A quick visit yesterday to check on the condition of the board walk was rewarded with the most fantastic views of snipe.
Initially they take a bit of finding because their stripy brown and golden plumage provides excellent camouflage. But sit at one of the hide windows and scan the mud and vegetation just five metres away and suddenly you will see one, then two, then three, then more and more and every now and again one appears to be looking straight back at you with its beady little eyes. I wonder what it is thinking. There have been over 50 counted recently. If you have never been lucky enough to see snipe close up and still, and let’s face it, most of us just see them zig zagging away in flight, then now’s your chance. From visitors reports they seem to be there all the time.
If you are lucky enough as I was, even a 15 minute visit might also reward you with close up views of pintail, shoveler and water rail amongst others.
Trish Harper