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There’s no doubt that last week’s winter storm impacted wildlife. But for a bird that migrates here in the spring and relies on damp, open ground to probe the earth for worms, two feet of snow and frigid temperatures can be tragic.

During last Tuesday’s blizzard, Vince Hudak was snow-blowing paths for his dog at his home in Ross Township when he noticed something odd. In a small patch of slush covering a narrow drainage ditch stood a woodcock. Hudak watched as the bird tried hard to find a worm through the snow, but it wasn’t having any luck.

Things didn’t look good for the woodcock, but Hudak kept watch over the next few days.

On Thursday, however, there was hope. In a small grove of hemlocks behind his house Hudak saw the woodcock fluttering between the open wet areas of a spring seep. The bird was surviving and perhaps even finding a meal in the damp, exposed ground. Hopefully the woodcock can pull through in the hemlock grove as warmer weather is bound to arrive.

Capture anything interesting on your hand-held or trail camera? A nice buck, bear, coyote or any other wildlife? We’d love to see it. Each week, we’ll run photos from a reader’s trail camera on the Sunday Outdoors page. Email your photo, along with date and area it was taken (township is fine), and any other details to [email protected].

— Tom Venesky

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By Tom Venesky

[email protected]