Chuck-Will's-Widow in Rhode Island, May 2012

Early in May there were a couple posts about 1 or more Chuck-Will’s-Widows calling from a location in South Kingstown, RI.  I couldn’t get out there to try for them when the posts first came in, but kept thinking about them and wondering if they were still around, maybe even to try to nest.  Then, prompted by some discussions with Denny Abbott who hadn’t had a chance to try for them yet either, we made plans to go there one evening with Davis Finch. 

We arrived that evening to find excellent weather – no rain, cloudy, and most importantly – no wind.  A couple quick daylight stops beforehand yielded a target Hooded Warbler singing from an area of moist woodlands and several other local nesters.  Then we parked in the well-described location where the birds were being heard and waited for dusk.  Just when it was getting almost completely dark, a car pulled up and the driver said “It’s calling up ahead at the end of the guardrail.”  Since we weren’t hearing anything where we were, we drove up to the guardrail to give that spot a try, even though we did not know the unknown driver, nor whether the bird she was hearing was indeed the Chuck.  We drove up there and at 8:40 quickly heard a Whip-Poor-Will right next to the road, then picked up a second more distant Whip.  But no Chuck.  But then in the far distance we could start to pick up a bird with a different cadence – the first Chuck-Will’s-Widow.  A little later likely a second Chuck called from a different and bit closer location.  We drove back to the first spot, and heard several more Whips and finally another Chuck, this one a bit closer again, but still not very close.  We all were happy that there was no wind, because even a light breeze blowing through the trees might have created enough noise to prevent us from hearing the 2 or 3 Chucks there.  Although we didn’t get back home till after 11 PM, we were happy to have gotten the Chucks, as well as several Whips and the Hooded Warbler.

RI is my 15th state for Chuck-Will’s Widow (see my statebird map below).  I’ve now had them in 3 New England states, and also in Michigan, in locations outside their traditional breeding range.  Though I’m still missing Chuck in at least a half a dozen southeast states within their normal range.