicks]

So cool to know they're around!

[brucema...@gmail.com]

The American Woodcock is DEAD! I checked on it this morning and it had not moved from where I laid in on the ground.

B Mactavish

PS Thanks for the ruling Shepherd & Nobody, Bird Lister's Ruling Firm. Was it free advice?

[Dave Brown]

That's too bad, did it feel emaciated?

Dave

[Shawn]

Bruce wrote at the top, "appeared well".

[Shawn]

To clarify what I mean by that,.... is, I took it to mean other than likely having beaten itself to within an inch of it's life/death in the confines of the Kents store, that the bird was otherwise in good health. I presumed he wrote of his experience once back home after having picked the little fellas carcass up in his hands to take it out of the box and then laying it out in the Goulds field. To bad the little fella didn't make it. But, it gives us hope to keep a sharp eye in other surrounding area Snipe-type ditches.

Shawn

[brucema...@gmail.com]

A musty moot point at this stage. The American Woodcock felt fat. Rather dense, solid and heavy for a bird this size. It also had two huge beautiful white craps in the cardboard box indicating it had been eating well. It probably died from injuries inflicted by flying into objects inside a large semi enclosed building full of gear. There was a bit of blood at base of bill.

BM for AMWO