No luck this morning.  Big numbers of clappers, lots of other marsh species, 
but alas, no yellow rail.

Mike Walsh
523 Loblolly Ln
Salisbury, MD 21801
410.546.8425
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ronald Gutberlet" <>
To: <>
Sent: Thursday, May 10, 2012 9:52 PM
Subject: [MDOSPREY] Yellow Rail in Somerset Co today!


> Hi Everyone,
>
> For a few years now Mike Walsh and I, together with Chris Snow of the 
> Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, have been conducting 
> marsh bird surveys along Big Monie Creek in Somerset County.  The marsh is 
> beautiful, with high densities of Least Bitterns, Clapper Rails, Marsh 
> Wrens, and Seaside Sparrows; and it's always fun to have an excuse to get 
> out in the field before the Chuck-will's-widows have gone to bed for the 
> morning.
>
> Today (10 May 2012), during our first survey this year, I was startled to 
> hear a Yellow Rail at our third sample point.  While we were listening, 
> the three of us in the boat (Chris, Jennifer Thompson, and I)--Mike wasn't 
> there today; bummer!--noticed a quiet ticking sound in the marsh.  We all 
> noticed the sound at about the same time--it was nothing like the loud 
> tics of the Clapper Rails we were hearing, nor anything like the loud 
> kid-diks of Virginia Rails.  During the bird's first round of ticking, I 
> heard it well enough to have the surprising thought that it was a Yellow 
> Rail.  During its next round we distinctly heard the typical Yellow Rail 
> pattern to the vocalization: two tics alternating with three.
>
> The location is 863 m as the rail flies downstream from the boat ramp on 
> Drawbridge Rd.  With the Big Monie's bends and curves, it is probably 
> about a mile from the boat ramp as the kayak paddles.  Mike will probably 
> paddle down that way first thing (about 5 am) tomorrow morning to see if 
> the bird is still there.
>
> If anyone would like more details about the location, please let me know. 
> Mike or I will be sure to post about the outcome of his search.
>
> Have fun,
>
> Ron Gutberlet
> Salisbury, MD
> 
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