Seen this morning and also two days ago. Allowed me to get quite close for a photo with iPhone. First sight was of him foraging amongst the reeds. This morning he sat with back to me and allowed me to get within perhaps 4m. Mind you, it's a local smokers hide out so might be used to people. I've spent many a lunch time here watching wood ducks and purple swamphens but this chap I think is new to the area.
Any help with an ID would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.
BTW. Sorry about the quality of image. Done with iPhone on full zoom then had to crop to get file size down. His crown was quite a strong olive color to the eye.
Monti.
Hi Monti this is a Buff-banded Rail.
M-L
I agree with M-L. They're quite a shy/skittish bird, you were lucky to get close enough.
Talking about rails being shy... on a birding outing to a marsh/wetlands area, we had a Spottless Crake wandering the reeds that enclosed a small area of mud. Everyone was in a circle around this muddy area watching the bird, trying not to breathe, and it seems that we were non-existant to the crake! The crake emerged from the reeds and started feeding without a care in the world... this mud area was only about 1.5m across. Meanwhile, the people with camera, with lenses as long as their arms, pointed their lenses right into the birds' face. The poor crake had about six cameras in his face... and a few thousand shots later, the photographers finally decided they had enough photos.
Brandon (aka ihewman)
Peter
I was surprised myself at the proximity that the bird allowed. I would estimate about 4m. I perhaps would have been able to get closer but in the back of my mind a voice was telling me not to. It seemed to me that I may have been doing this chap no favors at all in invading his space any further. The fact that I was so close in the first place was due to me not seeing him until I had already been standing there for a moment. As I didn't know his ID and hence didn't know his or her nesting habits I was fearful that I might upset his/her spring nesting plans.
On that topic, is this a male or female?
Monti.
Hi Monti, as far as I know , there is no difference between male and female.
M-L