Tag: Jack snipe

March Flush Count

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A total of 81 snipe flushed this morning from the marshes, which are still exceedingly wet. Four of these were jacks. 67 birds counted in Big Meadow, six in School Pond and none in the Hay Meadow. Upper Sowerholme yielded more than have been seen for several years. Eight birds came up from the area where the reeds have been cut. The running tally stands at 429, the highest it has been at this point in the season.

There were two meadow pipits in School Pond, a little egret overflew Big Meadow and there were several noisy and busy mallards around.

February Flush Count

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The fields were exceeding wet again for this morning’s count.  Steady rain made spotting difficult for those with glasses and recording numbers was not easy, despite pencil and waterproof paper. To add to the complications, some of the snipe were flying up in quite large groups. Overall a very good total of 106 snipe (of which 17 were jack found in Big Meadow). Breakdown was 1 Hay Meadow, 2 School Pond, 101 Big Meadow and 2 noted slightly earlier during the reserve inspection in Lower Sowerholme. One of the jacks was not flushed by the team but taken by a sparrowhawk. The hawk was seen to go down on the far side of the marsh and the fresh wing of a jack snipe was noticed as we walked through the rush. Other highlights were a heron in Upper Sowerholme, and a brown hare near Willow Pond in Lower Sowerholme (again a sighting from the reserve inspection).

January Flush Count

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A lot of standing water in the marshes this morning, and challenging depths of mud for the team in places. 90 snipe counted. The Hay Meadow and School Pond yielded one apiece, Upper Sowerholme two. All the rest were in Big Meadow, 21 of them jacks. This is the highest January total since 2014.  Two ravens flew overhead as we left Big Meadow for the Fauna path.

December flush count

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The heavy rain kindly eased as we started the count this morning but we were walking though a lot of standing water in the marshes. The snipe however seemed quite happy with the conditions on the reserve, with an excellent total of 81 flushed (breakdown: Hay Meadow 1 common; School Pond 19 common and 1 jack; Big Meadow 45 common and 15 jack). The difference in the behaviour of jack and common snipe was very marked. Common snipe can go up en masse, many metres away. The team were taken by surprise when barely entering School Pond caused a group to burst out of the rush and scatter. Impossible to be confident of exactly how many, so the consensus was 15.  In contrast, jacks hang on until the last moment and so tend to go up singly. Most were found at the end of the route through Big Meadow, and seemed to be favouring the clearing areas within the marsh. Several times a jack snipe narrowly avoided being trodden on by the next step.

November flush count

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The count scheduled for the start of the month was postponed because of heavy rainfall. The marshes remain extremely wet. With the weather still mild, a digger working on Alder Pond at the top of the Big Meadow marsh and most of the cattle in School Pond, we were not optimistic about snipe numbers today. But the overall tally of 57 (including one jack) was at the higher end for this time year. All bar one which flew up from School Pond were flushed from Big Meadow.

Jacks galore!

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The scheduled final flush count of the winter took place this morning. Much colder and drier under foot than last week. A total of 30 snipe, the most this late in the season since April 2015. 25 in Big Meadow, 5 in School Pond. The main point of comment was the high number of jack snipe – comprising a third of the total, all in Big Meadow. (Not as marked, but the proportion of jacks last Monday was also unexpectedly large at just under a quarter.)

At last – another flush count!

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The team made a return to the marshes this morning for the March snipe count. Seriously delayed, but thankfully not cancelled like January and February. Heavy going over the very wet ground. However the snipe seem quite happy with the conditions as there were a fair number still around this late in the season. 38 flushed overall, eight of which were jack. 10 of the birds –including one jack – in School Pond, the rest in Big Meadow. An encouraging showing of  meadow pipits: 2 in Hay Meadow, 2 in School Pond (plus a moorhen) and three in Big Meadow. Graham also reported a brown hare in West Field seen on his reserve inspection prior to the count.

December flush count

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It’s impossible to predict how any one count will go: there does not seem to be any obvious pattern. This month’s December tally is on the smaller side. In fact the lowest so far this year at 32 snipe including 2 jack. 28 of them were in Big Meadow, 3 in School Pond and a solitary bird in the Hay Meadow. Whilst Upper Sowerholme was devoid of snipe, it did yield 6 fieldfare, a kestrel and 6 teal (probably the same ones spotted earlier on Willow Pond by Graham during  his reserve inspection). There was a reed bunting in School Pond; a heron and curlew seen in Big Meadow.

November flush count

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Exceedingly wet underfoot, but at least the rain and wind had abated. A decent tally of snipe – 46 counted in all. 12 in School Pond, 33 in Big Meadow (including 2 jack) and a solitary bird in Hay Meadow. A female pheasant and four meadow pipits were also spotted in Big Meadow.