Yesterday was a great day for birds in the Henderson, KY river bottoms area. I hoped to find ducks and maybe some sandpipers in the flooded fields.
If we hadn't stopped by a flooded field to take photos of this Robin.....
......we would never have noticed the Snipe! Once we spotted one moving around, we realized there were about a dozen of them in this part of the field fairly close to the road. I've only seen Snipe once before....in this same area a couple years ago. Those bold cream colored stripes on the back are the distinguishing feature.
My Sibley's guidebook calls them Wilson's Snipe. The Roger Tory Peterson calls them Common Snipe. Whatever! Mike took most of the photos because they were on his side of the road and I didn't want to get out of the car and scare them away.
Such a long bill!
Good for digging with.
I know I don't need to post this many photos, but I use my blog to store my best photos :-) Besides, I have only seen these once before!
The water was clear enough for some nice reflections, too.
About half of them were wading and the other half sort of sitting in the grass around the edge of the water.
The face.....
....the butt. OK....enough Snipe photos!
If we hadn't stopped by a flooded field to take photos of this Robin.....
......we would never have noticed the Snipe! Once we spotted one moving around, we realized there were about a dozen of them in this part of the field fairly close to the road. I've only seen Snipe once before....in this same area a couple years ago. Those bold cream colored stripes on the back are the distinguishing feature.
My Sibley's guidebook calls them Wilson's Snipe. The Roger Tory Peterson calls them Common Snipe. Whatever! Mike took most of the photos because they were on his side of the road and I didn't want to get out of the car and scare them away.
Such a long bill!
Good for digging with.
I know I don't need to post this many photos, but I use my blog to store my best photos :-) Besides, I have only seen these once before!
The water was clear enough for some nice reflections, too.
About half of them were wading and the other half sort of sitting in the grass around the edge of the water.
The face.....
....the butt. OK....enough Snipe photos!Did anyone ever try to get you to go on a 'Snipe hunt' when you were a kid? Send you out in the middle of nowhere with a bag, calling "here, snipe, snipe"? I always thought that snipe were imaginary creatures and that was the point of the whole thing. Live and learn.
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18 comments:
...awesome photos! When i see them they usually are flushing up and away. I've never been able to get such good shots. (years ago when I saw my first one, I thought about the "snipe" hunts too! :-)
Kelly: We were fortunate that we could remain in the car and they didn't seem to even notice us. I'm curious about whether "snipe hunts" are a midwestern thing or universal :-)
Great photos, especially those with reflections.
What a great day you had. Your encounter with the snipe I call guardian angel engineering. If you had not listened to the little urge to photograph the robin you would have missed them. They are so camouflaged that you would not have spotted them from a moving vehicle. Once we start noticing how often these things occur, we start seeing how much help we are getting.
That was a super photo stop.These happy little surprises are what keep us going.Looks like maybe these Snipe are migrating,which means they are moving north to my area.Yeah!
Blessings,Ruth
Hi Mary, Wow--that Snipe is something else!!!! I've never heard of them. Look at the long bills... Wow!!!! Thanks for sharing.
Hugs,
Betsy
Hi Mary ..Can't say that I have ever been on a 'Snipe hunt'. lol
I have seen one just once in the pond!
I just think they are the coolest looking birds with that long bill and those eyes.
Very nice photos..not to many for me!! : }
I think these are the best pictures of snipes I have ever seen. Very well done!
What a unique little bird. Super pictures Mary and Mike!
A place near here has a sign in the front yard. Snipe Farm. Millions caught and released. LOL
B.
Great shots of these unusual birds and I love the reflection of them in the water, it helps to see the underside too. A x
Excellent images of the Snipe in its cryptic camouflage. Well done Mary and Mike.
How lucky you are to get those photos,excellant!!I`ve never seen one before,so unusual looking,thanks for sharing!phylliso
Outstanding! I've never seen one! But I have been on a snipe "hunt" :)
Kelly: Definitely a cool looking bird. Makes you wonder about the origin of the "snipe hunt".
Arija: you are so right. We were scanning the fields for sandpipers and such, but these birds were so well hidden..in plain sight...that we would have missed them. That Robin was a blessing.
Ruth: I hope they are headed your way. Migration is definitely going on right now.
Betsy: Thanks! It was a joy to see them.
Grammie G: They are so different from the other similar birds with those stripes. I hope I see them again.
George: Thanks!
Becky: LOL...I need your sign for my post :-)
Anne: Yes, I love when the water is clear enough for reflections.
Frank: Thanks...they do hide well.
Phylliso: Thanks!
Kerri: I never actually went on one, but it was always a joke that was passed around to new kids in Girl Scouts.
The snipe was a good spot Mary and you got some great images of it.
I also thought snipes were a fiction. I was never duped into a snipe hunt, but heard of them.
Roy: Thanks...we were thrilled to see them and have the chance to get photos.
Katney: I was never duped into one, but heard about them during my Girl Scouts years.
I don't recall if I have ever seen any snipe--probably not or I would remember. They are a pretty bird...really camouflaged!
Rose: This is only the second time I have seen any. They must have the Henderson Slough on their migration map.
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