Twitched My Second Water Rail (1 Viewer)

[Euan Buchan]

Today I went to Figgate Park to spot The Water Rail that had been spotted there. I didn’t see it when I was there last month but was determined to have another look and was successful. There were a few photographers there to see it and passers by were puzzled on what we were looking at but seemed interested in looking for it.

 

[Owene]

Are they rare up north?

 

[Lisa W]

Nice! Rails are such little skulkers they can be hard to see.

 

[Richard D]

Nice - I'm forever hearing them, but seeing the blighters is another matter!

 

[dantheman]

Are they rare up north?

Was going to ask the same question. I'm guessing they are? (rarer), plus of course depends how much you bird/twitch, given they migrate southward in winter - frozen marshes etc unideal in winter.

 

[KC Foggin]

Nicely spotted and nicely photographed among all the vegetation.

 

[Owene]

Was going to ask the same question. I'm guessing they are? (rarer), plus of course depends how much you bird/twitch, given they migrate southward in winter - frozen marshes etc unideal in winter.

Sounds about right and I only seem to see them in January-march. (probably would be the same in December if I looked) and only hear them the rest of the year. They always feel like a cool bird to see but i just wasn't aware if they were like magpies or nuthatches or woodpeckers and properly unusual in Scotland

 

[Andy Strachan]

This time last year I seen my first and only Water Rail, two of them, just outside my house in the local park. Been looking for them again every day at the moment but haven't seen them. They only hung around for a week or so last time, as far as I could tell. But you never know they could of been there much longer and could be there now. But I've never seen or heard them again Might set up a camera trap nearby again, see what we get. I got them on film last time.