I love Snipes

I love WIlson's Snipes ..... especially when they are perched on a close fence post : ) No cropping needed, and it was standing on both legs instead of the often-seen one leg. Taken when I went for a drive just SW of the city yesterday evening, straight after my usual volunteer shift. After so much rain, and the Flood of the Century this past week, it just feels so good to see the sunshine. My heart goes out to all those in the city and the rest of the province, who are now starting on the monumental task of cleaning all the mud out of their basements or, worst of all, having to face the fact that their homes are too badly damaged to live in. I checked to see when I took my first photo of a Wilson's Snipe - 4 July 2005, at the wetland by Spruce Meadows, S of the city. (I overslept yet again today, so am posting my "daily three" very late, around 11:00 a.m.).

According to Fisher and Acorn's book, "Birds of Alberta", "the common Snipe is both secretive and well camouflaged, so few people notice it until it flushes suddenly from a nearby grassy tussock. As soon as the Snipe takes to the air, it performs a series of quick zigzags - an evasive maneuver designed to confuse predators. Because of this habit, Snipes were among the most difficult birds to shoot (in the days when shorebirds were hunted for sport), and skilled sportsmen were known as "snipers" - a term later adopted by the military."

Not sure what is going on with Flickr today - in IE I keep getting the "broken link" message.