First snipe of the 2015-6 season arrive

September 03, 2015

Over the last couple of weeks, the first reports of Latham’s snipe returning for the non-breeding season have been trickling in along the eastern coast of Australia.

The earliest record this year for Australia was on 8 August, at Oxley Creek Common, near Brisbane (via eBird – see photo above showing some of the ideal snipe habitat at the Oxley Creek Common).

Hot on its wings were separate reports from three locations in Queensland on 9 August: one from Bundaberg (via eBird), another at Tyto Wetlands, Ingham (via eBird) and the third from Dunne Rd Swamp in Cairns (via eBird).

Further south, the first record for NSW is from from Yamba on 20 August, and from the ACT comes from Jerrabomberra Wetlands (ACT) on 16 August. This is about ~10 days later than the long term average for New South Wales (we’re working on this data at the moment).

In Victoria, the first snipe were reported at Begola Wetlands, Ocean Grove on 22 August, closely followed by two at Port Fairy and one at Torquay on 23 August (via Eremaea Birdlines and R. Chamberlain). There are yet to be any reported from Tasmania.

Do you have earlier records than these? Or do you have arrival records for snipe from a place you regularly bird? If so, we’d love to hear from you as we’re trying to build up a long-term understanding of migration patterns across Australia for the species.  Contact djdwilson@gmail.com with any information and we’ll tell you how your observations fit into the bigger picture of snipe migration.

Header photo credit – via http://www.peakstopoints.com.au/event/