Clapper in the sunshine

The Clapper Rail was out in the sunshine this morning perched on a bit of debris in the open pond in the middle of the marsh. He (if it was a he) was preening and generally doing his (or her) toilette while drying off on a very heavily dewy morning. Is this the same bird that has been calling all these weeks? Maybe. But it looked somewhat different from the bird I saw a couple of times earlier this year which I would describe as very grayish and pale. This morning's bird, seen only with his back towards me, seemed more colorful. It looked gray only on the head with a brilliant yellow/orange beak, a white throat and chocolate brown wings and back. Judging by this impression, I would say there are two birds with somewhat different coloration but, unless I see the two birds together, I would not be 100% sure. Since this bird is so well colored, I would call it the male and guess that the other rail seen earlier was the female.

Two Bank Swallows hunting over the marsh with Barn Swallows and Purple Martins.

Both adult Red-bellied Woodpeckers appeared with three young near the head of the marsh. Also, a fledgling Yellow Warbler with the adult male hovering somewhere in the vicinity holding food in his beak. Surprisingly, that's the first time I have had any real proof of Yellow Warbler breeding on the place.

My daughter and granddaughter decided to put up hummingbird feeders in front of the house -- a red one just in front of the deck, a green one a little further off to the side. At least one hummingbird appeared and appeared to be investigating but did not land on the feeder to drink. Maybe it takes a few visits to determine what this new, strange object is.

Eric Salzman