Yellow Rail

 

 

Upon arrival at the Hostetler farm in Walnut Creek, Emil Bacik and I were delighted to see Tim Hostetler standing in the field marking the bird's location. Even from a few feet away, it was nearly undetectable, hunkered between clumps of grass, its tiny striped body barely visible.  We moved around it slowly, and from other angles the face and head began to take shape.  It appeared to be an adult bird in excruciating fresh pluamge - every fine white stripe and speckle on its buff and dark upperparts looked as if it had been hand-painted.  When one of our party approached too closely, the bird suddenly sprung to life, emerging from its hiding spot and oh-so-briefly into the open, where it stretched a wing before exploding into strong flight to a spot 20 or so feet away.  Tim, Emil, and I noted the landing spot, and moved to this location, yet a good ten minutes passed before we relocated the bird - nearly underfoot (I think I may have actually stepped over it!).  As more birders arrived, the bird got to the business of foraging, picking several grubs from the soft earth.

 

Now, the disheartening part of the story.  The bird's legs are injured, as Deb Neidert mentioned in an earlier post.  As typical of recent migrant detections in our state, it was discovered during hayfield mowing, and was so reluctant to flush that it actually had a brush with the mower, taking one foot clean off, and rendering its walk more than a bit gimpy.  It is still able to move about on the ground as it needs and has no qualms with flying whatsoever and it's actions are certainly as wild as any Yellow Rail's would be.  It's a small miracle that we were able to view the bird under such conditions.  Before we left, the bird tucked its self into a dense grassy knoll, where it may spend the night.  It is probable that the landowners noted this spot, and possible that others may be able to view the bird again tomorrow.

 

The Bobolink Area RBA should have updates - (330) 763-5119.

 

Good birding -
Gabe Leidy
Cleveland