Despite the reports of NO SHOW for the PURPLE GALLINULE yesterday,
I decided to give it a try anyway. I arrived around 6:30 AM and met
up with Mike Iwanik in the parking lot east of the gallinule spot
on the Colonial Parkway between Jamestown and Williamsburg. Mike and
I walked west on the parkway for a few hundred feet and began to
search for the bird. At around 7:45, Bill Williams fortuitously showed
up and informed us we were in the wrong spot and that the gallinule
had been seen around 6:45. Mike and I jumped in the car with Bill
and he taxied us to the right spot about 1/4 mile further west on
the parkway. As Bill pulled over to let us out, we spotted the gallinule
in the edge of the field near the "mud puddle". Got great looks in
the scope for about 10 min before the bird flew up,briefly perched on
the fence then dipped down in to the tall marsh grass. Great bird,
a state bird for all of us including Brian Taber who stopped by as we
hiked back to our cars just in time for us to properly thank him.
The bird was also number 235 on my Big Year List and I managed to make
it to work only a couple of hours late!
Please take note that the gallinule is being seen at the very west
end of the farm on the parkway between Jamestown and Williamsburg.
Park at the parking lot east of the farm and walk the quarter mile
west to the very end of the white vinyl farm fence and look for the
bird in the puddle near the broken down wood fence. The bird also
seems to be quite fond of the field full of yellow flowers adjacent
to the puddle. Do not park on the shoulder here as the park police
are not too fond of this practice.
Good Birding,
Mike Boatwright
Amherst, VA
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