I am doing work experience at Doncaster Primary School and at about 10:30 I saw what was probably a Buff-banded Rail sneaking across the path into the plants in the garden. I couldn't believe my own eyes but I'm sure I saw it and I also heard it scuttling around out of sight. There is no water whatsoever in the school and it was not far from the office! I have never seen a Rail before and what a way to get my first sighting!
Confirmed! Definitely Buff-banded Rail after a second sighting. he was extremely shy and I heard him a few times and when I did see him he was running into the garden. I did get a good enough look to see that orange band and streaked markings on his back.
Cheers, Owen.
Sorry got the names mixed up. It was the smaller and darker LEWIN'S Rail!
Cheers, Owen.
That is cool Owen.... I remember when I saw on at work in the rest home in the courtyard ( BBR)...it seemed so out of context after trying to catch glimpses of them around ponds and swamps nearby .
Sunshine Coast Queensland
When yout think how people search whole wetlands looking for them and one just pops up inn the middle of the school I am very fortunate to see one. It's always interesting when bird turn up in unusual places like that.
Cheers, Owen.
I know what you mean, one day I found a Kingfisher in the Supermarket in Pakenham. Very close to the fish?? After some time, I found a nice man, that helped me put him in a box, so I could take him to a lake in a park, to set him free. Nobody cared about the bird, people just stepped over him! It's hard sometimes to find a "heart" in people. What's wrong with everybody ????
M-L
LOL...nothing wrong with you and me Araminta ... and I am fairly certain that Owen is normal too ....:')
Sunshine Coast Queensland
What a lovely comment birdie! I know Owen has his heart in the right spot!!!!
M-L
LOL Birdie. 'fairly certain'. You must have a hint of doubt that I'm an absolute weirdo! :P
No only joking. Thanks for your comments guys.
It is very stranged for a Kingfisher to turn up in a supermarket.
Cheers, Owen.
Owen, I have a suspicion he might have come to Safeway in a box of bananas from Queensland. He looked very tired from the long trip....Probably still on his way back?LOL
M-L
How lucky you are to see a rail in such a unusual habitat. It's good to know that people appreciate and notice these birds around them, if not then imagine what would happen to them all. Today there was a wood duck on someones lawn eating the grass when the postman came by to dilever the mail. The postman saw it and stopped and got out his camera to take a picture! I never expected him to do this, I wonder if he would have done the same for a rail?
Good luck seeing it again owen.
....well cooee, you can never know what is behind a person. As my grand mother used to say to me: everybody has a story to tell,and you better listen ! If we would talk to people more often, we would find out many stories about them, we would never have expected. Great topic to think about.
M-L
The other strange thing is that there are no wetlands for within miles of the school except for a lake with some reeds 1 or 2 km away, but still why would the Rail travel through a built up unbirdfriendly area to get to the garden that doesn't even have any water?
Cheers, Owen.
Owen the same is the case for the Rail that I saw up in the aged care home, it was quite a distance from the nearest pond.
Sunshine Coast Queensland
Very strange behaviour. Maybe it was travelling to another location and just took a stop? I often see water birds like pelicans, spoonbills, egrets and herons flying over heading to a nearby reservoir.
I agree araminta, who knows what could be behind anyone, I think I am going to listen a little harder from now on!
.... when I talk to people on the steet , like homeless people, usually their stories are fascinating, most of them once had lives like you and me, had families and the rest...., So think, it could easyly be you or me one day!!! Everybody deserves "RESPECT"
M-L
I forgot to say, what I just said was a response to something cooee said.
M-L
ooooh yes Araminta..., I love picking up strangers and talking to them...... it is lots of fun and it can lead to amazing conversations .... but only if you have the ability to ask questsions and then......LISTEN to the answers. One of the best things about when I was working in aged care was asking questions and giving them the time to tell their stories .
Sunshine Coast Queensland
Birdie. what type of Rail do you think it was. I'm pretty sure my one was a Lewin's. I'm interested to know because if they were both Lewin's then it could be that these Rails move around and use small non-wetland spaces a lot. I saw the Rail on Monday and Tuesday but I haven't seen it since so I assume it has left. It could have been going to or coming from Ruffey lake because it is the nearest watercourse with reeds.
Cheers, Owen.
To be honest Owen, I didn't give it much thought at the time but assumed it was a BBR, so it probably was the striking colours that got me in I think.
Sunshine Coast Queensland
My Rail was dark blue in colour with a back with brown streaks. The first time I saw it I thought it was a female Blackbird.
Cheers, Owen.
Perhaps it is a type of crake?
Sorry, it was most likely a Lewin's Rail, I think the Buff Banded Rail is to distinctive to get confused with a female blackbird.
That's exactly what I thought Amateur. Definitely not a Buff-banded and too big for a crake so that only left Lewin's Rail. It also had a subtle orange band across the face but no bold colours like the Buff-banded.
Cheers, Owen.
LOL re the blackbird comment Amateur .....that is an understatement! When I first saw one I thought it was a swamphen chick from a distance....till I got close up and then I was totally amazed at their pretty colours. I don't know if you ever go onto Feathers and Photos ( way too highbrow for many of us photographically speaking), and I am not sure if he posted it here or not (I don't think so ) but GeorgeP recently posted a stunning shot of one there it really showed every bit of the colour. I only go there when want to see pics taken with Pro or serious amateur gear . I prefer to play here in a relaxed atmosphere most of the time. :')
Sunshine Coast Queensland
I did see the image only as a small thumbnail because I am not on that forum. Mine definitely wasn't a Buff-banded because it wasn't so boldly coloured.
Cheers, Owen.
Oh sorry Owen, I didn't realise you had to become a member to see the full images.
Sunshine Coast Queensland
That's OK. I could still make the pic out.
Cheers, Owen.
Hi folks,
I did get a photo of a BBR in my garden but question is, how does one post a photo here?
Betty
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk250/BettyK2008/31stJuly2010BuffbandedRail.jpg[/IMG]
Taken last Winter via a window, so sorry it's not too clear. (Hope this works.)
Hi Betty, what an amazing shot, well done!! I have never seen one! So, this one just walked past your window? What's the place you live in like? What does the habitat look like??
M-L
Well, the front yard is a disgrace and needs mowing, as you can tell. :) I am 30 miles out from both Stawell and Horsham in Victoria. I have 1750 acres of State Forest opposite me, a 90 acre Water Reserve on my left and behind us, (land which was grazed years ago but can never be otherwise disturbed), and to our right is open farmland. So we get birds that like open forest, and thanks to our house dam and the dam in the water reserve, some nice water birds also. The BBR was just darting around outside my kitchen window looking for a feed, then returned a couple of days later, but I haven't sighted him since.