After a successful twitch for state birds in Delaware (Black-bellied Whistling Duck, Roseate Spoonbill (which seemed quite content to sleep on the rocks north of Catch 54 well within DE airspace, Eurasian Collared Dove) we headed for Elliott Island Rd. for Black Rail.

Jane Kostenko and I arrived well before sunset and drove down to the end to check out habitat and road conditions. The tide was extremely high and had flooded completely over in spots. We found the I (Heart) Kiki Kerr graffitti on the road followed about 1/2 mile later by a phone pole with Kerr painted on the north side of it. As the sun headed for the horizon, the Marsh Wrens and Seaside Sparrows came out in droves perching up on cattails or dead marsh plants. Around 7:30 or so, the Virginia and Clapper Rails became more vocal. At one point a Virginia Rail came out on the road and Jane had to chase it back into the reeds to avoid an oncoming car. We drove up and down the road and found a family of Black-necked Stilts (2 parents, 2 babies (puffballs on long legs with long bills)), had a flyover group of 5 Tricolored Herons, a single flyover Least Bittern, a single American Bittern hiding in the reeds and a couple of flyover Black-crowned Night-Herons
 shortly after it got too dark to use binoculars, and a Common Moorhen that was at first heard then seen.

The wind died a bit and there was virtually no moon except a fingernail so we could hear birds far off across the marsh. The drone of mosquitos began to make it hard to hear distant birds if you cupped hands to ears. The final curtain call came several hours later when it began to rain and there was intense lightning to the west. We had heard on WTOP that there was a severe thunderstorm warning for some areas with large hail so we got out of there before any bad weather settled in. Black Rail is now my top nemesis bird in Maryland after whiffing at many attempts. 

The final score: Delaware 3, Maryland 0.
 
Tyler Bell

California, Maryland