American Woodcock in the Garden

After a long day yesterday at the Landis Valley Herb Faire, where we had a wonderful time, seeing herb friends and meeting many new ones, Nicki & I came back to my house, where she'd left her bicycle early in the morning. We walked out to the labyrinth garden to relax for a few minutes and received quite a treat. An American Woodcock was pacing back & forth under the Viburnum! It's quite an unusual bird. Most people probably never see one.
This is actually the second time one has spent time in my garden (that I am aware of). Two years ago, I looked out the window and saw an otherworldly creature sitting under the Oak tree. It looked like a cross between a rabbit and a long-beaked bird. I sat & watched it through binoculars for over an hour, and then decided to go find my Petersen's Guide. That's when I learned it was a Woodcock.

They nest on the ground, so I'm wondering if the bird we saw yesterday was looking for nesting sites, or perhaps even guarding a nest. Wouldn't that be exciting?