Greetings...
I made it to Huntley Meadows by around five AM this morning, and fifteen
minutes later I was listening to a Black Rail sing at the precise spot
described yesterday by Kurt Gaskill. Around five-thirty Philip and Alex
Merritt showed up, and about twenty minutes after that we got what may well
be the best look at this species that we'll ever get. Fifteen feet from us,
wide open, standing still on a small piece of wood for a few seconds. It was
walking the edges of the vegetation before crossing a wet area in flight.
All told we probably looked at it for ten or fifteen seconds. Stunning bird.
It then crossed presumably under the boardwalk (silently) to the area that is
in the center of boardwalk, but still close to the original spot. The bird
was singing until seven AM, almost continuously. From seven until
eight-thirty I never heard the bird, but at eight-thirty it was calling again
from the center area, just twenty or so feet from the boardwalk. It was
calling until at least nine AM when I left.
The Glossy Ibis reported yesterday was still there, and a Yellow-crowned
Night-Heron was seen near the beginning of the boardwalk.
The location at Huntley was well described in Kurt's message yesterday. From
the Visitor's Center, once on the boardwalk, go to the split, and take the
left. The boardwalk widens in sort of a sawtooth pattern, and the rail was
singing from both sides of the boardwalk at that location.
Cheers...
Todd
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Todd Day
Jeffersonton, VA
Culpeper County
Blkvulture@xxxxxxx
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