Snipe

[jeeperman]

Normally the Snipes frequent an area that I can not reach. Today I was able to find them in an area I could. Then it was just a matter of not scaring one off. I saw 9 snipe today. C&C Always welcom.






What they use the long bill for


Caught himself a worm


Oops...Iv'e been spotted.

[Panama Hat & Camera]

Paul,
Very nice and sharp pictures (as always).
Thanks for sharing.
Antonio.

[Steve S]

Paul, the first 3 are absolutely excellent. Very nice !!!

[jeeperman]

Thank you, Antonio.

Thank you as well, Steve. I had fun Chasing and finding them. They blend in so well and are highly secretive....love a challenge.

[rtbaum]

You are a wizard a getting these close up shots........perhaps you could tell us the specifics on conducting a proper 'snipe hunt'

[jeeperman]

Thanks, Randy. A little luck always helps but my general rules for myself holds true. I know the type of area that they like....so ...from a distance scout the area. Once located it is a matter of moving slow and quiet (stopping every few yards to let them settle}. I was lucky in this case today because there was a wood trail through the wetland area which enabled me to move quietly. The othe bonus was that they were feeding. Antime you can find a bird actively feeding you have a better chance on getting close.

[Cantab]

Paul, absolutely wonderful shots. What length telephoto were you using, or how close were you when you took the puctures?

[jeeperman]

Bruce, I use a 400mm which was maxed at 400 from about 10 - 12ft. They are no bigger than a pop can so it helps to be close. .

[Shadowman]

Thank you, Antonio.

Thank you as well, Steve. I had fun Chasing and finding them. They blend in so well and are highly secretive....love a challenge.

That's what I was going to mention, their colors blend so well with their surroundings. Very nice images.

[RustBeltRaw]

I like shots 1 and 4 best. In 1, the little guy's environment is very clearly captured, the water is a very interesting background, and the snipe's sharp and well-colored. The 4th shot has a cool gesture element, since your little mate does seem to be onto you. The slight head tilt and dirty beak (kind of like a kid playing innocent with chocolate all over their mouth) are really cute. Well done!

[jeeperman]

Thank you, John. The do have some good cammo.

Thank you, Lex. I think you are talking about image 5 rather than 4? They are certainly an interesting little bird to watch. That bill looks like it would be a pain getting through the grass and catail bases but they seem to have little issue, although obvious due to the debri on his.....they are quite useful.

[Bobobird]

Excellent stalking skills. Very good shots as well.
Interesting looking bird.

[tameigh]

Wow. I have these in my back yard and I don't think I have ever been that close to one. I do see their display flights, well, mostly hear them, but they are way too fast and far away to shoot.

[jprzybyla]

Nice series of an interesting bird. Very difficult to find and capture.

[Otavio]

Paul, very nice series. It is a new bird to me. Thanks for sharing!

[jeeperman]

Thank you for chimming in, Bobo, Tim, Joe and Otavio. I appreciate the feedback. I really like these guys pattern, it is really good cammo for where they live. Most of the time when I see them, they are to far away acrossed water or I nearly step on them and they fly out from under my feet.

[Donald]

Just popping into add my compliments to those already offered above. Excellent stuff.
And, as Bobo wrote:-

Excellent stalking skills.

It just shows us that good photography is often about much, much more than just pressing the button.

[jeeperman]

Thank you, Donald.

[Nat]

Well done. Some very nice images. I can't believe they let you get that close. We don't have them here, I don't think, but the closest I have seen of the inland sandpipers was the American Woodcock. Were you in camouflage gear?? LOL!

[Dave Humphries]

Good series Paul,

I like #3, although on its own, you wouldn't know how long the beak is

I guess my only critical comment would be; what happened to the WB on the last shot?

However, even that tells a story with the weed on the beak.

Funny how you can 'get lucky' like this occasionally when shooting wildlife, strange thing is, it tends to happen more often the more experienced you become, so probably not so much 'luck' after all

Good work,