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Thursday 3rd March 2005, 21:37
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#1 |
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Fog Horn that is
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: scotland
Posts: 157
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Gobsmacked by a Rail
I don't know if i'm over reacting or not, but I saw my first Water Rail today, and I'm so pleased with myself i've had to tell someone.After spending some time trying to see this bird at a known site, without success. I visited my local water today ( Gartmorran Clackmannan ) and from the hide watching the usual suspects I heard a rustling from the reeds, just in front of the hide.I looked down and was stunned to see the rail picking around happily,no more than ten to twelve feet away. I got to watch this bird for a good five min's before it wonderd off. Gorgeous it was. What a surprise I did'nt even know they were on this site. What luck eh? don't know if i'll see anything better this year. If you've not seen one of these get out and see one, it really is gorgeous. By the way it was a bit smaller than i'd thought it'd be.
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Thursday 3rd March 2005, 21:40
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#2 | |
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Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Isleworth, Middlesex
Posts: 1,499
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Quote:
I saw my first Water Rail this year too...but then I was always dipping on them! Great to see them!!
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Thursday 3rd March 2005, 21:51
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#3 |
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Trinidad
Posts: 6,986
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Leghorn,
What a great day. It's always such a treat to finally "find" the bird you've been looking for. Congrats!
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Dave Smith |
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Thursday 3rd March 2005, 21:58
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#4 |
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Join Date: May 2003
Posts: 3,748
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Hello Leghorn and welcome to Birdforum.net
Congrats on the water rail, it's always a good feeling when seeing a bird for the first time!  Regards |
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Thursday 3rd March 2005, 22:01
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#5 |
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wibble wibble
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Devon. UK.
Posts: 11,364
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Always a treat to see is a Water Rail.
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Thursday 3rd March 2005, 22:17
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#6 |
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Registered User
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Hi Leghorn and welcome to BF, bonny bird is a Water Rail, heard them yet?
Stewart  |
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Thursday 3rd March 2005, 22:24
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#7 |
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Registered User
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I saw my first one last week too. It made me go quite wobbly - nearly missed the photo!
What surprised me was the vivid bill - great bird
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My bird photos http://www.freewebs.com/rezmole/index.htm - Manchester Birding http://www.manchesterbirding.com/ Gear: Nikon D300, Sigma 500 F4.5, Sigma 150mm F2.8, Tamron 28-300 F3.5-6.3 Di, Kenko 1.4x Pro 300 TC, Leica APO77 with 20-60 zoom (cheers Salty), Nikon Monarch 10x42 |
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Thursday 3rd March 2005, 22:31
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#8 |
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Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Pine Mountain Club, California, USA
Posts: 10,752
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Hi, Leghorn! A warm welcome to you from all of us on staff here at BirdForum!
Congratulations on such a great find!  P.S. Are you any relation to Foghorn?  |
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Friday 4th March 2005, 09:26
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#9 |
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Amsterdam/Warszawa
Posts: 2,903
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Hi welcome! I also was thrilled when I saw my first Water Rail, and still it makes my day to see one!
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Sunday 6th March 2005, 21:25
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#10 |
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Phat Photographer
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Colwyn Bay
Posts: 88
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If anyone's in North Wales the RSPB reserve in Conwy is almost a dead cert for a Water Rail. Just ask in the visitor centre and they'll tell you where to look.
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Adrian Founder of http://www.northwalesbirding.co.uk Bird photography and info about birding in North Wales. |
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Monday 7th March 2005, 18:48
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#11 |
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Bird, What bird, where?
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I saw my first Water Rail at Leighton Moss last year. it was a very cold and frosty day and it had to come to the open water to feed. Having seen the first one I then saw another five in the next half hour!
Andy C
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Monday 7th March 2005, 19:04
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#12 |
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Senior Moment
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Plymouth, Devon
Posts: 6,409
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Welcome to BF, Leghorn. I know how you feel. Water Rails are really beautiful birds. Seeing one always lifts my spirits several notches.
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Jason Come doleful owl, the messenger of woe, Melancholy's bird, companion of Despair, Sorrow's best friend and Mirth's professed foe The chief discourser that delights sad Care. O come, poor owl, and tell thy woes to me. Which having heard, I'll do the like for thee. (Anon c.1607) |
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Monday 7th March 2005, 19:17
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#13 |
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Alnwick
Posts: 6,000
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Hello Leghorn and welcome to Bird Forum.
I can still remember my first Water Rail...November 1989 at Holywell Pond. It was a really icy frosty morning and I was sitting in the hide when a few other birders came in. After a while I saw this small bird emerge from the reeds to the left of the hide - I was SURE I knew what it was from pictures in books but couldn't think of the name of it! So I asked the others and this lovely old gentleman told me it was a Water Rail. We were able to watch it for a good few minutes before it disappeared back into the reeds...and I was buzzing for the rest of the day! I've seen a few more over the years since then, normally in Gosforth Park. Don't recall hearing them though...when I was on the Badger Watch last May the warden said there had been a water rail whistling in the background but I didn't know what I was supposed to be listening for! Doh!!! GILL |
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Monday 7th March 2005, 20:22
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#14 |
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: North of the wall, south of the border
Posts: 3,548
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They sound like a piglet having its teeth pulled without anaesthetic.
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