Wilson's Snipe - what a beauty

Love seeing and photographing Wilson Snipes, especially when they are perched on a fence post rather than on the ground. This Snipe was not one of my usual ones, which made a nice change. It was seen yesterday, 16 July 2014, when I took a drive along some of the backroads SW of the city.

Temperatures got up to around 32C or 33C yesterday afternoon. My desk thermometer said it was 32C in my computer room, so I knew I just had to get out for a while, to enjoy the air-conditioning in my car. The backroads SW of the city come in handy when I don't have a lot of time, and I can usually find something of interest to photograph. This gorgeous Snipe was sitting on a fence post along one of the backroads, right before I was about to turn on to Highway 22X. They are fairly small birds and I only noticed it at the last minute. Fortunately, there were no other cars behind me, so I was able to reverse till the Snipe was level with my car. I had to shoot from the driver's side - could have got an even closer shot if I had been sitting on the passenger seat : )

"These plump, long-billed birds are among the most widespread shorebirds in North America. They can be tough to see thanks to their cryptic brown and buff coloration and secretive nature. But in summer they often stand on fence posts or take to the sky with a fast, zigzagging flight and an unusual “winnowing” sound made with the tail." From AllAboutBirds.

www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/wilsons_snipe/id

"Wilson's Snipe (Gallinago delicata) is a small, stocky shorebird. This species was considered to be a subspecies of the Common Snipe (G. gallinago) until 2003 when it was given its own species status. Wilson's Snipe differs from the latter species in having a narrower white trailing edge to the wings, and eight pairs of tail feathers instead of the typical seven of the Common Snipe. Its common name commemorates the American ornithologist Alexander Wilson." From Wikipedia.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilson's_snipe

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."

youtu.be/Z16CUdX2g5Q

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH from Weather Network, for afternoon of 17 July 2014:

"Severe thunderstorm conditions possible - afternoon to evening. Conditions are favourable for the development of dangerous thunderstorms that may be capable of producing damaging wind gusts, damaging hail and heavy rain. There is also a risk of a tornado. A warm and humid airmass in Southern and east-central Alberta has the potential to produce severe thunderstorms this afternoon and evening. Severe thunderstorms are expected to develop early this afternoon in the Red Deer, Airdrie, and Drumheller regions and then spread eastward into the Hanna, Brooks and Medicine Hat regions. As the severe thunderstorms develop, there is an increased risk for tornadoes to develop in the Drumheller and Hanna regions this afternoon."