On the way down from a refreshing, but bird-less walk in the mountains I stopped briefly at the fields near Imazu to see if anything new had arrived. Most ducks had left and there were no terns yet. The high tide kept me away from the mudflats, so I don't know what was there. But in the far back of this bit of land I spotted a long bill. The face that was attached to it did not seem to be that of a Common Snipe as I had first suspected, so I took the time till some more bodyparts became visible through the grass. And then there it was: a Latham Snipe. My instincts had not lied to me, I felt good.
Latham's Snipe, オオジシギ
Soon it flew and disappeared again, but now some friends, (old time birders) who had seen me staring into the field wondered what was there, so I waited around again with them. From where I had seen the bird diving into the bush a little head peaked out every now and then. We concentrated and waited and waited...till it stepped out and then... it seemed to be a Common Snipe...
Common Snipe, たしぎ
Ahh, disappointment. I felt unconfident again, doubting my own judgement. However, a few minutes of polite conversation later... another snipe stepped out. Guess who?
Left: Latham's Snipe, オオジシギ Right Common Snipe, タシギ
I don't think they were the best of friends. Latham is chasing Common. Why did they choose the same poll of grass to hide in?
Again?!
