Jack Snipe Week

With high pressure all week and  a low temperature of  -5°C  it made  perfect conditions to go looking for Jack Snipe. The aim is to locate a Jack Snipe before it flies off and this I achieved early in the week as the Snipe roosted in an iron water ditch. For five consecutive days I was able to return to the ditch, locate the bird, take a few photos and then leave without it flushing. As Jack Snipe feed nocturnally these are roosting diurnal birds and to prove this I returned to one five hours later and it had only moved one inch!

All was going well until day five when a Common Snipe was also in the ditch. This bird exploded out of the ditch upon seeing me and in so doing also flushed the Jack Snipe who has not returned since!

On one occasion the sun was shining on the back of the camera so it was difficult to see through the screen. Whilst I knew the Jack Snipe was in the middle of the picture you can imagine my surprise when I downloaded the photos to the computer and could see part of the head then the tail of a second bird!! I have included these in this weeks gallery but would have preferred a single picture of two birds together.

After last years winter of no snow or frost it has been a revelation to work with this little gem from scandinavia. Click here