Wilson's snipe has short greenish/gray legs and a long straight dark bill and a striped head. The body is mottled brown on top with three buffy streaks down the back, and a white belly with barred flanks. It has a dark stripe through its eye with light stripes above and below it. It has pointed wings. They forage in soft mud, probing or picking up food by sight. They are shy and conceal themselves close to ground vegetation.
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| This is how I first saw it, hugging the bank. |
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| Then it went around a bend and I got a better body photo... |
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| ...then flew. |
I saw this bird near the Salton Sea in Niland in some marshes created by the water district off McDonald Road. There were many dowitchers feeding out in the water and this bird was hugging the shore and trying to hide from me (I was sitting in my car with the window open). It is
distinguished from the very similar dowitchers by the streaks down the back and striped head.
Such a long beak in the first photo. It's like a mini version of a stork.
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