You can watch the woodcock skydance

Life is so fast paced these days. So digital. Many of us spend more time in front of televisions, computers and phones than outdoors. Natural wonders may be out of sight, out of mind, but incredible things are happening all around us. Here at The Enquirer, we think it's important – and cool – to witness nature's marvels. As the new outdoors reporter, I'll highlight something awe-inspiring each week and tell you how to experience it for yourself, with friends or as a family. First up, a little bird that puts on a spring-time show.

The nasally sound was quick and loud; an insect-like buzzing note.

"Pzeent."

Had we found one?

"Pzeent."

"Pzeent."

After a series of pzeents from the ground, the plump little shorebird took flight, and we knew we had a male American woodcock in our midst.

And he was about to give us a show: His aerial mating skydance.

Up, up, up he flew, making wide circles until he had ascended to around 300 feet. Now the bird made a different sound – a twittering chirp – more bird-like, but not actually vocal, created instead by air moving through his wings.

Then the little brown-mottled bird tumbled back down through the air with a sporadic, gurgling chirp, landing nearly in the same spot from which he started.

He did it over and over. Hopefully, he'd caught the attention of potential female mate. He certainly had caught ours.

I was a willing eavesdropper on this little bit of bird dating on a recent evening at East Fork State Park in Clermont County with a group of birdwatchers led by Cincinnati wildlife artist, naturalist and author John Ruthven.

On a calm evening until about the middle of May, you can see it, too.

A tip or two, if you do:

1) Take a pair of binoculars.

2) The woodcock like to do their dance in open meadows surrounded by woods, just as the last bit of light drains from the sky. We found them at East Fork across the street from the parking lot near the Indian mound before you reach the parking lot for the beach.

3) Be patient and quiet. Listen for the three distinctive sounds to locate the bird.

Because this will be a weekly feature, I'm always searching for ideas. Got one? Email me at csmith@enquirer.com and consider joining the Facebook group Greater Cincinnati Outdoor Enthusiasts.

Just for fun: Here are a couple videos of woodcocks doing another kind of dance. Thanks to the readers who sent these along!