Hang in there.  A few years ago we had a Virginia Rail crash into our house (a window) one night.  We do not have an outside light on at our house at night, so I don't know why it happened.  Apparently the bird was flying along and somehow hit our window.  Very weird.  Maybe it was fleeing an owl?  Seems like if that was the case, the owl would have grabbed the rail.  At first I thought it was a much larger animal or bird, as the noise was pretty loud, but when I put the flashlight beam on it I was shocked to see a VIRA.  It stood motionless on our porch roof for several minutes, looking pretty bad.  After a few minutes it moved slightly, and still looked bad but eventually after about 15 minutes, it just flew away (strongly), and apparently was okay.  I got a picture of it before it flew.  Very weird picture - a rail sitting on the roof.

Speaking of rails, I heard my first SORA of the year last eve (not at my house, it was at a farm near here).  I think it was a migrant and not one that over-wintered.  I haven't heard any around the river yet this year and I am out constantly.  It was a beautiful spring eve here yesterday.  I also heard the first singing marsh wren and swamp sparrows of the season here, and I think the same - they are migrants - not birds that over-wintered.  I was on the eastern shore on Tuesday and found them also singing in several areas.  Seems many species are arriving early.  I would guess we will have our first hummer any day now, maybe even today!

Good luck with the rail Tyler!

Jeff Shenot
Crroom MD

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