This time last year we were very pleased with the number of snipe flushed during the first count of the winter. But that tally of 23 has been smashed today with no less than 57 birds spotted shooting out of the marshes. Perhaps they have been driven away from the estuary by the very strong winds?
The usual slow start in the Hay Meadow (1) and Upper Sowerholme (0). Then 12 in School Pond followed by 44 in Big Meadow. many of them appearing to take off from parts of the marsh where the rush is thinner. Over the summer, scything has taken place to cut rides through the marsh vegetation. And control work in 2016 has had a particularly noticeable impact on the rush in School Pond. The aim of these measures is to make the habitat more attractive to snipe. On today’s evidence it has certainly not made it worse!