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From: bob@delphi.uchicago.edu (Robert S. Lewis, Jr.)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Re: Black Rail
Message-ID: <1991Jan7.152139.27754@midway.uchicago.edu>
Date: 7 Jan 91 15:21:39 GMT
References: <50072@olivea.atc.olivetti.com>
Sender: news@midway.uchicago.edu (News Administrator)
Reply-To: bob@delphi.UUCP (Robert S. Lewis, Jr.)
Organization: University of Chicago
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In article <50072@olivea.atc.olivetti.com> mjm@oliven.olivetti.com (Michael Mammoser) writes:
>
>	The December issue of the American Birding Association
>newsletter had a survey of the membership's "most wanted" birds, and
>right at the top of the list was the Black Rail. 


I discovered my first (and only) black rail in the most unlikely way:
It was late in May (about the 26th, if I remember correctly) and my
girlfriend and I were having a horrible spat that lasted until about
4:00 am.  Finally, I decided I couldn't take it anymore, so I grabbed
my binoculars and told her I was going birdwatching.  It was still
quite dark, and a thunderstorm was just ending--it was very hot and
humid.  I live on the south side of Chicago (Hyde Park, near the
Museum of Science and Industry and Jackson Park, for those who know
the area), and to get to the park where I usually birdwatch, I have to
cross some of those small city parks with mowed lawns, a sparse cover
of mature trees, and scattered swing sets and basketball courts.  Well
as I was crossing this park, I noticed in the near dark a strange
little bird fly from the very edge of the road that crosses in front
of the Museum to an area about 50 feet into the park I was crossing.
I walked over to where the bird landed, looked around, and there within
ten feet of where I was standing was a black rail, crouching as low as
the little bird could as if to hide in the three inch tall grass.  I
walked right over to the bird and knelt down within two feet of where
it was "hiding," getting the best look at a black rail I could ever
want.  I waited there for about 45 minutes hoping that another
birdwatcher would come by to see this amazing discovery, but no one
showed up.  Finally, I decided to call someone, so I left the bird and
went over to the nearest pay phone (over a block away). Unfortunately,
none of my birdwatching friend's answered, so I went back to try to
find the bird;  needless to say it was long gone.  I think this was
about the twelfth sighting of a black rail in the greater Chicago area
since 1900.  However, though I documented the bird, I think it is only
considered hypothetical since I was the only observer.  I imagine,
after this sighting, that the bird may be much more common in
migration along the Chicago Lakefront than sightings indicate, 
and that it may not be unusual for black rails to stop in city
parks and other uncharacteristic habitats at night while migrating.  
However, it would take a tremendous stroke of luck to locate the
little dark bird silently hidden in the grass and motionless
under a cover of darkeness.