Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Clapper Rail

For World Bird Wednesday  and Watery Wednesday and  Nature Notes

This weekend I was excited to see two Clapper Rails together. I am pretty sure I was seeing a male and female and that there was a nest nearby.   The Clapper Rail is a chicken sized rail and they inhibat most salt marshes year round. They forage for marsh crabs and other invertebrates. Their distinctive clapping sound let me know that they were nearby while we were checking out other shorebirds in the area.


The Rails are birds that like to hide and not be seen so, for us to see these two out in the open and get pictures I consider myself very lucky.










Thanks to Springman of Pine River Review and 2sweetnsaxy of Watery Wednesday and Michelle of Nature Notes  for hosting these fun memes. Also, thank you for stopping by to see my post.

50 comments:

  1. interesting capture, Eileen! I haven't been around for a while. Feels good to be back! :)

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  2. oh, lucky you!!! i've never seen one and have heard how incredibly shy they are!

    your header photo made me smile as it opened. :)

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  3. Hi Eileen, Very commendable to see you get such nice shots of the Rails. Have a wonderful day!

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  4. I'm glad that you saw the clapper rails and was able to snap a few pictures!

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  5. WOW! This is indeed a special sighting.

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  6. Okay..I'm in the twilight zone. Just yesterday, I was perusing my bird book and stopped at Clapper Rails and chicken-like marsh birds. Living in the desert, not too likely and viola, here your post today is on the very bird I was just reading about!
    And the book does indeed say they are master hiders, so congrats to you!
    Your photos are excellent and I can imagine how exciting it must be!
    Congrats again!

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  7. What a splendid sighting, Eileen. Glad you got your birds and the photos to share with us. Have a great day, Jo

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  8. You got wonderful captures, how exciting to trail them!

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  9. Hi, Eileen;
    I learn something new every time I pop over and pay you a visit! Have never heard of a Clapper or a Rail for that matter. You are certainly inspiring me to study up on birds. I'm attending the Festival of the Cranes this year, though. Very excited about that.

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  10. Wonderful post Elaine. The first clapper rail I saw was once when we spent the Winter in Port Aransas TX. There are great birding spots there.-- People were very excited one day because they had spotted a clapper ril. Someone showed me the bird in the rushes. So it's a favorite of mine because it was one of the first unusual birds I learned to identify. Thanks for the memories and the beautiful pix.

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  11. Great captures, it's always a thrill to catch an elusive species out in the open.

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  12. Always a trill to see Rails in the open. Over here I hear our Water Rail far more often than I see one!

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  13. A beautiful birdto see. Lovely images.

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  14. Weren't you lucky to capture pix of these birds. Thanks for sharing.

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  15. You header looks like a paddy field.

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  16. All the years I lived in MD, I had some great sightings of these elusive birds but never got a photo -- congrats!

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  17. Very well done, Eileen!
    — K

    Kay, Alberta, Canada
    An Unfittie's Guide to Adventurous Travel

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  18. OH wow! You were definitely lucky to see some out in the open!

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  19. I really like your header photo!

    It's wonderful that you were able to capture these great photos!

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  20. Great to see and photograph the Rails. The photo in your heading with all the shorebirds also looks like an interesting place.

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  21. Beautiful! Your header is
    lovely too :)

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  22. yes, you were lucky. I have only seen one once. And are very happy about it. :)

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  23. No wonder you were pleased.
    What patience and perseverence.

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  24. Also good to capture an illusive bird!! Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.

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  25. That very last photo is out of this world perfect!!

    My Watery Photo link:

    Beach Party...you're invited

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  26. That must have been exciting for you. Great capture of a shy bird too.

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  27. Great stuff Eileen! I love the new header too, so vast. This is my first exposure to the rail thanks for the rare look!

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  28. You did very well capturing images of this secretive bird.

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  29. To see and photograph not one, but two of these elusive birds is quite an achievement. Well done!

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  30. I've never seen one of those. I'll bet that was exciting!

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  31. What special captures. Lucky you!!!

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  32. Such a long beak - must be good for catching fish. Great captures.

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  33. I know just how thrilled you were to see these fellows just as I as last night to see my FIRST bald eagle and baby in a huge nest high up in a pine tree. I went back this morning and again this evening and am still in awe of what I am seeing. I can’t wait to post my pictures. Yours are pretty and so nice. They look very happy even is they would prefer to be in hiding.

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  34. Great shots of the birds in the grasses. You are so good at capturing wildlife with your camera.

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  35. It's always an education to come here Eileen. I have never seen or even heard of Clapper Rails before. You took some great photos of them.

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  36. beautiful captures Eileen! Late bloghopping here hehehe


    Watery Wednesday at my page, come and see please?

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  37. I ferll in love with your header. What birds are those?

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  38. Awesome! Congrats on catching this species!
    They look cool :D

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  39. well done on photographing such a shy bird!

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  40. Great look at an elusive birdie - I've stalked quite a few and only once gotten a good look - and no photos to show for it.

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  41. This is my frist time to see Clapper Rails. Great captures. Thank you for sharing.

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  42. These birds are very hard to capture as they dart in and out of the reeds...YOU got some great shots!!!

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  43. They're very pretty. I have never heard of them before.

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  44. I didn't know what they looked like so this was great for me Eileen...

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  45. What lovely shots!

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  46. Loved these shots! I know how difficult it is to get shots of these shy birds. We have the white-breasted water hen ( from the rail family) visiting from the marshy patches of land in our neighbourhood.

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  47. Wonderful shots of these delicate birds!

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