[TN-Bird] Standifer Gap Marsh Rails

TN Birders -
Yesterday morning I, along with two other birders, went to Standifer Gap Marsh 
in Chattanooga, Hamilton county.
It was a great morning.  There were over a dozen Sedge Wrens seen with one 
Marsh Wren.  There are usually more Marsh Wrens with Sedge Wrens being harder 
to find (for me).  There were at least seven Virginia Rails seen - with many 
more being heard.   While I had seen four Vesper Sparrows and one Lincoln 
Sparrow on Sunday morning - neither of these sparrows were seen yesterday.

About 9:30 a.m. as I was walking down one of the paths into the marsh (near 
what some of us call the sparrow ditch) a little tiny dark rail took one second 
to cross the small path in front of me.  No one else saw it.  

About 10:00 a.m.  farther up the marsh  - I was on a larger trail into the 
marshy area  (quite close to the south end of the marsh).   I  was talking by 
phone to a Chattanooga birder about the possibility of young Soras or Virginia 
rails still being black and tiny.  While on the phone  another tiny very dark 
rail ran across the opening.    The opening here was much wider and it was in 
the opening about two to three seconds.  Both Betty Wampler and I saw the bird. 
   I did not notice any markings.  As I said it TINY.  I did not notice any 
rufous on the neck.  The bird just gave the appearance of being totally black.

Kevin Calhoon and Libby Wolfe both came out and met us in the afternoon.  There 
was no sign of a Black Rail.  Libby and Kevin saw one Virginia Rail  (I saw 
movement in the cattails).  We heard one Sora.  At one point Libby heard a ki - 
ki - du  call that the BLRA makes. We had been playing the call.  However at 
that time both my mp3  player and the speaker were OFF.  She heard it only 
briefly - and not close by.

A wonderfully exciting day. 

Carol Fegarido
Chattanooga
Hamilton county
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