I’m sad to admit that for most of my life, I had no idea that American woodcock were such predictable showoffs. In fact, until I headed afield with a pair of woodcock experts five years ago, I knew little about their spring mating rituals, which include impressive aerial shows designed to entice a mate. Thankfully, since working on that story, I’ve not forgotten the lessons that Brad Allen and Dan McAuley taught me, and have tried to share with BDN readers (and random friends) as often as possible.