I live in Uxbridge (greater london) my garden backs onto a small river ( more like a stream really) we get loads of mallards, moor hens and coots, and herons.
But on several occassions in the last few weeks there has been a Snipe in my garden. I stood and watched it the other morning for about 45 minutes as it looked for worms in the frosty lawn. I have never seen one before...has it got lost?
I put seeds, nuts and leftovers out for the garden birds, nuts for the squirrels and feed the ducks at least every other day with my young daughters. And with the weather being so bad i have been putting out more than usual. Is there anything specific i can put out for this new visitor to my garden?
It may be getting desperate as the fields and waterways freeze over, there was a moorhen in someone elses garden on here too.
Millie & Fly the Border Collies
Hi Nick
Don''t think it will be lost , probably just moving a few metres from the frozen riverbank with no mud n stuff for feedingin. Thnk probably just the cold spell bringing it up to your gardien I would just carry on doing what you're doing, its obviously very happy with it when it continues to visit. I just love them.
Hi Nikki and welcome to the RSPB Forum
I get a feeling that a lot of water birds have been misplaced at the moment due to the freezing weather.
The lakes and areas of water are frozen over, so they have no where to go.
So that is why some of us are seeing birds of a more unusual species turning up in our urban gardens
Anyway I would enjoy a Snipe living closeby anyday.
Regards
Kathy and Dave
Wow! You are very lucky to have a snipe in your garden. I imagine they would struggle to find as much food as they need when the ground is frozen, so some mealworms placed strategically where the snipe will find them might be appreciated? I've never heard of anyone feeding snipe before...
L.
Snipe are fantastic, I often see them on the local patch, especially in winter, either on the river or in amongst the reeds on the flood meadow, like many waders they feed by probing into the mud, as the entire nation appears to be frozen at present they are having to search alternative food.
I often get startled by snipe, as they are so well camouflaged you cannot see them until you nearly tred on them, at which point they zoom off like a deranged firework.
This weather really is hitting the water birds, the ground feeder in our garden was visited by a moorhen today.
"Feed the birds, tuppence a bag" Mary Poppins
It has been again this morning i really wanted some pictures but my ca,era is broken.
i put an old piece of carpet liner on the lawn before we had the heavy snow and ive been moving it on and off so that the birds can get at the ground (my neighbours probably think im mad out there moving a carpet in my boots and dressing gown at 7am and 5pm)...although i suspect its still frozen at least its not snow covered.
my daughters are 3 and they love helping me feed the birds and generally around the garden, it was instilled in me at an early age and ive done the same with my children.
Good on you Nikki. Sounds as though you are doing all you can.
When I was a child I used to live in Southall, not far from Uxbridge. I seem to recall that there were lots of gravel pits in the River Colne valley. As an earlier contributor said, I expect the snipe's normal habitat is frozen.
Pity about the camera. It would great to see photo of a snipe in a garden setting. Quick get it fixed.
____________________________________________________________________
Tony
My Flickr Photostream