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It’s a rite of spring – the “sky dance” as performed by the American woodcock, and Mass Audubon Education Coordinator Kim Snyder will lead a Woodcock Walk at Tidmarsh Wildlife Sanctuary on Friday, April 3, and Saturday, April 11, so people can witness this seasonal event.
“We do woodcock walks in the spring not just because that’s when they’re first arriving back from migration, but also because it’s their breeding season,” Snyder said. “It’s when they get very … animated, for lack of a better word. Usually they’re very shy, quiet birds because their survival depends on camouflage.”
Depending on the region, Snyder said the woodcock has some interesting colloquial names, including the timberdoodle, night partridge, mud snipe, big-eye, mud bat, brush snipe, swamp bat, and fiddle squeak. The woodcock is a game bird, so it was hunted everywhere. Often after a long winter, as one of the first birds to return to the north, it was an early spring dish.
Snyder said the birds’ coloring tends to blend in with the ground cover and dead leaves. Most of the time the birds are just “hunkering down” and trying to blend in. But during breeding season, the males do something called a sky dance.
“It involves some interesting sounds,” Snyder said. The birds call from the ground at first. “Then they do a really long, spiraling ascent into the sky, and they can reach up to 300 feet. And they’re calling the whole time. And then they come back down in this jagged, zig-zaggy pattern.”
She said the sound is surprisingly loud coming from such a small bird, the size of a robin, but chunkier. Also, despite the woodcock’s “chunkiness,” Snyder said, “It’s surprising how acrobatic they can be.”
Through this unusual dance, males stake claim to a territory, as well as sending a message to females to come and mate with them. The location is usually where a field becomes a forest, because the nests will go at the edge of the forest, but the males need an open field to perform their sky dance.
“It’s difficult to describe it without making it sound ridiculous, but just watching it in person is breathtaking,” said Snyder.
The mating ritual usually happens at dawn or dusk. The upcoming Tidmarsh walks will take place from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Attendees are welcome to bring their own binoculars, although the sky might be too dark for effectively watching a woodcock.
“There are people like myself – like a lot of other birders I’ve known – who just find this bird incredibly charming,” Snyder said. “And it’s nice to go out after a long cold winter and just look at this ridiculous bird do something amazing in the night sky.”
Attendees will meet in the main parking lot at the wildlife sanctuary at 60 Beaver Dam Road. Arrive about 10 minutes before the start of the program to check in. Tickets for both walks are $16 for adult members, and $20 for adult nonmembers. Get tickets here for the Friday, April 3, walk; and here for the Saturday, April 11, walk.
Monday, March 30
State Rep. Michelle Badger will hold community office hours from 6 to 7 p.m. in the Craft Room at the Plymouth Public Library, 132 South St.
The Duxbury Literary Circle will present “An Evening with Joan Lunden” at 6 p.m. at the Spire. Known for her 17 years as host of ABC’s “Good Morning America,” Lunden will join Dawn Tripp (author of “Jackie and Georgia”) for a conversation about her new memoir “JOAN: Life Beyond the Script.” Tickets for the talk are $15, or $34 with a book, and can be purchased here.
“The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist” is screening at Plimoth Cinema in Plimoth Patuxet Museums, 137 Warren Ave. This documentary about AI technology was produced by the filmmakers who made “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” and “Navalny.” The film examines the emergence of the most powerful technology ever created, and what the stakes are if it all goes wrong. Film times are 4:30 and 7 p.m. “Tow” is also showing at the cinema, and stars Rose Byrne as a homeless woman who’s fighting an astronomical tow bill to get her car – and her life – back. Tickets are $12.50, $11 with a club card, $10 for seniors or members, and $8.50 for seniors with a club card.
Tuesday, March 31
Adults are welcome to join Mass Audubon and Manomet Conservation Sciences at Tidmarsh Wildlife Sanctuary, 60 Beaver Dam Road, from 9 to 10:30 a.m. for a walk to search for sightings of migrating birds. Wear comfortable walking shoes and be prepared for the outdoors with appropriate clothing. Bring binoculars of your own, or borrow them at the site. Tickets are $14 for Mass Audubon members, and $18 for nonmembers. Register and buy tickets for the walk here.
Wednesday, April 1
Inebri-Art is presenting a Terrarium Workshop from 6 to 8 p.m. at Dirty Water Distillery, 49 Cordage Park Circle. Participants will learn how to create a tiny world of moss, plants, and rocks in a glass terrarium. Materials will be provided, including a medium glass vessel, plants, soil, stones, moss, charcoal, and more. Each participant can take home the terrarium they create. Tickets are $44.52, and can be purchased here.
Thursday, April 2
Attend a Trivia Night hosted by Tailor Made Trivia at 6 p.m.at Speedwell Tavern, 47 Main St. The event is a fundraiser to support Sustainable Plymouth, a totally volunteer nonprofit, and Speedwell Tavern will be donating a percentage of the night’s food and drink sales. Attendees can play individually or form teams, and there will be a mix of general knowledge trivia along with Plymouth-specific and environmental-related questions. Prize baskets will be provided by Mass Audubon and Sustainable Plymouth.
The Spire Lobby Series presents Project Sidney on the main stage performing “The Broken Genius” at 7:30 p.m. The program is a journey through sound inspired by a piece of visual art by local artist Woody Bavota. The music combines original composition, atmospheric textures, and expressive performance, to explore the emotional landscape behind creativity. Pianist and composer Sidney Akerblom is joined by Betsy West on vocals, Thomas Arey on drums, Brendan Tommany on percussion, Bob Black on bass, Laura Golley on violin, Helen Sherrah-Davies on violin, Hilary Lewis on viola, and Rob Bethel on cello. Tickets are $22, and can be purchased here.
Friday, April 3
A Tidmarsh Woodcock Walk will take place from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Tidmarsh Wildlife Sanctuary, 60 Beaver Dam Road. See the lead story in this column for more information.
Saturday, April 4
The Antiquarian Society and Pilgrim Hall Museum invite the public to a free tour of Burial Hill from 1 to 2 p.m., led by Dr. Anne Mason. The topic of this month’s tour is the Music of the Revolution and Independency. These free tours of the ancient burial ground take place the first Saturday of every month, and the focus has been on the Revolutionary War during this 250th anniversary year. Plan to wear comfortable walking shoes, and in the event of inclement weather, visit the museum’s Facebook page for cancellation or postponement information.
Selwyn Birchwood brings his contemporary blues to the Spire at 8 p.m. Birchwood’s sound is a combination of deep blues, psychedelic rock, funk, and Southern soul. Birchwood recently released his self-produced album titled, “Electric Swamp Funkin’ Blues,” which features examples of his range and his original songwriting. Tickets for the show are $39.25 and $43.15, and can be purchased here.
Sustainable Plymouth and the Plymouth Recycling Committee are sponsoring a free Fix It Clinic from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Plymouth Public Library, 132 South St. Along with the help from the library, the event has support from the Plymouth Area League of Women Voters, and Climate Action Net Zero’s Priority Plymouth. Local fixers have volunteered to give their time and skill fixing items that include lamps, jewelry, musical instruments, laptops, clocks and watches, small household appliances and electronics, small wooden furniture, and more. The event aims to help reduce waste and build community. There are time slots available to sign up for the various items to be fixed, although the slots for lamp repairs have already filled up. Volunteers are still welcome, and walk-ins are allowed, but people are encouraged to sign up here.
With spring, it’s time for the return of Inebri-Art’s “Arts & Crafts on the Green,” which will take place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Plymouth Town Hall Green, 26 Court St. The arts fair brings together local artisans and creators, whose booths will feature handmade goods, original art, and unique crafts. The event offers a chance for creators of all levels to connect and provide a community-based experience. Along with shopping and browsing, the attendees can listen to live music, and the fair is free. The event will take place every first and third Saturday of the month – except for July 4 – from April through October.
Tuesday, April 7
Today is the deadline for sculptors to submit outdoor work to the Plymouth Center for the Arts, 11 North St. The works will be shown in a juried exhibit at the center’s new Sculpture Garden. The inaugural sculpture exhibit will run from Thursday, June 11, through Monday, November 30. The prospectus with details and an entry form is available here.
Wednesday, April 8
Learn about the History of the Beer Can at a presentation by Kevin Logan from 6 to 7 p.m. in the Fehlow Meeting Room at the Plymouth Public Library, 132 South St. Logan is the curator of the Beer Can Museum in East Taunton, Mass. The family-friendly presentation will include a pop-up museum that features novelty cans, TV and movie props, folk art, and more. There will also be a focus on local breweries, trivia, and door prizes. A Q&A will follow the presentation.
Thursday, April 9
Today is the last day to register for new classes at Plymouth Center for the Arts, 11 North St. New classes, including drawing, pottery, pastels, oil painting, acrylic, and watercolor, will start on Monday, April 13.
Saturday, April 11
A Tidmarsh Woodcock Walk will take place at Tidmarsh Wildlife Sanctuary, 60 Beaver Dam Road, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. See the lead story in this column for more information.
Sunday, April 12
Spectacle Live will present “Piano Men: The Music of Billy Joel and Elton John” at 7 p.m. at Memorial Hall. The show features Joe Boucher, celebrating the greatest hits of Billy Joel and Elton John with a five-piece band and 22 members of the Plymouth Philharmonic Orchestra. The show highlights the iconic 1970s catalog, opening with “Prelude / Angry Young Man,” and features favorites like “Your Song,” “Tiny Dancer,” “My Life,” “Movin’ Out,” and “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant.” Tickets are $47 and $80, or $45 and $78 for Spectacle Live members, and can be purchased here.
Wednesday, April 15
Teens and tweens age 12 and older are invited to create an Emotional Support Rubber Duckie from 2 to 3 p.m. at the Plymouth Public Library, 132 South St. There will be accessories to choose from to decorate each rubber duck, making it perfect as an emotional support “animal.” Along with the creative part of this event, learn healthy tips for coping with stress. There will also be snacks and drinks provided. Registration is required, and opens at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, April 1. Register here.
The Plymouth Philharmonic Orchestra is performing “Raise a Glass: A Night of Irish Music” at the Spire at 7 p.m. in celebration of the Philharmonic Orchestra. The night will feature Katy Nickerson on fiddle, Kevin Quinn on flute and uilleann pipes, and Stuart Peak on guitar, banjo, and tin whistle. The concert will capture the “warmth and joy of a traditional Irish season.” Proceeds from the concert will support the orchestra’s artistic and community programming. Tickets are $65, and include an invitation to attend a post-concert reception. Tickets are available here.