"Perhaps the most dramatic “songster” of summer is Latham’s Snipe. This extraordinary shorebird spends its winters in southeastern Australia and Tasmania, but breeds here in Hokkaido. Known locally as the “Kaminari-shigi” (or thunderbird!) its dramatic undulating
display flight above the marshes involves it climbing high into the sky giving hoarse “tsu-biyaku, tsu-biyaku, tsu-biyaku” calls, then plunging into a steep dive during which its stiff outer tail-feathers vibrate, rattle and drum, thrumming with a strange
“gwo-gwo-gwo” sound, before the bird swoops upwards once more calling as it goes."
