Our newest avian visitor. Cheryl took this photo on christmas eve at the third dam.
Photo: Cheryl Reynolds
This pretty fellow is a Wilson’s snipe. Both sexes are about 10-12 inches in size. That super long beak of theirs pokes in the mud for good things to eat, and is flexible so they can open the end without opening the base. (I’ll wait for a moment if any of you want to try that at home). The practical joke played for years of “going on a snipe hunt” is actually only a joke to people who don’t know about this fellow, turns out there really IS a snipe. And it really IS hunted.
The snipe strolls along the mud foraging for insects, molusks, larvae. He sometimes sticks his head all the way in the water, and he often swallows what he finds without lifting his head at all. This is a rare gift among our feathered friends, because most birds must tip their head back to swallow, relying on gravity for the motion rather than muscles.(I have long suspected that this is why there are very few birds in space.)
But this is hardly the most unique thing about this medium sized shorebird. When love strikes the male makes a classic hu-hu-hu sound with his feathers to lure the woman of his dreams. (Hu could resist?) They build a neat nest on the ground. So far, so familiar. Then guess what happens! The female almost always lays four eggs, and when the first two hatch Dad takes them off to raise on his own. He or the offspring never see mom again. Mom raises the others by herself.
It’s a classic case of avian joint custody!
Gosh this reminds me of something. Wait, don’t tell me. Don’t the fledglings raised by dad go to bird camp later and meet the fledgings raised by mom? And don’t they try to get their broken nest back together again? Oh wait, no. that’s the parent trap.
With our monogamous “Walton’s Family” beavers living just inches away, it just goes to show that there are as many ways to make a family as there are creatures in the world. Keep an eye out for this fellow, and let us know if you see anyone new at the dam!
