![\"wilsons-snipe-2399-ron-dudley\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/wilsons-snipe-2399-ron-dudley.jpg\")
<\/p>\nThese two snipes almost flew in my pickup window.<\/p>\n
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1\/2000, f\/7.1, ISO 320, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Four\u00a0days ago\u00a0I was driving across a snowy parking lot at Farmington Bay when two Wilson’s Snipes appeared out of nowhere and flew within a couple of feet of my open windows. They then circled around and landed in some vehicle tire tracks in the snow. These are elusive birds and I’m sure they chose to land in the tracks rather than anywhere else in the undisturbed snow for the cover those tracks provided. They thought they were well-hidden in the tracks so I was able to approach them closely.<\/p>\n The eyes of these strange birds are one of their more unusual features. They’re set remarkably far back on their heads which provides them full vision on both sides and binocular overlap to the rear. This allows them to detect the approach of a predator from behind while their beak is deeply buried in the mud or sand.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1\/1600, f\/7.1, ISO 320, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n The second bird had landed nearby in a dirtier track in the snow but I had a more exposed look at it. These birds are\u00a0typically so elusive that they’re usually not even seen until they’re flushed at short range so it was fun getting a close detailed look at them even though they barely moved while I had my lens on them.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1\/1600, f\/7.1, ISO 320, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n This one gave me a short rouse (feather fluff) but that was about it in the posing department. Shortly after I drove away and left them in place.<\/p>\n Even though the\u00a0summer range\u00a0of Wilson’s Snipes extends down (barely) into northern Utah I rarely see them anytime except during\u00a0winter. I suspect that may be because when the marshes are frozen and snow-covered they spend more time feeding near where water is still running in the liquid form so some of the mud remains unfrozen.<\/p>\n And those are the types of\u00a0places I often haunt during the winter.<\/p>\n Ron<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" These two snipes almost flew in my pickup window.<\/p>\n![\"wilsons-snipe-2446-ron-dudley\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/wilsons-snipe-2446-ron-dudley.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"wilsons-snipe-2426-ron-dudley\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/wilsons-snipe-2426-ron-dudley.jpg\")
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