Kellys Swamp - Snipe

[Sue Lashko <>]

During Painted Snipe surveys which have been held quarterly for the last several years, but have now stopped, we have found up to 16 (from memory) snipe (Latham's, not Painted) in the grass along the channels in the paddocks between Jerrabomberra Creek and Molonglo Reach.  We covered the same ground for the blitz last Oct and I think we found about 8.  On one occasion we almost circumnavigated Kelly's Swamp and found about the same number close to where the otter is in your picture. There were plenty of muddy pug marks where the cattle had been down to drink and that seemed to suit the snipe.   So they may be there in good numbers, but well hidden.

 

Sue

On Mon, Feb 16, 2009 at 3:53 PM, Geoffrey Dabb <> wrote:

Proposition:  That the visibility of Latham's Snipe at Kelly Swamp has declined sharply over the last 6 years.

 

I base this on the seasons 1999-2003 when on most mornings one could find up to 5 or so snipe feeding in view, often right in front of and close to the hides, not disturbed even by shrill cries of 'wow, look at the snipe!' coming from inside them.  Now (2006-2009), a glimpse of one or two snipe in the southern marshy area or the inlet channel is the most one can expect.  I do not assert there are less snipe, although this may be the case, but they are certainly harder to see.

 

Here are some possibilities:

 

a)       Snipe numbers overall are down.  With all the effort put into wader study, it should be possible to learn more about this, perhaps from studies at the breeding sites.

b)      Less snipe are coming to the Canberra area.  I do not know, and do not know how you could find out, whether that is so.  Certainly one or two snipe are regularly reported from elsewhere around the suburbs.  They might be favouring other spots (seed d. below), or there might be more, or more reporting, observers.  There was a report of 19 seen in the proposed JW refuge area in 2007-2008.

c)       The snipe are more timid.  Perhaps they are being hunted somewhere along their migratory range.  I do not know how you could learn more about that.

d)      Kellys is less attractive to snipe.  I think this is quite possible.  However the conditions and the number of visitors seem about the same.  Without more information on a. – c., this seems to me to be a credible explanation. Perhaps there is some factor at work we do not know about.  Perhaps the repeated drying-out spells have reduced the earthworm population.  I would not blame the cattle, present at all relevant times, or the foxes, for the same reason.  One possibility I would have on the list is the number of swamphens and moorhens.  These have bred up noticeably and they are aggressive species (particularly swamphens) towards birds the same size or smaller.  They constantly patrol the shallows and grassy verges that are the usual haunt of the snipe.

 

Although conveying a familiar impression of the swamp, I should caution that this photograph, as the alert swamp-frequenter will perceive, was subject to a teensy bit of addition to illustrate this contribution.       

 

 

 

From: Steve Holliday [
Sent: Friday, 13 February 2009 3:06 PM
To:
Subject: [canberrabirds] Kellys Swamp

 

A midday visit to the wetlands, very few ducks, large areas of exposed mud starting to appear, especially at the southern end, looks good for shorebirds but 3 Black-fronted Dotterels, including a juvenile, and 2 Lapwings was all I could find. Plenty of White Ibis and at least 4 Royal Spoonbills, a mix of young and adult birds.

 

At Crake Alley there is also some exposed mud appearing amongst the reeds. Feeding on it today were Fairy-wrens, WB Scrubwrens, Little Grassbirds (2+), Reed Warblers, Spotless crakes (2+), and a single Latham's Snipe which didn't hang around. There was also an extended moorhen family with 3 adults and 4 young birds foraging in the area.

 

cheers

Steve