Wilson’s snipe foraging in the Oysterville wetland during a December king tide. They are well camouflaged making them difficult to see even though their surroundings are lighter than they are.

Shorebirds are marvels of the Long Beach Peninsula. They come in different sizes and shapes. Shorebirds that are about the size of a robin or mourning dove fall into the category of medium sized shorebirds. Two medium-sized shorebirds that we see here on the Peninsula are the red knot and Wilson’s snipe. Wilson’s snipe is common in every season but summer when it becomes less common. The red knot, on the other hand, is uncommon and is usually only seen during spring and fall migration. Even so, I have observed it a few times during the winter. It has been recorded on the Leadbetter Christmas count at least once in recent years.

The habitats of these species differ. The red knot is a bird of the mudflats and our sandy beaches, while the snipe is found in our wetlands, more specifically in wet meadows and marsh edges. The wetland in Oysterville is an excellent place to see snipe, especially in winter. I am always on the lookout for a nesting Wilson’s snipe because to my knowledge there are currently no nesting records.

The red knot is plump-looking with short legs. It has a short bill, grayish to greenish-yellowy legs and a red neck and breast. It always makes me think of a robin on the beach. In other words, if I see a robin on the beach, it is a red knot! This orangey-red coloring is an excellent ID clue to this species in summer. In winter, the knot wears a totally different color and is not as easily identified. It is plain and grayish in appearance. Some birding experts suggest that you are probably looking at a knot if the bird you see can’t be identified as any other shorebird.

One spring when the area in front of the bird blind at Tarlatt was a wetland in the making twenty or more Wilson’s snipe were hunkered down in the wet meadow. They are so well camouflaged that they are not always easy to spot. In fact, they are often not seen until flushed. This is how I managed to see them in front of the blind. They flushed as I walked quietly toward the small building. My other sightings have been on fence posts along the Chinook Valley Road and wherever there are wetlands. The snipe, a member of the sandpiper family, has a plump body. Its bill is thick, tapered and long, and its dark eye is set high on the head of its streaked face. The angled wings of the snipe are long and pointed. An excellent marker is its voice and display flights. The male bird takes off from the wetland climbing to just over 300 feet. It then descends rapidly during which it spreads its tail feathers which produces a loud vibrating winnowing sound.

The next time you are out for a drive, think about pausing beside a wetland, stay awhile and listen. You may hear the winnowing sound of the Wilson’s snipe. If so, be sure to look up, follow the descent and you will get a glimpse of this most marvelous bird. As for the red knot, it moves slowly as it probes and forages on our sandy beaches. Look carefully, this summer at the shorebirds as they forage on the beach. If you think you see a robin feeding, you have probably seen a red knot. These two species are just two of the shorebird marvels of the Long Beach Peninsula. Happy birding!