Sorry for the delayed post.  I arrived back in Cincinnati at about 12:30
am.  I arrived at Charley's Pond on Radcliffe Road just before sunset
between 8:30 and 8:45 pm.  I met Bill Bosstic and Dave Hess from
Chillicothe there and two women from Dayton.  Sorry didn't get your
names or do not remember asking.  They told me that they had heard Black
Rails calling about 15 minutes before I arrived.  At about 10:15 pm a
single Black Rail (unsolicited) started singing/calling it's three noted
"song" on the south side of the road on west side of the trees.  There
appeared to be two slightly different versions of the same "song" with
the middle note being varied.  Because both of these versions came from
the same location and with the same timing between calls, I believe that
it was one bird.  It was quite an experience to be so close to a
vocalizing Black Rail!  My previous experience has been in North
Carolina and Delaware and always far out in the marsh.  This bird was
still vocalizing when I left at 10:45 pm.  I checked the grasslands
along Radcliffe Road and south/left of the "T" at the end of Radcliffe.
There are many singing Henslow's Sparrows in the area.  It was getting
late so I did not check the whole area for the previously reported Sedge
Wrens.  I checked the marsh to the north of the "T" on Radcliffe but
there was little activity there.  While it was still light, I heard one
Grasshopper Sparrow in the grassy field on the south side of Radcliffe
before Charley's Pond.  Just after sunset, there were about six Willow
Flycatchers calling giving a reduced version of their song, either the
first or last note, on the north and south sides of the road.

 

Thanks to all who have previously reported about this bird.

 

Jay

 

Jay G. Lehman

Cincinnati, OH

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