Yesterday while walking along the Tolt Pipeline trail we happened upon a
dead bird. A little examination revealed that it was a Virginia Rail. The
location seemed very odd; we were on a hilltop roughly 1/2 mile linear
distance east from the 400 foot hill that drops down into the Sammamish
valley. I would expect to find a Rail adjacent to a grassy marsh; this was
mixed second growth woodland.

Of course, a predator could have carried the bird to this location but this
was a pretty unruffled specimen. It could have flown up there ill and
disoriented and then died. Or there could be marshes in the area, hidden by
the woods that harbor Rails. Any bird detectives want to harbor a guess on
this little mystery? I would be particularly interested in observations of
Hollywood Hill residents; do you often see Virginia Rails?

Charles Vaughan
Woodinville, WA





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