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Re: Also trying for the YERA

From:

Joe Byrnes

Reply-To:

Joe Byrnes

Date:

Mon, 27 Apr 2009 16:38:31 -0400

For Dan, Winger and the rest of you with inquisitive minds asking if we had
the YERA last night,  I will attempt a reply:

It depends upon who you talk to.  

Most of us dipped (I think there were a total of about 9 of us listening
from about 9:45 PM until 1:30 AM).  

Rail conditions seemed ideal.  No breeze, dark night, very few mosquitoes,
but the rails were not vocalizing.

Two people (Paul Pisano and Nico Sarbanes?) said they heard it (I think
about 12:30 AM), more pattern than notes.  Maybe Paul can provide some
clues.  I unfortunately was birding to the south.

About 8 of us were bunched up at last night's spot for 2.5 hours, so I
decided to go down the road for better coverage and that is when it was
heard.  Two other people standing with Paul and Nico said they didn't hear
it or hear it well, primarily because one of the birders was leaving and the
car was noisy.   

Frustrating, particularly since the conditions were perfect and the Fri/Sat
spot was marked with an upside down beer bottle (about 0.7 mile south of the
Irish Grove entrance on the west side of the road, and obvious).  I should
have gone 'the day after', not two days later.

Maybe the Friday and Saturday night birds moved on, and maybe we should have
spread out more.  I would suggest a wider coverage, but still spend a lot of
time at the beer bottle spot.

Paul Pisano said he earlier had heard two Black Rails NE of where we were
standing.  A few Clapper and Virginia rails were heard.  My hearing is not
the greatest, but I should have recognized the YERA if it were vocalizing
and not too soft.  Not sure if vocalization is normal for them during
migration.

Kevin Graf was in a kayak to our west on the other side of the marsh and did
not hear one.  He thinks he heard a Black Rail growl.

Good luck and enjoy the stars anyhow.
 
-Joe