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Every Spring I take a unique trip into the Francis Marion National Forest at night.
I am searching for two very interesting nocturnal birds in the nightjar family. These two birds are named after the song that they sing, the Chuck-will's-widow and the Eastern Whip-poor-will.
I arrived in the forest about 30 minutes before sunset to get a good look at the habitat and listen for any songbirds before darkness sets in. As I was exploring the forest I heard several singers including Pine Warblers, Carolina Wrens, Northern Cardinals, Mourning Doves, a Yellow-throated Warbler and a few others!
I also heard a squeaky call and quickly discovered it was a single Red-cockaded Woodpecker! I watched the woodpecker work the bark on a few Pine Trees before it flew to a nest site. These woodpeckers nest in live Longleaf Pine Trees and they peck the bark around the cavity nest entrance to release tree resin which helps protect the nest from tree climbing snakes.
I did not expect to find a Red-cockaded Woodpecker so the evening was off to a fantastic start! I continued along the road and then through the forest to a nearby pond. As darkness nearly set in the frogs began to croak and I could hear a single call from an Eastern Towhee.
I decided to put my camera and binoculars back in the car as it was too dark for them to be useful. I then grabbed my phone and lantern before sitting in a camping chair to enjoy the peaceful wilderness. The sounds of nature were everywhere as I patiently waited for the Chuck-will's-widow and the Eastern Whip-poor-will to sing.
As the sun set the moon became brighter illuminating the roads. Here is a look around my location about 15 minutes after sunset.
About 30 minutes after sunset at 8:04pm I started to hear a Chuck-wills-widow singing!
Shortly after encountering the Chuck-will's-widow I began to hear the distant song of an Eastern Whip-poor-will! I grabbed a lantern and quickly headed down a dark side-road to follow the song.
The night time adventure was a success, I experienced 2 Eastern Whip-poor-wills & 2 Chuck-will's-widows in close proximity!
Before calling it a night I decided to drive a bit further into the woods to try and listen for more singing birds.
After driving and stoping at a few locations I only heard one more Eastern Whip-poor-will. My 2 hour night time adventure came to an end and I headed home. It was a majestic night with clear skies and lovely moonlight. These super cool spring migrants have begun to arrive to their breeding grounds and will stay with us until the fall before heading South again. The Chuck-will's-widow is more common for the Charleston area and can be heard in many of our wooded habitats so try and listen at night or early before sunrise for these special birds!
Happy Birding,
Charles
