More Jack Snipe

I found Wednesday’s bird again yesterday in exactly the same spot. After finding it and taking a few pictures I then left it but bumped into another birder and after the traditional pleasantries of “much about?” and my answer of yes “en kvartbekkasin” I offered to show it to him. It was easy to find in the thermal but it took the expected long time for him to actually see it through the bins because their camouflage is just amazing and if you are not sure what you are looking for (most people are surprised at quite how small they are) then you just don’t see them. It had moved a few metres from where I had seen it earlier so I decided to return with my tripod and try to remotely film it feeding (and bobbing) but on my return the thermal could only pick up a couple of still warm droppings showing that it must have walked a few metres into the reedbed and was no longer in view. If it is feeding in the daytime this suggests a hungry bird which again suggests, to me, a newly arrived migrant but again only time will tell (there was no sign of it today).

Jack Snipe (kvartbekkasin) showing just how perfect its camouflage is. The yellow stripes on its back perfectly math the dead reed stems in the area where it choose to feed and roost

rain drops on its exquisitely plumaged and clearly water resistant feathers

here you can see one of its toes that it seems to be holding frozen in the air and I assume that it had frozen mid stride