What does a tired, perhaps a bit lazy sound recordist do, when already in bed, sounds of bird singing symphonically outside, catch his sleepy attention? Minor correction in the name of the symphony, which wrongly credits a ptarmigan as performer. I apologise humbly to the Common Snipe, that rare performer who unlike all others, sings mechanically, by air flowing through its tail feather. So while I opened my mouth and out came the wrong name, the Common Snipe sang his beautiful tune, without ever opening its mouth.