painted snipe and other goodies

[martin butterfield <>]

By 1pm (ish) this afternoon the Painted Snipe  had moved towards Cygnus Hide (but of course on the Southern bank of the swamp).  They initially emerged from the grass  between the grazing cattle and then headed for a large patch of mud/water which they slowly crossed, in an astonishingly obliging way so that they could be tracked in my scope. About 2 pm (coinciding with Milburn's return) they flew back across the patch of mud and disappeared into the grass.

One Nankeen Night-heron seen just past Fulica Hide and the Glossy ibis grazing in the Painted Snipe infested grass.

To cap off a rather good couple of hours, after a snuffle at the bird-free mud in the Sewage ponds Milburn spotted, and was able to point out to me, a Buff Banded Rail on the edge of Pond 6!

Martin

On Tue, Sep 27, 2011 at 2:31 PM, Steve Holliday <> wrote:

The 2 Painted Snipe were still in the same area at midday, resting in a gap between tussocks, a couple of metres to the right of the log where they were originally seen

 

Cheers

Steve

 

From: Geoffrey Dabb [
Sent: Tuesday, 27 September 2011 9:49 AM
To: 'chatline canberrabirds'
Subject: RE: [canberrabirds] painted-snipe

 

Today around 0730 I flushed 7 Latham’s Snipe from the margins of the billabong behind the school.  They dispersed individually to other parts of the wetland (they rarely fly a short distance) where they are available to be reported by other observers, as painted-snipe or otherwise.

 

The female painted-snipe was visible 0830 partially obscured by tussocks at the spot indicated by Harvey.  It could just be seen from the gate, motionless, apparently resting, for about a half-hour.  Probably still there.

 

Glossy Ibis still present.

 

From: Terry Bell [
Sent: Tuesday, 27 September 2011 2:43 PM
To: chatline canberrabirds
Subject: [canberrabirds] painted snipe

 

thw two terriers ventured to the wetlands this morning to find several coggers already there with their equipment. Although we missed out at the long log site one lucky member did flush a snipe out the section containing several water filled  furrows partly covered by mounds of dry grass at the swamp edge whilst walking towards the Cygnet hide.Unless someone can claim there are also Latham's snipe  present, I feel justified to claim a painted variety sighting as the flight and white wing feathers were unmistakeable. Terry  B.