This was a fun find! Normally, I hear Wilson’s Snipes from far above, winnowing in the Spring to attract a mate. I saw this bird from quite a distance with its bright white belly and I managed to creep in closer for a better view. The closer I got, the more it hunkered down and then when I backed away, it began to stand tall again. These images are all cropped and from a 600 mm lens.
I was camped next to a glacier-fed river last week and one morning got to watch an American Dipper (formerly known as a Water Ouzel) forage in the clear cold water.
Lots of ducks, some shorebirds and a Virginia Rail with babies.
Willow and I had a short camping trip to the Highlands last week. We cut it short by a day when the weather got too unsettled and the neighbors too noisy. That’s the problem with campgrounds – you never know what kind of neighbors you might get. We hiked and I paddled my kayak and I went birding while Willow waited, impatiently.
There were also loons and other water birds and I’ll post them soon.
Marshes and wetlands are important habitats for birds and other wildlife.
