Clapper rapper

It wasn't yet raining when I went out yesterday morning and made it out to the middle of the marsh where, all of a sudden, an almost ear-splitting rapper Clapper sounded right in front of me. The tide was on the low side so I was able to watch the Rail pad about in the open area of the salt marsh as he trotted along the muddy edges, waded out into the open water, swam around a bit, caught a crab, killed and devoured it and then proceeded to splash and bathe in the deepest part of the pool, finally retreating to the side to do his toilette before vanishing into the reeds and resuming his trademark kek-kek-keking.

This morning the Rail was back out in the open -- the open water in the middle of the marsh -- mostly stationary but turning his head from side to side as he broadcast his calls; occasionally he would turn 45 degees, presumably to let his kek-keking ring out over a still wider area. A little bit later, he turned up in the main pond where he splashed and bathed, virtually ignoring me as I came back round from the other side. I still call him 'he' as he gave more rounds of rapping/clapping. I assume it was the same bird even though there is a considerable distance between these two open water areas.   

Today is July 15, the day that the Spotted Sandpiper reappears on the pond every year and, sure enough, there it was, bobbing its way along the low-tide mud edge, right across from the Rail. A Great Blue Heron on the opposite shore of Weesuck Creek was perhaps slightly overdue; I suspect there'll be a couple of more arriving from the breeding grounds up north any day now.

The Wild Turkeys came around again. Three hens and 14 fast-growing chicks made their customary transit through the open area around the house and then into the woods. I don't know what they're eating but apparently it's nutritious enough to power this entire flock and help the poults to grow up.

More rain, more mushrooms. We're getting russulas, various amanitas (definitely not edible), more Lactarius volemus (definitely edible) and more chanterelles (ditto). Caught a Box Turtle eating a mushroom (they like the mushrooms and also the damp mushroom weather). I've also seen a Gray Squirrel munching on a mushroom.

Eric Salzman