29 March 2016. Vinemount, Hamilton ON. I saw my first of the year Tree Swallows, Eastern Meadowlark, Red-shouldered Hawk and Northern Flicker today. The flicker was a surprise but all the others were more or less to be anticipated. A brisk off-the- lake north wind set my eyes streaming and I wondered how insectivores like Tree Swallows manage to eke out a living on these days.
I stopped beside an expanse of flooded fields in hope and expectation of finding some Kildeer, Wilson’s Snipes and assorted ducks. No ducks but a few Kildeer and four or five Wilson’s Snipe were there.
One of the snipes was just a few yards off the road and I was able to move my car slowly forward to watch and study it . You don’t often see snipe well or for long periods, but this one was easy. I watched and snapped away for several minutes and was lucky to have my camera aimed and focused when a European Starling landed right beside the it. I don’t think the starling could have seen the snipe or anticipated its defensive and aggressive reaction; the snipe stood tall and fanned its strongly patterned tail; it was all over in one or two seconds. The sequence below seems to show the starling a little taken aback by where it finds itself as the snipe takes a Who are you? Why are you here? Move on! stance.
