UK Half Snipe

After a rather uninspiring start despite a few late Sept birds, things have picked up this week. By 22/10, a total of x37 birds from a doz sites, with several locs still blank. 20 birds from x9 sites in core study area in NZ35/34 The regions max is 9 at Rspb Saltholme Image by MH

Guess who’s back? 👀 Cuckoo Bank, Staffordshire treated us to an amazing night with 4 Jack Snipe and 1 Skylark ringed! 🌙 Plenty of other visitors too, including Common Snipe and Woodcock. What a night! 💫 #BirdRinging #returnofthejack

@Au_Erithacus @ScottStaffs Bluesky is about as fun as a wet weekend in Skegness 🤣

@ScottStaffs I find bluesky boring and very unattractive so I am not there! Might give this another try see if there are any retuning old friends !

Not sure if anyone I follow here is still really here but in case a few from this weekend.

A dull, cold morning, so naturally have to check for jack snipes! 3 present this morning on a local site and one not too tucked away for a change. They do look like strange little aliens to me @HalfSnipe @LondonBirdClub #londonbirds

@chris65bill @WWTWashington That’s fantastic to get one showing from a hide Brilliant Well Done 🎯👍🏻

Amazing views of a Jack Snipe on the Wader Lake today very pleased to get so many on to it as well @WWTWashington

A great comparison

Jack snipe and water pipit still about at Staines moor, showing not everyone thinks winter is quite over yet! @LondonBirdClub @freebirdnewsuk @HalfSnipe #londonbirds

Brilliant

Question - Jack Snipe are a green conservation species, however we know little about them. @StaffsWildlife Cuckoo Bank, we regularly record between 40-100 Jack Snipe each visit on specific fields. Has anyone else recorded 100+ Jack Snipe on any other day or night site in the UK?

Three Jacks thermaled up at Cors Caron this morning @HalfSnipe @SurveysThermal

Bright but cold morning on patch. 43 species @birdtrack 5 Common & 3 Jack Snipe, nfy, on the marsh takes #PWC2025 to 83/88. @Lincsbirding @lincsbirders @PatchBirding @BTO_Lincs @LincsWildlife @LincsNaturalist @HalfSnipe

@RingersWm @StaffsWildlife @_BTO @BTO_Scotland @WorcsWT @EcoRecording @WestMidBirdClub @IoloWilliams2 @RSPBScience @NaturalEngland Seen over a 100 in a day but not at one site - that’s very impressive. Until recent years our regions max was in the 20’s & stood for many years. 46 is the most seen at as my one site - unfortunately Natural England have seen fit to dig big holes in it for some reason 🙄

@curlewcalls @ATMstreetart Should have sprayed “unfinished” between the Curlews 🫤

Sad to see this, isn't it. Really sad. @ATMstreetart

More of the Jack Snipe. This video shows how it reacts when I make my visible as I go to collect the camera. Note how it flattens itself against the water.

Sneaky

@si_rix Great result

Watching Jack Snipes feeding and bobbing is not easy as they freeze as soon as they see you. By setting up my camera and operating it via my ipad from a hidden spot I am able to get an insight into their normally secret lives.

@BirdgirlUK Whole life, you’re just a babby 22 😊

6000 birds!! I’ve been birdwatching my whole life, and part of that is keeping track of all the different bird species you have seen 💚 Today, I reached a life list total of 6000 bird species - the bird that tipped me over the edge being Indian Bush Lark 🪶

@GethinJones123 @BouwmeesterHb @tonymcguire1966 @RingersWm 😬

@HalfSnipe @BouwmeesterHb @tonymcguire1966 @RingersWm I've had all 3 species in my kitchen over the years, too😉

We pinched this of the West Midlands lads FB Thermal site @RingersWm A Rose amongst Thorns if ever we saw one 😊

Nothing worse than someone “pinching” images & not giving credit 😬😄👍🏻 A stunning image such great fieldwork 🙌🏻

@BouwmeesterHb @RingersWm Wow that’s amazing It got Jacks beak ! 😆👍🏻

@HalfSnipe @RingersWm Haha ! My hands. I was among the team. We dazzled in the polder at the Dutch wadden-island #schiermonnikoog. We also ringed one of the rare shortbeaked woodcocks.