The Woods Are Alive, With The Sound of ...
Drumming?
Imagine Julie Andrews singing those lines to the old Sound Of Music tune ... Yes, I have a strange sense of humor, but spring has me absolutely giddy lately, as the change of seasons has finally taken hold in northern Vermont and New Hampshire.
The woodcock have returned, and the grouse are in full on "Tinder mode" - lots of drumming in the woods, and hopefully the hens and cock birds are making the most of it. The ultimate sign of spring was watching a cock grouse in full display on my lawn just before dark a couple of nights ago - the ultimate sign of disrespect according to the dogs! We let him display his wares to all who would have him - hopefully he got lucky that night.
April and early May is the breeding time up here for our birds, with nesting usually occurring later on in May and June. The recent melting snow has allowed us some access to the woods to search for birds to tune up the dogs as well as reinforce some of the commands that were rarely uttered through the winter months. In other words, the days of lounging on my couch are over ...
Looks like we'll get another week of good weather to run the dogs and look for birds and then give the woods a rest to let the hens tend to their nests. We'll focus on dreaded yard work in June and July before returning to the woods in August. Rosie had herself a good session the other day, pointing the only woodcock and grouse (pictured above) that she encountered in 45 minutes. She hunted hard and under control and this could be a great season for her. Bode and Monty will be getting some work too, and hopefully they make frequent contacts as well.
Enjoy this video of a drumming grouse - no wonder why we love this bird!
Imagine Julie Andrews singing those lines to the old Sound Of Music tune ... Yes, I have a strange sense of humor, but spring has me absolutely giddy lately, as the change of seasons has finally taken hold in northern Vermont and New Hampshire.
The woodcock have returned, and the grouse are in full on "Tinder mode" - lots of drumming in the woods, and hopefully the hens and cock birds are making the most of it. The ultimate sign of spring was watching a cock grouse in full display on my lawn just before dark a couple of nights ago - the ultimate sign of disrespect according to the dogs! We let him display his wares to all who would have him - hopefully he got lucky that night.
April and early May is the breeding time up here for our birds, with nesting usually occurring later on in May and June. The recent melting snow has allowed us some access to the woods to search for birds to tune up the dogs as well as reinforce some of the commands that were rarely uttered through the winter months. In other words, the days of lounging on my couch are over ...
Looks like we'll get another week of good weather to run the dogs and look for birds and then give the woods a rest to let the hens tend to their nests. We'll focus on dreaded yard work in June and July before returning to the woods in August. Rosie had herself a good session the other day, pointing the only woodcock and grouse (pictured above) that she encountered in 45 minutes. She hunted hard and under control and this could be a great season for her. Bode and Monty will be getting some work too, and hopefully they make frequent contacts as well.
Enjoy this video of a drumming grouse - no wonder why we love this bird!
