Now that 2022 is done, I checked ebird for records of the species for that year. This brought up a map unburdened by any reports, with the depressing notation ‘No data for this taxon’. This contrasts with the reporting for 2022 of the relatively commonplace Orange-bellied Parrot. I had previously mentioned to this forum a sighting of the p-snipe near Rockhampton at end October, but I can no longer find that ebird record. I cannot explain this. Perhaps my memory is worse than I thought.
This led me to recall one of the last photographic records of the species, in Canberra almost exactly 2 years ago. This was photographed across Kelly Swamp at a distance of more than 100m, from the position indicated by the yellow star. From that distance, it is quite possible to pick out the species with binoculars, and identify it. However, as with that pair there might be a certain amount of hide and seek as they move in and out of the vegetation. At other times they might rest for hours at the one spot. More recently, at the point indicated by the red star, the ACT authorities have taken the edge off the stern prohibition against proceeding further by offering the possibility of a distant view of a painted-snipe. While this is certainly a theoretical possibility, as the species has not been seen for two years it would be prudent for the out-of-town birdwatcher to check for any recent news of the species before travelling to this spot with the expectation of seeing it.
I have included a dock in the picture. The reason for this is that there seems to be some association between painted-snipe and this particular weed, in my experience anyway. During more than one appearance of the painted-snipe at Kellys, the dock has been a useful reference point. ‘It’s near the dock’, people would say, ‘just find the dock and look right next to it’.
