A memorable day for Paula and I was the discovery of a Painted Snipe chick accompanied by its parent.

 

We were sploshing about in a marsh, in central Argentina.

 

Mud was up to our knees and we were trying not to fall over in the stinking morass.

 

 

 

Marshes are wonderful places for animals to live because they are ‘on the edge’.

 

In between land and water, not the greenery of vegetation nor the cool trickling of liquid.

 

The quaggy, boggy, gooey stuff that can be both dangerous and exhilarating.

 

Birds that live here have the best of both worlds.

 

They can find ample food on the sparse vegetation and underneath the wet mud.

 

To survive in such a place a bird needs to be a specialist and the Painted Snipe is just that. The birds have long legs with splayed out toes, ideal for crossing the mud and sensitive bills to probe for food.

 

Cover, in the way of protection, is limited on a marsh.  Keeping safe means keeping hidden and the Painted Snipe chick and its parent do this so brilliantly, they are seldom seen.

 

Many birdwatchers go their whole lifetime without seeing a South American Painted Snipe.

 

Paula and I were loath to go into this particular marsh.  Marshes are not places for the faint-hearted. But we heard and saw lots of birds flying overhead, so into the marsh we went, treading carefully and quietly.

 

 

To our surprise and delight we came across an adult Painted Snipe. Its gorgeous cryptic patterns reflecting its surroundings.

 

 

We searched carefully, eventually finding what we were looking for – the nest of the Painted Snipe, with two eggs.

 

 

We retreated, so as not to disturb the bird.

 

A week later, with wellingtons on and a stick to feel the depth of the mud as we walked, we staggered back into the swamp.

 

The nest was empty,  so we searched and searched.

 

We were lucky. This was the day we made the Discovery of a Painted Snipe chick and even better, with its parent.

 

 

 

The adult remained motionless, as if stuck in the mud.

 

But the little chick manoeuvred itself close to its dad and snuggled underneath the bird .

 

 

All you could see were its legs poking out from beneath the belly of its parent.  The chick comfortable in the belief that if it couldn’t see us then we couldn’t see it !

 

We left the Painted Snipe and its chick in peace. Happy to have seen this reclusive wading bird so closely and to have watched a comical bit of bird behaviour.