Birdwatch: Catch the beauty of the common snipe’s erratic, zigzag takeoff

When flushed, the snipe flies with a rapid, zigzag movement making it tricky to shoot – hence the term ‘sniper’. Photograph: Christoph Bosch/Alamy

Soon after moving to Somerset almost 20 years ago, I rode my bike down a bumpy drove, along which our ancestors took their livestock to graze on the damp, boggy fields of Tealham Moor. I remember seeing several whinchats, a late summer migrant whose presence suggested this was a special place.

Now it is even better, thanks to the appearance of a flooded area with muddy edges – perfect for waders as they head south.