Baillon's Crake

I'll even share the story. :) I was walking up to my knees in this lagoon and there is a row of willows about 40m in from the edge, totally in the water when I noted a small bird low on one of the branches. At first I had no idea what the heck it was, because it sat frozen in the shade of the tree about 40m from me. I then slowly got to my knees and submerged into the water with the tripod keeping the camera safe. I edged my way close, meter by meter and the bird suddenly flew to my side of the lagoon. I then carefully rushed closer while it was immersed in the swamp vegetation then followed it from within a 10m radius as it foraged in between clumps of vegetation. I was rapt as anything you could imagine!!!! What an awesome little bird and incredibly humbling experience. Even better, I told a couple of birder mates who went a few days later and from my maps provided, found the bird in the same general area. About a year later, I saw another specimen in a less than ideal surrounding though, which let me walk up to it as close as about five meters. A gorgeous little bird. See more photos in my Rails gallery here:

http://amatteroflight.com/gallery2/v/ausbirds/rails/