Snipe are one of my favourite birds, a typical species of my
younger days in Worcestershire in the damp meadows along the Avon. The Bottom
Fields in Ainderby have similar habitat and yesterday there were around 45
Snipe there including this tight flock of 30 odd birds…
Today there were about half that number but I spotted a
couple (very) distantly on the ground…
Numbers of wintering Snipe do seem to be on the increase in
the parish despite a decline in the national numbers. I assume this is a
feature of better habitat, so surely it can’t be long until I find my first
village Jack Snipe…
A few Wigeon were also in the Bottom Fields but I didn’t see
them until they were flushed off by dog
walkers. The third bird down looks different but may just be the angle?
Nearby This Grey Heron was stalking something in the
ploughed field.
Herons will eat virtually anything, I once saw one swallow a
Coot and I have also seen them reaching into rabbit burrows but I assume this
one was after earthworms.
I’ll finish with a couple of shots of Fieldfare, the first
one showing clearly why the local dialect name for them was Blueback…
whilst this smart bird was perched in the garden of the Old
Vicarage…
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