Water Rail and chicks

 Not that often that you get to see Water Rail chicks out in the open and for good reason they are a target for many predators -- little black fluff balls with their ivory coloured bills they are mainly legs and can run really fast even at a few days of age 

Water Rail

 

Water Rail

so often in odd postures --

alkborough birds

Water Rail flights and oddments

7D2 struggles with flying birds in low light situations even with a bare lens -- it seems to need high contrast and bright light to actually focus well -- the Snipe are with the 400 DO 2 and 2x converter and 7D2 a combination that I cannot seem to get really sharp images from whatever the light

Water Rail

Water Rail

one of the most under-recorded species in the county -- we have no real idea just how many winter around the local pits but it could be in the region of 50 birds

a few waterbirds

Water Rail, Moorhen dancing and a French Pochard

Water Rail