Hiker Spots Unique Indiana Bird in the Brush – Can You See It?

I see a photo like this, and I read about what's going on in the photo, and it makes me realize that I really need to get out more. You know you don't have to travel for hours or visit far-off lands to be one with nature. Indiana is home to all sorts of beautiful and unique creatures and landscapes - it's not necessarily hard to find, you just gotta get out there and look a little bit. You never know, you might just stumble upon something totally unexpected.

What Do You See?

I'm gonna be completely honest, the first thought I had was that I was looking at some sort of skeletal remains, maybe of some kind of fish. I was nowhere near seeing what was actually in the picture, even when I knew what to be looking for - talk about some serious camouflage. So...what do you see?

Get our free mobile app

What if I told you this is a picture of a bird? Knowing that, do you see it now? Luckily MIke Yust, the fella who took the picture, saw what I didn't see, and knew he needed to whip out his camera. Mike was able to snap a shot of an American Woodcock. Now, if you have a 12-year-old boy's sense of humor like me, I'll give you a couple of seconds to giggle before moving on.

What is an American Woodcock?

All done giggling? Okay, time to learn something. According to AllAboutBirds.org, "American Woodcocks are plump, short-legged shorebirds with very long, straight bills. Their large heads, short necks, and short tails give them a bulbous look on the ground and in flight. The wings are broad and rounded compared to most other shorebirds." American Woodcocks are considered fairly common in the eastern part of North America, and they can usually be found in forests, forest edges, old fields, and wet meadows.

Mike was taking a walk in Summitville, Indiana when he spotted the unique bird. Mike says, "I stopped in a thicket to check out some grape plants that I put out a while back and looked down and saw this - it's an American woodcock! He gave me a chance to get a couple of shots before flying off!"

Do You See It Now?

Okay, keep it real with me - take a look at the original picture again and tell me if you see the bird. If I glance at it quickly enough, I still see a fish skeleton. Luckily, Mike has way better vision and way more knowledge than I do. That's pretty cool stuff.