Snipe Hunt

May 12, 2015

“Snipe hunt” is a colloquialism for sending someone on, well, a wild goose chase – with much the same results. The phrase has led some people to believe that snipe are mythical beasts. It is admittedly incredibly difficult to sneak up on snipe but they do exist. You are most likely to see this shorebird only for the brief time it takes the bird to burst out of some wet soggy area just ahead of you. So, you can imagine how excited I was to see a Wilson’s Snipe feeding on one of my trail camera videos.

The tail feathers of a diving snipe vibrate in such a way as to create a haunting whinny: a winnowing. Spring nights near a wetland are an almost mystical experience as the skies above resound with winnowing snipe. So – I wish you only the best of luck on all your snipe hunts! all writing, photos and videos copyright J. A. Siderius, 2015.