Dartmoor National Park Authority
RANGER RALPH’S BIRDWATCH
October- November 2008
STAR BIRD - THE SNIPE
This beautiful wader is resident in Britain but in the South West it is only likely to be seen in winter when its population is increased by winter migrants. It is usually seen as a single bird but occasionally in twos or threes. On Dartmoor it favours wet or boggy ground with shallow pools and soft mud together with some cover such as soft rush or long coarse grass. The most likely view you will have is when it suddenly flushes as you get within about 10-15 metres. It will fly away in a series of zigzags and then climb rapidly, high into the sky. It appears dark brown, with a very long bill and its call is best described as the sound made when you kiss the back of your hand!
If you get the chance to enjoy a close view through binoculars or a telescope, you will see that its plumage is a series of brown bars and streaks which enable it to blend in with its typical habitat. It has short legs and a striped head with a very long straight bill used for probing soft mud to find its food (mainly worms, beetles and grubs).
The Snipe nests in a hollow on the ground and the 3-5 eggs are incubated by the female. The young leave the nest shortly after hatching, the brood being split between the parent birds with the male taking care of the oldest chicks.
Numbers on Dartmoor will start to build up between now and Christmas, reaching a peak in January.
A similar, but much smaller, bird – the Jack Snipe – may possibly be seen but it is much rarer. It has a shorter bill and a dark green and purple back. If you disturb one of these birds it will fly off (without the zigzag flight of the Snipe) and land again a short distance away.
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