Did you ever get suckered into a snipe hunt at summer camp when you were a kid? I was suprised to find out that there?really is such a bird. One of the regular Edmonds bird watchers spotted one today at the marsh. Sibley's describes it as a solitary, secretive bird.

I would never have seen it with my naked eye had it not been pointed out to me.? Even then it was still difficult to find with the?400mm end of my zoom lens.? Except for moving its head, it remained motionless the entire time we watched it from the west viewing platform.????

My photos show the white strip on?the top of its head, a quick way to identify it from the similar appearing dowitchers.?? I now believe it was a snipe that ran in front of me last December as?I was hiking back from the edge of the marsh near the fish hatchery.
Bill Anderson; Edmonds, WA??