Kevin,

We've had at least six and possibly eight males here since March 12.  There
is a marsh not far from our property line, and a few small streams - we are
just below South Mountain in Pleasant Valley and there is perfect habitat
here for Woodcocks - lots of third growth wood lines with empty fields and
large lawns (I DO mean large, we have four acres).  Not too far from
Knoxville & Weverton.

It's been my experience here in the Mid-Atlantic that Woodcock will show up
just about anywhere that has a suitable area for display, and I've even seen
them in December in Laurel off of Van Duesen Road behind the synagogue near
Cherry Lane, almost stepped on two with Rick Sussman and the late Harold
Nelson.  A once very reliable spot in Gaithersburg/Rockville was the UMUC
Shady Grove campus but, alas, development has claimed the last farm field &
hedgerow where they once displayed with alarming regularity, year after
year.

I had much more trouble, oddly enough, locating them in Northern New England
where I'm from, the Champlain Valley in Vermont.


*************************
Frank Boyle
Rohrersville, MD

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>BTW - if anyone knows a good area to see woodcock displays in so.east Wash
Co, post it...I'm now doing a good double take.

Kevin Caldwell
Washington Co.
Knoxville MD