Have you ever heard of a Timberdoodle? I most certainly haven’t. That is, not until today. Enjoying a lovely hike in Rosaryville State Park today with friends, we had a brief lunch respite at the Mount Airy Mansion where George Washington helped celebrate his stepson’s wedding in 1774.
Entering back into the woods and hitting a side trail, movement caught my eye. At first I thought it was a snake. Then I thought perhaps it was a little bunny. Then I saw a coloring and began to think it was a quail. But nope! It was actually a Timberdoodle. An American Woodcock, this little bird was dancing in the leaves, charming us with his little bob.
He was so darling to watch, and coming home I’ve learned they were popular for eating in past decades, similar to quail. It’s no wonder that I’ve never seen one before.
So let’s do the funky dance with a Timberdoodle and party!
Video Credit goes to Bill Hubick with the Maryland Biodiversity Project.
Categories: Birds, Foot Prints, Maryland Area Hikes, Nature
Emily Carter ~ Nature as Art 
YOU are amazing, Emily! I LOVE this, the music is PERFECT, and I nearly fell off my CHAIR laughing at this dancin’ timberdoodle. Love the name, love the video, love the spirit of it all. I sure needed this today, THANK you my friend! 🙂
I am so thrilled to have shared this with you when you needed it the most. I was doing the Timberdoodle dance all night. Have to give credit of the video to Bill Hubick of the Maryland Biodiversity Project. Great clip!
What a little sweetie, and how lucky were you to capture him? Thank you for sharing! 🙂
Joanne, it was super lucky and he was so close as I took this with a little point and shoot camera I take on my hikes. Here’s hoping you get to enjoy one of these cuties one day.
I had to squint a couple of times cause wow it blends so well with the surrounding 😁
I did too, and I was two feet away from him. Great camo. Think I need his outfit.
That would make nature photo shooting so much fun eh 😀
Love that dancing queen. Inspiring dance. 😉
Thanks Bente !! Bet you’re ready to go out to the club and attract some girls right? 😉
They are a very cute bird. I never heard of them either. The video was really adorable. The music was perfect.
Thanks Donna ! I am so grateful that my acquaintance Bill Hubick of the Maryland Biodiversity Project put that video together. It is awesome!
What a beautifully-patterned bird! And such a charmer with that little dance – you picked the ideal music to accompany your video!
Thank you so much Sheryl. Although I have to give credit of the video to Bill Hubick of the Maryland Biodiversity Project for the video.
Great camo on that guy. Love the dance!
Isn’t he awesome Ilex? Can’t believe that they just bob around like that. I was doing the Timberdoodle dance all night that night.
What a cute bird this is! Thanks for sharing the video. It really made me laugh. 🙂
It always makes me laugh too. I have to give credit of the video to Bill Hubick of the Maryland Biodiversity Project.
A bird with rhythm! Now I’ve seen it all! That is just FANtastic. A bird after my own heart. Great video. Thanks for sharing.
You can see him do the Salsa right? You know the ladies love him. I’m with you – he certainly is a bird after our own heart. Truly a pleasure to share the video, though I have to give credit to Bill Hubick of the Maryland Biodiversity Project who captured and created it.
Love! Love!! Love this!!! 🙂 I’m still dancing….
LOL ! Me too ! Two days later. It was a special moment as I’ve always wanted to see one. That is once I saw that video that my acquaintance – Bill Hubick – posted last winter. Had to share it with everyone.
We call them Woodcocks in Britain – though I have to admit I like Timberdoodle! Funnily enough, one flew up out of a ditch an spooked the heck out of me the last week. They were hunted almost to extinction here but have been recovering for several decades.
I didn’t know they had these in Britain also. I had heard that they were hunted quite a bit here also and their populations have dwindled. Also the big city lights attract them during migration and they hit buildings and die. (very sad.) So awesome that one flushed and scared you – don’t you wish that didn’t happen before you got a good look of them?
I hesitate to put my link in your comments, but I found a very similar bird in the Eastern Sierras. I’d never seen one before even though I’m from Maryland. You’ll have to scroll thru the pics to Wilson’s Snipe: egghillphotos.com/2014/12/03/deep-springs-college/
Thank you so much for your comment, and love the link for your Wilson’s Snipe.
We also have those here in Maryland, and at first I thought this guy was one of them. But it was the wrong habitat. Snipes like marshes.
Welcome and hope to share more with you in the future. Bella