Yesterday morning I had more fun with Wilson’s Snipes than is usually legal in Utah.
1/2500, f/6.3, ISO 640, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
They were close (sometimes too close), in good light, many were out in the open and there were far more of them than I could count. This photo is full frame (uncropped).
1/5000, f/6.3, ISO 500, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
Groups of snipes were flying in to land right in front of me, to replace other groups that were leaving intermittently. This is only a very small portion of the flock these snipes were in.
1/3200, f/6.3, ISO 500, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
Landing shots are never easy but I tried.
I spent lots of time with…
1/2000, f/8, ISO 500, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
lots of weird little birds doing…
1/4000, f/6.3, ISO 800, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
lots of weird little things. This snipe is not preparing to take off. Notice the highly unusual position of ‘his’ tail.
I spent over an hour with them and took over 1000 photos (I could have taken many hundreds more but after a while I forced myself to be more judicious with my shutter button). I still have hours of work in front of me, reviewing, processing and culling photos of them while they were feeding, preening, in flight, landing, taking off, interacting with each other in groups and just being weird, as snipes often are.
I know from experience that some of my blog followers don’t much appreciate “teaser posts” so with this introductory post I decided to include a small sampler of photos, chosen pretty much at random, representing some of the types of photos I got of them.
There will be more in the near future.
Ron
This has brought back memories: I must admit as a camp councilor I would lead first year campers on snipe hunts (Oh what fun) they never fell for that again!!
You certainly have some great shots, love em!!
Wonderful!! What fun to have all those subjects! I can see already it was a great photo shoot. I count my blessing to have seen one or two snipes… never mind flocks of them.
Do none of your readers remember “Spin and Marty” on the Mickey Mouse Club? The episode about the Snipe Hunt was aired over and over…I regret to say I can’t forget it. Wilson’s Snipes are hard to photograph well, but they are worthy subjects. I have one picture that I want to paint, but all of the zig-zag wing markings are daunting. I am glad you had a great day out there with the birds.
Where were you?
Up north.
Ron,
Today’s post just illustrates one of the many things that I have learned over the few years I have been following your blog. I’m sure you went on “Snipe Hunts” as a scout, as did I, but until your blog I didn’t know there was actually a real entity called a Snipe.
Life is full of lessons. Love your stuff!
Stephen
Stephen, I went on one snipe hunt as a kid, but only one. I’m a slow learner but not that slow. See my response to Sallie Reynolds, below.
Extraordinary experience and images – well done!
Thank you, Gary.
I’ve never seen so many snipes at one time. What a glorious event!
The most I can recall in a flock was around twenty, maybe a few less, at Gray Lodge, one of our refuges in the California central valley.
They’re really interesting-looking birds, with their eyes set back like that.
Thanks, Catherine. Seeing so many snipes was new to me too.
I’ll go Marty one better and call it a Snipe-a-looza! What a day you had with these interesting birds — I know we’re in for a photographic treat once you’ve survived the culling process and perfected the narrative. (But please don’t hurt yourself at the computer!) We all want to know, what IS that one doing with its fanned tail?? 🙃
“We all want to know, what IS that one doing with its fanned tail??”
Chris, tune in Saturday morning when I hope to answer that question. I think I know now but I want to research it some more to be sure.
Touché, Chris. Well played. 😂😂😂❤️
Of course, much later I figured out it should properly be Snipe-a-palooza! But in the heat of the moment, I just went with what came to mind….😉
Great day in the morning, it’s a snipe convention! Is that common?
Nina, a “convention” is exactly what I’ve been calling it. That word came to mind while I was still with them in the field and it was reinforced while I was looking at my photos at home.
I don’t know if it’s common but I’ve never, ever seen anything like it.
Were they calling while they were flying, Ron? I’m just not very familiar with the species… and i thought they were a fairly solitary bird. This is just amazing to me.
If they were calling in flight I didn’t hear them.
Sensational series, thanks for sharing!
Charlotte Norton
Thanks, Charlotte.
Incredible! I love the raised wing and funny tail position. I have seen big groups but not as close, just the one day when about a dozen returned not far from where I parked. Mostly they were down in the shore weeds.
April, I tried a new strategy that worked wonders for getting them pretty much out in the open. Let me know if you go looking for them again and I’ll tell you about it.
Snipe-o-rama! 😃 I can picture the glee on your face while out in the field with this richness of weirdos. The first one looks like he was ready to climb in your truck for a ride and I like the pointy-at-both-ends birds in flight shot.
I don’t envy you the culling process, but maybe a little Bourbon will help. 😉🥃
“maybe a little Bourbon will help”
Marty, you can bet that bourbon will be part of the process but only for part of the time. Too much of that stuff and my judgment goes to hell.
What is this “too much Bourbon” of which you speak? 😉😂
WOW! Whata bonanza! 🙂 The tail in the last shot is REALLY interesting. Flocks of them were centainly a bonus….. 🙂 “Chicken or Feathers” for you it seems…… 😉
Thank you, Judy,
What a rewarding day for you– It’s about time that you got one!
Looking forward to new results……
Thanks, Kris.
Really interesting Ron. I have taken many photos of them, but only on the ground and in the water. Have never seen them flying in or leaving. I like that one where the guy in the middle is sharp and everything else is not. Actually a neat effect.
I like that shot too, Everett. Pretty unusual I thought.
Sometimes you don’t think the experience can get better, but then it does!
Sometimes, but not often enough…. 🙂
I seem to remember something odd in stories about “snipe hunting.” From way back, in the South. I’ll have to see if I can find out about it. It didn’t have dead snipes in it, though. It was the story of some kind of trick.
Sallie, I remember my Dad sending me out on a “snipe hunt” on the Montana farm when I got my first shotgun (a .410) as a young kid. When I came back empty-handed he got a big kick out of it. I wasn’t amused.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snipe_hunt
My late father-in-law sent my hubby out as a young child to go snipe hunting. Hubby was NOT happy after he came back empty handed and found out it was a prank.
A .410 is a hard shotgun to shoot well! I still don’t know for sure what the trick is. There are no snipes? I seem to remember a cousin being taken out snipe hunting with the “boys,” and being told to sit in a spot and wait for the snipes, they work the birds back to him. And then they went home and left him. If snipes were common, he might have come home with dinner.
Good fortune! I don’t think I’ve seen one in person. May you continue to have good luck in your birding.
Thanks, Brett.
For such an elusive bird you sure hit the jackpot.
Looking forward to what else you have to share.
Yup, a “snipe jackpot” is what it was. Thanks, Michael.
Fantastic day for you! I’m anxious to see your photos as you present them. I’ve only been lucky three times to catch only one at a time. I envy you this experience! So glad it happened for you!
Thanks, Kathy. When I think about what I experienced yesterday, I almost have to wonder if I was dreaming. So many snipes…
BIG, BIG smiles from here – far too late in my day. Thank you.
And I am intrigued by that tail posture. Any ideas about why?
EC, yes, I think I know but I still have a little more research to do. It’s my tentative plan to cover it in a post two days from now.
Remarkable experience. It must have been tough cutting out so many great images.
Thank you, Kenneth. I haven’t even begun the “cutting out” process. So far I’ve only glanced at most of them.
I’ve seen only four snipes in my life — the numbers here were as much a revelation as the behaviors!
Shoreacres, for many years it was pretty unusual for me to see snipes too. When I did they were usually alone or in very small groups. This year has been different, in a good way.
What a wonderful start to the day! Thanks for sharing, Ron. I don’t recall ever seeing one holding it’s tail in that position.
That posture was completely new to me also, Diane. But yesterday I saw (and often photographed) at least a half dozen snipes doing the same thing.