Tweeters!

Last evening (6/19), while strolling the Fill to check up on developing
flora and to see what might be around of avian interest, I silently
entered the path through the blackberries on the East side of the Fill
(under the big Cottonwoods) - the one that leads to the backwater with the
floating logs, with the "Osprey pole" (or whatever it is) to the East in
the cattails. This is frequently a good spot to catch the occasional
heron, bittern, grebe, turtle, etc. at close range - the approach is
screened well enough to give you some cover for a quiet survey of the
area. I heard a small rustle, scanned the edges of the water, and spotted
the adult rail only 15-20 feet in front of me, as it slowly walked along a
log. I got about two minutes of a perfect view before the bird slowly
escaped into the cattails. This was my first opportunity to see at
close range how pretty these birds really are, with their orange-red
bill, grey head streaking, buff breast, and mottled grey/white underparts.
My previous rail sightings have always been either a very brief glimpse
of a tail disappearing into the cattails, or a speck at extreme distance.

I have found that this spot is always worth checking out with a
low, slow, silent, very cautious approach. Most of the time, there's
nothing there, but sometimes - bingo!

I won't ask about nesting - Tweeters doesn't need any railery raillery. :-)

Gary DuVall
Seattle, WA