Monday, 4 July 2011

Common Snipe



A couple of photo`s of a Common Snipe that was conveniently perched on a post during my recent trip to the Nene Washes, RSPB. A picture that I have taken before, but never tire of doing so.

The Common Snipe is more commonly refered to as the Snipe and is a bird with an unbelievably long bill. The bird is extremely well camouflaged due to its delicately barred and streaked back, very useful for a ground nesting bird. They breed on moorland bogs and wet pastures in upland areas and in fenland and marshes in the lowlands. In winter they can be found in almost any lowland marshy place, both near the coast and inland.

The breeding habitat for Snipe has been reduced over the centuries as the wet grasslands, fens and bogs have been drained and `improved`. The number of breeding Snipe in lowland areas has fallen by 77% in recent years. This number has been reversed slightly on the Nene Washes, an area that is vitally important to this bird and, thankfully still holds fairly good numbers of this beautiful wader.
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23 comments:

  1. John "By Stargoose And Hanglands"4 July 2011 at 22:50

    And a photo I never tire of looking at. Thanks, John.

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  2. Roy5 July 2011 at 01:08

    Brilliant shots John.
    Never seen a Snipe that clear and exposed before on a photo.

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  3. Rob5 July 2011 at 14:44

    Excellent shots of a beautifully marked bird John.

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  4. Tim James5 July 2011 at 17:27

    Glorious shots. Great work.

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  5. FAB5 July 2011 at 21:25

    Superb images John.

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  6. John5 July 2011 at 21:26

    Hi John,
    Thankyou very much.
    J

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  7. John5 July 2011 at 21:27

    Hi Roy,
    Thankyou. I have seen a Snipe perched like this before, again on the Nene Washes. A lovely bird!
    J

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  8. John5 July 2011 at 21:28

    Hi Rob,
    Thankyou for your kind words.
    J

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  9. John5 July 2011 at 21:28

    Hi Tim,
    Thankyou, although they are nothing compared to your photos!
    J

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  10. Bob Bushell5 July 2011 at 22:00

    I love them, your Common Snipe is another that I have photographed, yours is brilliant.

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  11. Susan Scheid6 July 2011 at 03:19

    The clarity of these photographs is stupendous, and, of course, I always appreciate the information you give about the birds you are photographing. So distressing to think of a 77% decline of this beautiful bird.

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  12. Susan Scheid6 July 2011 at 03:28

    And a question for you: can you share what the camera was that you used along with the scope?

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  13. JRandSue6 July 2011 at 17:38

    Love these two.stunning images.
    Top notch Digiscoping.
    John.

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  14. John6 July 2011 at 19:47

    Thanks Frank, you are too kind!
    J

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  15. John6 July 2011 at 19:48

    Hi Bob,
    Thankyou. The Snipe is a bird with special memories for me, so I always enjoy seeing them.
    J

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  16. John6 July 2011 at 19:52

    Hi Susan,
    Thankyou. It is distressing to see that these birds have disappeared to the tune of 77%, but their figures do appear fairly stable now, so fingers crossed!
    As for the camera, I use a Canon Powershot A640, it is an old camera and cannot be bought brand new, but is frequently available on ebay ( where I got mine from). It is just a point and shoot, but has various settings, such as exposure, shutter speeds etc. Worth checking out and I was told by a friend of mine that it is one of the better cameras to use for Digiscoping.
    J

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  17. John6 July 2011 at 19:54

    Hi John,
    Thankyou, I try my best! ;)
    J

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  18. ShySongbird6 July 2011 at 20:52

    Wow! Really beautiful photos John of a very attractive bird. You sure know what you're doing when it comes to digiscoping, I've heard it is pretty difficult!

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  19. Bazza6 July 2011 at 23:00

    John, I know why this bird stands one leg - because it would fall over if it didn't!
    Click here for Bazza’s Blog ‘To Discover Ice’

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  20. Anonymous7 July 2011 at 09:17

    Sir Tom Eagerly, says:
    So this is where Bazza goes to spread his awful jokes! I can't tell the difference between a crow and a hedgehog but I do like your photos old boy. Well done you!

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  21. John7 July 2011 at 21:27

    Hi Jan,
    Thankyou. It is not that difficult, if I can do it, anyone can! You haven`t seen the hundreds of photo`s that I have binned! ;)
    J

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  22. John7 July 2011 at 21:28

    Very drole Bazza, very drole! ;)
    J

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  23. John7 July 2011 at 21:29

    Crikey Sir Tom!
    I am extremely humbled and honoured to have a member of the aristocracy visit my humble blog! I hope you enjoyed the trip!
    J

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Thank you for taking the time to comment on my humble blog.

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