Spotted crake and whimbrel

This video is about the “Baillon’s Crake” nature reserve.

Today, again to the “Baillon’s crake reserve”.

Not because any Baillon’s crake had been seen there. However, a slightly bigger but also rare relative of the Baillon’s crake, the spotted crake, had been spotted there yesterday.

This is a spotted crake video from Spain.

Near the reserve entrance, gadwall ducks swimming. A great cormorant sitting on the highest whip of the windmill.

Four snipes resting on a small island in the southern lake. Two birders tell me the spotted crake was seen here half an hour before I arrived, but it is not visible now. Sam Gobin had managed to photograph and film the bird.

Sam Gobin also tells me about a water rail which he had seen a bit further north, but I don’t see the water rail now either.

I do see twelve curlews flying with a, smaller, whimbrel in the midst of their group. Some of the curlews are calling.

Whimbrel survives Hurricane Irene in the USA with transmitter on: here.

More about whimbrels: here.

I hear a young little grebe call.

On the northern lake, a spoonbill sleeping. Another spoonbill looking for food.

About twenty shoveler ducks.

A house martin flying.

On the bank of the canal near the railway, a mother Egyptian goose with five chicks which have grown to nearly her own size.

A tufted duck. Grey lag geese.

A lesser black-backed gull flying.

On the bank of the northern canal, three Canada geese, and an Egyptian goose calling to four chicks swimming not far away.

Back to the southern lake. Though I still don’t see the water rail, at least I hear it now.

12:20. For a few seconds I see the juvenile spotted crake coming out of the bank vegetation. Just a bit more to the south than where Sam Gobin saw it earlier today. The first time ever that I have seen this species.

The snipes are still resting.

12:30. Where I had seen the spotted crake, a common sandpiper. Suddenly, the spotted crake comes bursting out of the vegetation and drives the “intruder”, just about a centimeter smaller than it, away.

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