1 King Rail.

While working on the Ohio Breeding Bird Atlas this morning I was starting on
Block 83A5CW at around 6:30am.  While driving down Hamer Rd. I saw a large
bird in a ditch in front of someone's garage.  When I stopped I saw it was a
King Rail and got a very good close look at it.  I was trying to get the ID
points which included the large size ( more than 2x the Killdeer that was
near it), rail shape, long slightly decurved bill, rufous neck and breast.
Black and white stripped belly and vent as well as stripes running the
length of the bird on the back.  The bird also called constantly.  I noted
it's call as Curr curr and Cucr curr cucr.  By the time I fumbled and got
ahold of my camera the bird had moved close to the garage.  I snapped off
one very poor picture.  When I last saw the bird it was in the high grass by
the garage.  The area around house and garage was very high grass and the
surrounding areas were very wet fallow fields.  I stopped again on my way
home this afternoon and the grass around the garage and house had been mowed
and I could not see or hear the bird.



Another bird of note found today was an active colony of Cliff Swallows on
Rt 353 in Brown County.  This colony is in OBBA block 83B6CW


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