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Rossendale Birds Forum -> Rossendale Bird Sightings -> Snipe? Jack Snipe
Post Info TOPIC: Snipe? Jack Snipe
sarfraz


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Snipe? Jack Snipe
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3pm- 4.45pm  Holden Wood today

Somethings similar to Kevin.....soemthings very different....

 

  1. cormorant - 1 at Holden Wood flying around nt sure if it roosted.
  2. grey heron - 1 at Holden Wood
  3. mallard - 12 on holden wood, 2 flew up valley
  4. teal - 5 on Holden Wood
  5. goosander - 2 flew up valley
  6. lapwing - i did not notice any but they may have been at farm and i did not  look out for them
  7. black headed gull - less than 20 all moving northwarrds
  8. 4 very big gulls - heading north not sure if herirng or gbbg
  9. kestrel - 1 at Holden Wood  - male  
  10. meadow pipit - 15 at Holden Wood min  - more than last week
  11. wren - 2 at holden wood - 1 in middle, 1 at far end
  12. robin - singing around holden wood....
  13. blackbird - a few around
  14. mistle thrush - 1 opposite the Duke of Wellington Pub
  15. starling - approx 30-40 at Holden Wood
  16. carrion crow - 10 min in  the valley - some heading to roost
  17. magpie - just a few
  18. 1 raven flew from HB to Tor then back and diverted to follow some crows to the trees on the slopes above the farm between ogden and holden wood....not noticed flying back
  19. 2 pied wagtails on banks
  20. some goldfinch
  21. 2 stonechat - what are stonechat doing there so late?

 

The 22nd bird on my list was a surprise but one I was actively looking out for.   On the way back I started to walk along the bank and then suddenly within 1-2 metres from me 4 Snipe flew up from within the vegetation.  The 2 I focused on had small bills, let off a bit of a squawk and flew fast in a direct way but landed not too far away.  1 flew off from where the Teals were - they were on the bank in some vegetation. 

They did take me by surprise as they flew off from quite close.  The ones I had noticed had bills that would been to short for a Common Snipe.  At the sametime it looked bigger than both would have been or maybe that was just a surprise factor. 

With such a description is it fair to add :-

22.  Jack Snipe - at least 2

??

 

 



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sarfraz


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Oh yes I have put a feeder up back in the same place so if any one goes past that way do feel free to add some seed to it. Not to forget quite a few Great Tits around.




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Dee Dee


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Jack snipe would be lovely to see. Well spotted!!

 

Dee smile



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sarfraz


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Hi Dee

It would be lovely to see but problem is they are quite hard to see. I am not that confident they were Jacn Snipe except the shorter than Common Snipe bill. I have never seen Jack Snipe before and I have hoped that is one of the birds I see this winter. There is a chance I saw one at Holden Wiood 2 years ago but that was less certain.

What do the more experienced birders say here?



-- Edited by sarfraz on Saturday 17th of December 2011 07:46:57 PM

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KEVIN LISTER


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Hi Sarfraz

I wouldn't describe myself as a very experienced birdwatcher but I have been fortunate enough to see a few jack snipe. All the birds I have seen have never made a noise when flushed and have almost always flown up in an arc before landing a short distance away.  Snipe normally make a "getch" call when flushed before flying away in a zigzag flight.  Snipe normally fly further than jack snipe but not always.  If you saw the birds well enough to see the shorter bill and there were also 2 snipe present they should also have been noticably shorter in body length as well.  Hope this helps

If you click on this link there is a photo of a jack snipe I saw on Stubbylee Moss a couple of years ago http://www.flickr.com/photos/26821757@N02/3972691804/in/set-72157622371384905/

cheers Kevin



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sarfraz


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Hi Kevin,

They made the getch type of call/squwak and landed very close. They flew when I was from 1m-2metres away and they landed about 6 metres away. It all happened so quickly. The one thing I concentrated on was the bill. The bill to body ratio was less. Common Snipe have a bill which is very out of proportion but can the bill length vary?

Maybe the bird that called was not the one I was looking at?



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Ste Rush


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I too am no pro




This photo does not show it but the flanks do not have the same markings either.

I don't know about others but the Jack Snipe always looks a bit more stately.

-- Edited by Ste Rush on Saturday 17th of December 2011 11:20:36 PM

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