http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/american_woodcock/lifehistory "The American Woodcock probes the soil with its bill to search for earthworms, using its flexible bill tip to capture prey. The bird walks slowly and sometimes rocks its body back and forth, stepping heavily with its front foot. This action may make worms move around in the soil, increasing their detectablity." "American Woodcocks eat earthworms and other invertebrates they find in the soil, including snails, millipedes, spiders, flies, beetles, and ants. They forage by probing the soil with their long bills, which have flexible upper mandibles specialized for capturing and extracting earthworms. They sometimes rock their bodies backward and forward as they forage, shifting their weight heavily from foot to foot. The vibrations from this motion may prompt earthworms to move underground, making slight sounds that the woodcock may be able to hear or feel. They also eat small amounts of plant material, such as sedges, pigweed, and members of the rose family." Here is a link that might be useful: The Raptor Trust

It's so thrilling to read the above post that what I've been hearing (and caught a glimpse of on that one lucky occasion) may be a Great Horned owl!!! It reminds me of my visit to Yellowstone Nat'l Park back in 2001, when I heard the howling of a pack of wolves where it sent chills up my spine. Not only was it chilling hearing them, but to actually witness them in Lamar Valley. I never imagined I'd ever be so lucky hearing the call of the wild in my own backyard, though -- that of a Great Horned owl! Now, everytime I hear the "Hoo-Hoo-Hoo, Hoo-Hoo", I have my eyes peeled in the direction of the sounds. So far, haven't been one of the fortunate to see them roosting in the trees. I would've thought that as large as Great Horned owls are, that they'd be much easier to spot than a Red Tailed hawk.

I hate to see them chained too. I have a coopers hawk that visits my yard every morning to catch his meal. Sometimes at dusk too. Got to see him catch a dove one morning. Awesome. Just recently he caught one by it running into my sliding door. I had to peek out to see him take it, in the meantime, I was able to get three photos. Thanks for the labels for the birds, wasn't sure on the kestrel.

ok, i have waited this long because i couldn't narrow it down. my first love at a raptor dates back to kindergarten- the bald eagle. actually it is pretty "ironic": i can remember asking my mom for a quarter to "help save the bald eagles" i don't know if it was the teacher, or if it was the school, but i remember i needed to take it to class. so, here i was 30 years later, fighting development of plum island as a preserve for their winter and nesting sight. i am proof that educating children and raising their awareness works! now, on the other extreme, i just love the kestrel. this is strange for me because i am a "bigger the better" kind of person- irish wolfhound definitely preferred over a small dg, give me a horse- make it a "heavy horse" there is just something about the spirit of the bird being bigger than its size. i really think they have taht warrior spirit despite that apparant fragility i have heard of when kept captive. although i have never had experience with them. owl are just too tough to decide between. again, the raptors seem to win me over despite size- oh, that screech owl's song! a am partial to barn owls simply because ot the endangered/threatened status. i have never seen one! the great horned does win over the barred, but that doesn't make the barred any less "endearing." i do like the turkey vulture, too. so that about sums it up (love red tails in flight calls, they are always saying something) i ahven't gone in to many species. mostly i am trying to stick to the ones of my area. but, the harpy eagle, now there is a magnificent bird! anyone see jeff corwin with the harpy on his arm? it kept pecking his head. i say pecking because with that kind of strenght it was more like a love tap!