Venus Pool - Snipe and Teal close up

 No real stand out birds today apart from a close up opportunity of...

Male Teal

Common Snipe

Venus Pool - Common Snipe

Whilst Greenshank may be one day wonders at VP, Common Snipe are now trickling in and one was showing reasonably close today...

Tine for a quick preen...

Venus Pool - Snipe

Children's books often use wildlife to stimulate learning to count and I managed to get some obliging Common Snipe to gradually congregate around an imaginary crocodile today? 

One lonely Common Snipe walking into view.

Along came a second one so then there were... TWO

Standing in the water as happy as can be, a third one joined in the fun so then there were... 

THREE!

It's starting to get crowded as another one made... FOUR

With room for just another one, can you guess what would arrive? Yes you got it, well done, it's Snipe number....  FIVE!

I'll forward this to Gemma and my Grandson for comment? A new career looms?  

PS They loved it!

Venus Pool - Common Snipe

With brief views of a rather tatty Osprey Thurs and Fri, I was hoping for an photo opportunity? It was not to be, no waders or Terns but a very showy Snipe bobbed mimicking a Jack, then strutted his way, into the frame...

Here's the strut...

Then settling into the vegetation...

A flash of the spread tail will do nicely!

Two House Martins on Friday, Willow Warbler singing and showing near the disabled CP today, spring is springing...

Venus Pool - returning Snipe

In addition to passage birds, Venus Pool is pretty 'fluid' at the moment with the return of some winter visitors. Here's my first returning Common Snipe...

 

What you can't see - he's a 'bobber' bouncing up and down like a Jack whilst feeding, scuppering the myth that only Jack Snipe do it!

Plus a quick preen for the camera?

A welcome addition to the prospective 'big day' list tomorrow!

Scilly day 18 - Snipe display

Just a Common Snipe during an end of day check of Lower Moors. It was out in the open next to the hide and posing nicely.....

It was hard to believe the effect a Song Thrush landing nearby would have!

I've seen them crouch similarly when a raptor flies overhead but this involved an amazing tail fan too!

Wow, just like a Hoopoe flashing it's crest?

Amazing behaviour....

So, ignore the common bird at your peril, it might do something uncommonly interesting....