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Blog Entry 43 of 56 Outdoors in Wichita Falls

About the living things in and around Wichita Falls and those that enjoy them. What can be seen and where. Events and activities focused on this interest.

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A Snipe Hunt

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Contributed by: Penny Miller on 3/16/2008

I grew up in Indiana. As a teen, the euphemism for parking was going a snipe hunt. The snipe was a mythological bird of large size, which of course was usually seen at night on the back roads of Indiana. There was no such thing as a snipe.

Imagine my surprise 11 years ago when I moved here and found out that yes, there is such a thing as a snipe. And it is a bird. But it isn't big and it isn't a deciduous forest dweller. Surprisingly, they are found in some parts of Indiana; obviously, I wasn't hanging with the right crowd then.

Wilson's Snipe are here in the winter. I always look for them at the tank at Lake Wichita Park--the most common place in myregular birding spots for me to see them. In fact, for the past few years, I have rarely failed to find them when I have taken the time to look. This year has been different. I have gone at least a half dozen times to the tank specifically to find snipe and have come up empty handed every time. The only snipe I have seen this year was brought in to Wild Bird Rescue with a head injury.

I went again this morning, and again came up empty handed, although there were many other shorebirds in the mud flats near there. I also was fortunate to see two eared grebes in addition to the many ducks (ruddy, norther shoveler, bufflehead, and blue-winged teal.) The snipes will be leaving soon with the other ducks, so if I am going to see them this year, I will have to put some extra effort into it.

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