{"id":127655,"date":"2024-04-19T03:00:02","date_gmt":"2024-04-19T08:00:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=127655"},"modified":"2024-04-18T15:10:40","modified_gmt":"2024-04-18T20:10:40","slug":"wilsons-snipe-photos-plus-two-interesting-facts-about-these-shorebirds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2024\/04\/19\/wilsons-snipe-photos-plus-two-interesting-facts-about-these-shorebirds\/","title":{"rendered":"Wilson’s Snipe Photos Plus Two Interesting Facts About These Shorebirds"},"content":{"rendered":"

Recently, I’ve had a couple of opportunities to photograph a Wilson’s Snipe in the Lower Scarborough Slough at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge<\/span><\/a> in Oklahoma.<\/p>\n

\"SpringSpring Wilson’s Snipe standing on one leg in a slough \u2013 Nikon D500, f11, 1\/1250, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

The first time I photographed the snipe, it was resting on one leg at the edge of the slough, not far from the dirt road. The light was wonderful, and I had a great view of this shorebird.<\/p>\n

*For the purpose of full disclosure, I toned down a bright, spring green piece of grass at the lower right-hand side of this image during post-processing because I felt it was very distracting.<\/p>\n

\"BackBack of a Wilson’s Snipe’s head showing its eyes \u2013 Nikon D500, f10, 1\/320, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Two days ago, I had the opportunity to photograph the snipe in the same area, but it was even closer to me in the “mobile blind” than it was on the 14th. The mobile blind is my friend Steve Creek’s pickup.<\/p>\n

I saw the back of the head of the Wilson’s Snipe and thought that this photo would be perfect to illustrate the nearly 360-degree field of vision that this shorebird species has.<\/p>\n

The eyes of Wilson’s Snipe are set back so far on their heads that they almost have eyes at the back of their heads. It is extremely difficult to sneak up behind snipe for that reason, whether it is a predator or a human.<\/p>\n

That is interesting fact #1.<\/p>\n

\"SpringSpring Wilson’s Snipe portrait at Sequoyah NWR \u2013 Nikon D500, f10, 1\/320, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

The second interesting fact about this snipe species, and one I wasn’t aware of until two days ago, is that when this species gets warm or overheated they use gular fluttering to cool down. That is something I’d never seen before in this species. This snipe was gular fluttering when I took this image.<\/p>\n

The primary purpose of gular fluttering<\/span><\/a> in birds is to help dissipate excess heat and regulate body temperature.<\/p>\n

I’m always learning something new about my subjects. Photographing this snipe expanded my knowledge about this species.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/a><\/span> to see more of my Wilson\u2019s Snipes photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Recently, I’ve had a couple of opportunities to photograph a Wilson’s Snipe in the Lower Scarborough Slough at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":127645,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27,13973,13974,4795],"tags":[4004,13984,4142,4787,14913,4797,5412,7810,14912,14914,4046,5300,274,13976,4798,5579,165,953,4796],"class_list":["post-127655","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-oklahoma","category-sequoyah-national-wildlife-refuge","category-wilsons-snipes","tag-adult","tag-bottomlands","tag-close-up","tag-eyes","tag-field-of-vision","tag-gallinago-delicata","tag-gular-fluttering","tag-leg","tag-lower-scarborough-slough","tag-nearly-360-degree-field-of-vision","tag-portrait","tag-roadside","tag-shorebirds-2","tag-slough","tag-snipe","tag-snipes","tag-spring","tag-standing","tag-wilsons-snipe"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/wilsons-snipe-spring-sequoyah-nwr-mia-mcpherson-5908.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-xcX","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":44123,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2016\/12\/27\/wintertime-wilsons-snipes-in-snow\/","url_meta":{"origin":127655,"position":0},"title":"Wintertime Wilson’s Snipes in Snow","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"December 27, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Wilson's Snipes are medium-sized, stocky shorebirds that can be found in Utah year round despite the ice, freezing temperatures and heavy snow we have here during our winters.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Wilson's Snipe in snow, Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/wilsons-snipe-snow-mia-mcpherson-8200.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/wilsons-snipe-snow-mia-mcpherson-8200.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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last time I visited Bear River MBR, I took quite a few photos of Wilson's Snipes. I also wondered what the new name for this snipe species will soon be.","rel":"","context":"In "Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge"","block_context":{"text":"Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Wilson's Snipe foraging in shallow water, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/wilsons-snipe-water-mia-mcpherson-7169.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/wilsons-snipe-water-mia-mcpherson-7169.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/wilsons-snipe-water-mia-mcpherson-7169.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/wilsons-snipe-water-mia-mcpherson-7169.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":74883,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2020\/10\/25\/some-shorebirds-migrate-late-and-they-are-okay\/","url_meta":{"origin":127655,"position":4},"title":"Some Shorebirds Migrate Late And They Are Okay","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"October 25, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Being concerned about shorebirds in harsh winter weather isn't unusual but despite their delicate appearance these shorebirds are tough.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Winter Wilson's Snipe in snow, Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/wilsons-snipe-in-snow-mia-mcpherson-8011.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/wilsons-snipe-in-snow-mia-mcpherson-8011.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/wilsons-snipe-in-snow-mia-mcpherson-8011.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/wilsons-snipe-in-snow-mia-mcpherson-8011.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":153703,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2025\/08\/31\/sunrise-at-lower-scarborough-slough-sequoyah-national-wildlife-refuge\/","url_meta":{"origin":127655,"position":5},"title":"Sunrise at Lower Scarborough Slough, Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"August 31, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"This morning I am sharing a simple image of sunrise at the Lower Scarborough Slough. 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