Common Snipe (baby)

Description:

While we were driving in a road in Unst we just saw a common snipe mother and baby crossing the road. The mother jumped a fence but the baby could not follow. I picked him up, snap a few quick shots and pass him to the other side of the fence. Hope mother and baby reunite soon after. It is a well camouflaged bird, it is usually shy and conceals itself close to ground vegetation and flushes only when approached closely. The young when freshly hatched are covered in down of a dark maroon, variegated with black, white and buff. The young are cared for by both parents, each parent looking after half the brood, with fledging in 10–20 days.

Habitat:

The breeding habitat is marshes, bogs, tundra and wet meadows throughout northern Europe and northern Asia.