Although there are some unpleasant connotations to the word ‘snipe’ these two definitions are related directly to the bird and it’s habits;
Snipe n. One of nearly 20 wading birds in the Genus Gallinago, Lymnocryptes or Coenocorypha
Snipe v. To shoot at usually exposed individuals from a concealed point of vantage
Snipe are secretive, cryptically patterned birds that, unlike most other waders, spend their time tucked in amongst reeds and rushes. Occasionally, if there’s a nice bit of exposed mud with cover close by, they may venture into the open and allow prolonged observation. In the spring their ‘drumming’ display is an extraordinary spectacle above the damp fields where they breed. A ‘sniper’ was someone skilled enough to shoot a snipe.
Yesterday we were fortunate, on a hastily arranged mini-safari to see both Common Snipe (the breeding bird of British moorland) and that master of disguise the Jack Snipe, alongside one another. It was a real identification masterclass opportunity and we watched them for quite a while. Whenever the Jack Snipe stopped feeding, it also stopped the bizarre bobbing motion that makes it look as though it’s legs are on springs. As soon as it was still it blended in with the bankside vegetation and it was a struggle for everyone to pick out where it was resting.
When I returned home at the end of the evening, Sarah reminded me about the last Jack Snipe that we saw together.