Having had several helpful replies from this forum and more time to look at field guides, I am fairly certain I saw a Virginia rail with three chicks this morning. Thanks for everyone's input! I also forgot to mention I saw an Alder flycatcher in about the same area as the rail, calling from a willow tree further out in the marsh. I also add great crested flycatcher, eastern kingbird, a wilson's warbler, and barn, tree and northern roughwing swallows to my previous hurried list. Good birding! Karen Gray - - - - - At Ira Beaver Marsh CVNP around 11am today I saw some sort of rail I think with three little ones in tow. I got a better look at the babies than the adult. They were black fur-balls on long legs with long bills with a ring around the bill. Cute as the dickens. Thoughts on ID are appreciated. Located on right side of boardwalk just as you get to the marsh. Also saw 2 prothonotary warblers numerous calling blue winged warblers blackpoll warblers Am. redstarts common yellowthroats yellow warblers cedar waxwings several yellow throated vireos warbling vireo red eyed vireo wood duck with ducklings baltimore orioles heard orchard oriole scarlet tanager rb grosbeaks green and great blue herons Karen Gray Copley / Summit Co ______________________________________________________________________ Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at www.ohiobirds.org/forum/. You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]