The American Woodcock (Scolopax minor) is the SkyDancer.

The American Woodcock delights birders every spring with his night-time aerial acrobatics. When you look at this bird, it is hard to imagine agility or acrobatic in the same sentence. But Let me tell you these skydances are incredible. I look forward to the first ones every season.  I try to introduce someone new to the adventure.

The short story about this annual skydance is about the American Woodcock each evening in the spring. About 22 minutes after sunset in a scrubby field, probably not far from you, there is a ritual dance performed by the male. It is a performance you are not likely to forget.  I first read about it in Aldo Leopold’s book A Sand County Almanac.  And it is a rare season when I have missed it since then.

The males pivot around in a circle making their “peenting” or buzzing sound in all directions. You see, they want all the females to know they are there! Or at least that is what WE are thinking anyhow. Who knows what a woodcock thinks besides the woodcocks?  Then the short stubby bird that looks like dead leaves on the forest floor, who has a bill that is almost as long as his body (with a flexible tip for probing in the soil for earthworms), launches skyward! And UP he goes swiftly with some twittering from his wings, he will go as high as 300 feet or more, so bring your night vision binoculars! A few seconds at the top of his climb and the fluffy bird DIVES back to the same spot on the ground to begin the process all over again.  It is astounding in so many ways. He will continue to do this through the evening and then pick up the routine again when the light is about the same level, just before dawn the next morning.  On a full moon night these energetic little game birds have been known to do the “skydance” all through the night.

I admire these little birds. I never see them at other times. But this annual event is worth the wait for me. I know they are around and I know they are game birds and hunters will indeed seek them out. But they seem awfully small to me, hardly worth the effort. Perhaps that is because I am not a hunter.

I invite you to get to know more about the American Woodcock whose range extends from Canada to Mexico in North America in woodland areas and fallow fields that are just a little moist. Hint – you might want to bring something to sit on rather than the damp ground.  Also if you only move when the birds are airborne, you will be surprised how close you can get to these birds without interrupting their display. If you are in northwestern Pennsylvania an extraordinary multiple skydance is waiting for you on a spring evening at Jennings State Park just south of Slippery Rock.

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Binoculars have become very popular in recent years. They have moved beyond military, police and surveillance use and become a common piece of equipment for recreational purposes. Beyond bird watching, they are increasingly being bought for use in hunting, fishing, boating, camping, hiking, in fact they can add to the pleasure of most outdoor pursuits.

You can do most of these activities, in poor light or even in darkness. This makes night vision binoculars an attractive proposition. But they vary widely in price and function and you could easily make a costly mistake.

Firstly, there is a difference between binoculars designed to make the best use of very low light conditions and a true night binocular. If you will be operating at dawn or dusk, low light binoculars could suit your purpose. You can get an idea of how well a pair of binoculars will perform in low light from its Exit Pupil.

This refers to the diameter of the beam of light that leaves the eyepieces. Hold the binoculars at arms length and you will see the small circles of light on each eyepiece. To find their size, divide lens diameter by magnification. If the binoculars are 12×50, 50/12 equals just over 4mm. A higher figure means more light, but there are other factors.

For true nighttime performance, you need an infrared light source to be able to see when there is no natural light. The effective range of these varies, so buy what you need. For hunting, a range of 10 yards is useless.

Different optical devices have different uses. A monocular, sometimes known as a spotting scope, does just that. Do a quick sweep of the terrain or the sea. Spot movements in the trees.

A binocular feels more natural with two eyepieces, but still only has a single front lens.  It is a compromise. A true night vision binocular, with two front lenses, allows the adjustment of each eye to the night vision viewfinder. This is more comfortable for long periods of use.

Before deciding to purchase night vision binoculars, consider what your needs are. What lighting conditions will you mainly be dealing with. Will they be used often and for long periods. A true night vision binocular is an expensive item, maybe more than you really need to pay.

If you intend to spend any money on a telescope, do not buy a cheap one – it really will be waste of money and won’t help you enjoy your new interest at all. Imagining you buy one of these, the revolution of the earth could make the star vanish from your screen in such high speed that you could completely lose track of it and start your search from where you started. There is no need to be disappointed by this, the star will back the following night so instead of putting the scope away, focus it on another. If you’re ready to buy, a Meade telescope is very good.

My second suggestion which can make astronomy for kids a distinct possibility night after night is to beg, borrow or buy the usual 10×50 set of binoculars. This can enable you to view the total constellation, the star bunches, the moon along with several other planets. Luck is also on your side as almost every school, but certainly each town has a library and this is your best resource for free literature on the stars, astronomy for kids, the Universe and the Solar System.

Look for books that contain star charts, preferably pull-out versions and don’t worry if the book is quite old because the stars won’t have changed. Before you go into too much depth, locate the Southern Cross or Scorpio in the book and then see if you can find it in the night sky. The Southern Cross lies in the south and Orion you’ll find pretty much moving from East to West over your head as the night progresses. Note that it may not be conspicuous as you look for it since it may rise towards the later part or early in the morning.

Most people seem to think there is a lot to learn before you can enjoy it and while this is true, it is not necessary to enjoy it but in all probability you will want to know more as you start to recognise stars. You can acquire plenty of such information in books meant for children which would provide you with some basic knowledge. To summarize, when star gazing you need at least a star chart and at least one eye and you are on the verge of discovering the Universe. And then you get yourself a pair of binoculars and once you have grasped the basics, invest in a good telescope. Buying a Meade telescope is well worth the money spent.

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