Wilson's Snipe / Gallinago delicata - a photo on Flickriver

Saturday, 8 May 2021: our temperature is PLUS 3C (windchill MINUS 3C) at 11:30 am. Sunrise is at 5:57 am, and sunset is at 9:08 pm. Very windy and pouring with rain. We desperately need the moisture - wildfires are already starting. A day to stay home, except that I have a haircut this afternoon. Hair salons will be closed down from Monday onwards, so I was lucky to get in. Rain and snow are forecast for tonight.

Posting a few photos at 1:00 am on 8 May 2021. As it is Mother's Day weekend, I posted a couple of mother birds - one was collecting material for her nest and the other was busy collecting insects to feed to her babies. Birds and wild animals are such amazing parents. This will no doubt be a very different Mother's Day, due to the pandemic. No matter how it has to be spent, I hope you all enjoy the special day.

I am adding the description that I wrote under a previously posted photo taken on the same drive. I desperately need to make more room on my computer, so I am very, very slowly going through some old photo folders before deleting them. As I do so, I grab a few old photos to post.

"After two dreary days of rain, the sun finally broke through the clouds yesterday afternoon, so I decided to take a short drive SW of the city and see if I could see Mountain Bluebirds and Wilson's Snipe. These are two of my favourite birds to photograph and I was lucky to see both. However, one of my usual pair of Bluebirds was nowhere to be seen and instead, a Tree Swallow was looking out of the Bluebirds' nesting box. I did get a distant glimpse of a Bluebird and managed one quick shot, but when I looked at the photo when I got home, I saw that this male had a metal band on its leg. So, unless it had just been banded in the last couple of days, it was a different bird from the one in many of my photos. I didn't see much else during this drive, and just the usual. Felt so good to be out in sunshine, though. Pam, nice to bump into you, too!"

Snipe are one of my absolute favourite birds to see and photograph.

"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

Taken on: June 14, 2015

Tags:

Alberta

Canada

nature

wildlife

avian

ornithology

bird

Wilson's Snipe

Gallinago delicata

shorebird

adult

perched

fence post

stretching

feathers

details

pattern

field

bokeh

outdoor

14 June 2015

summer

FZ200

Panasonic

Lumix

annkelliott

Anne Elliott

Sets appears in: • Birds of Alberta 11 • Wilson's Snipe / Gallinago gallinago

Groups appears in: • Panasonic FZ series • Bird Lovers more » • PHOTOGRAPHERS OF CANADA • Birds , Birds Birds • *I Love Birds* • Nature, wildlife, and the great outdoors • Patterns in nature • Natural PATTERNS, Shapes, and Textures (curated) • Beautiful Capture • BIRDS ARE BEAUTIFUL. • Birding In The Wild • GlobalBirdTrekkers • Beautiful Expression • Birdshare • Birds of the world/ Oiseaux du monde • Panasonic Lumix Lovers • Panasonic FZ 200 - Successor to the FZ 150 • Photographers from around the world « less

Camera: Panasonic DMC-FZ200, f/4.0, 1/320 sec, 108mm, ISO 100 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Panasonic DMC-FZ200
Aperture:	f/4.0
Exposure Time:	0.003 sec (1/320)
Focal Length:	108mm
ISO:	100
Exposure Bias:	-0.33 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Program AE
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	sRGB
Software:	Adobe Photoshop Elements 12.0 Windows
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