[va-bird] Virginia rail, American bittern at Huntley Meadows Park

I took a late afternoon walk to Huntley Meadows Park today, largely because 
Mike Pollack told a group of us that he had taken a picture of a rail there 
today.  I got to the boardwalk around 5 pm, and just past the observation tower 
near the beaver dam, I heard some commotion in the grasses.  I finally got a 
killer look at a handsome VIRGINIA RAIL really close to the boardwalk.  I stood 
for a minute, hoping to get another look, when an AMERICAN BITTERN  flew over 
my head and landed in the marsh.  As I was leaving the boardwalk, several bats 
flew low over the marsh, appropriate for Halloween.
Other notable birds were a single WHITE CROWNED SPARROW among the SWAMPS, 
SONGS,and WHITE THROATS, and a HERMIT THRUSH eating berries.
Sharon Lynn, Alexandria

Other related posts: