I spent an enjoyable hour or so at the RSPB's Greylake reserve on the Somerset Levels today.  This is a regular spot for me and has really come on since it was established a year or two ago.  There is an excellent hide looking out over a shallow pond which at this time of year is host to a fair number of teal and wigeon with a few shovellers and mallard and an occasional pintail.  Today was no exception and apparently the ducks had been put up a couple of times by a peregrine before I arrived.

However, the theme for me for the day was the snipe.  These are almost certainly present in large numbers and they can be seen taking off and landing about the place periodically which is actually the most treliable way of seeing them.  Today they were visible (almost) in some dying reeds just a few metres in front of the hide.  I never fail to be surprised by how hard they are to see.  The picture on the left gives I think a good idea of how hard it can be and this is a pretty typical view of a resting snipe.

Occasionally one would spring into action and I liked the way even the teal can be taken by surprise before settling down in a very chummy fashion shoulder to shoulder with the snipe that had just disturbed it.

Just occasionally, if you're lucky you can get a decent view as one moves across an open stretch or starts to feed.  Great little birds!