[EBB Sightings] FW: Calling Black Rail at Coyote Hills RP

Fide Ken Schneider
> From: kschnei1 at hotmail.com
> To: sightings at diabloaudubon.com
> Subject: Calling Black Rail at Coyote Hills RP
> Date: Tue, 10 Mar 2009 10:06:44 -0700
> 
> 
> 
> I attempted to find the reported Brown Thrasher before work
> this morning.  I arrived at Coyote Hills RP before 7am and,
> thinking the main gate would be closed (it was open), I
> parked just off of Paseo Padre and walked down Patterson
> Ranch Road towards the first parking lot.  It was cold and I
> was walking quickly and I almost didn't notice the
> calling BLACK RAIL heard in the marsh north of the entrance
> road, past the main gate.  I stopped in my tracks and
> listened to the kik-kik-grrrr vocalizations, given
> repeatedly and emphatically for about 15 minutes, from
> ~7-7:15 am.  I tore myself away to walk further down the
> road to the first parking lot - unfortunately, I did not
> manage to see the Brown Thrasher, although I couldn't
> spend much time there, as I needed to leave for work just
> after sunrise.  On my walk out of the park, the black rail
> was still calling after sunrise, although more sporadically,
> at 7:45 am.  Definitely a worthwhile morning!
>  
> If you want the precise GPS location of the spot along the
> road where I heard the rail, please email me off-line, as
> I'm hoping not to disturb this potentially territorial
> individual...
>  
> Ken Schneider, Redwood City