Monday Afternoon

A drive to the top of the escarpment quickly gave away the position of six of the crew all laid up and cudding directly north in the valley. After driving round and walking across the wet flushes to get their tag nos, I put up a jack snipe on my return to the van. Smaller than a snipe these, waders can be found on mires and other wet habitats where they feed. Apart from the size difference they look very similar to the larger snip but their real give away is their behaviour when flushed. Snipe tend to both call and move a distance from where flushed often out of site before returning to the ground, where as Jack snipe are harder to flush, relying on their camouflage where possible, and returning to the ground very quickly if they are flushed. After a short drive the other sixteen of the cows were found off of long bottom to the north. Both lots were given a lick and all seem to be in good health and certainly looking like they are beginning to put weight on now.