Water Rail
Water Rails are such skulking birds. They seem so shy and secretive. In fact I’d never seen one until today when I had a trip to Coate Water in Swindon. The bird hide was padlocked when I got there so I just sat down for a rest in front of it and the Water Rail came right out in front of me.
I sat for an hour in the rain watching this one as it crept out and then crept back into the undergrowth again.
I was thrilled to see it; and also ever so slightly pleased I didn’t know about the padlock and hadn’t spent £5 hiring a key to unlock it.