Hi all,
I went out to HH this morning early, with my daughter Alli. We arrived at 7
AM, and at 7:05 saw the Gallinule out in the open feeding. By 7:15 it had
disappeared behind the plants in front of the island. A short time later I
relocated the bird as it flew up and landed in the spadderdock, preening for a while.
It then flew back further into the marsh, where it remained well hidden for
most of the morning. A few of us walked up the wooded road, where we were able
to hear it, and my daughter and Hans Holbrook got very brief glimpses of it. I
don't know if it ever reappeared after we left shortly before 11. It was
starting to get very hot.

Shortly after Alli and I saw it, she went back to my van for my camera
adapter, and on her way back saw a Least Bittern in the second impoundment on the
right, just past the bulletin board. Later Dave Harvey saw the bird fly across
the dikes and into the large impoundment.

The easiest way to find the bird is look for its obvious white rump patch,
which really catches your eye as it feeds with its head down.

Rick Sussman
Ashton,MD