[mou] Yellow rails - Cottonwood County- continued

[Brad Bolduan]

I had written I had approximately ten flushes.  Now that I think about it
that number is definately low.  I flushed the first Yellow Rail near the
Minimum Maintenance Road which bisects the unit.  I tried to reflush the
bird on foot without success.  I had two additional flushes within a that
small area (all within 30 yards), all could have been the same bird.  I then
flushed a bird about 100+ yards to the west of the initial sighting.  Next
and only moments later I flushed a bird about 100 yards south of the initial
sighting.  At this time I finally realized there had to be multiple birds.
I then drove perhaps another two hundred yards south where I managed to get
stuck.

About two hours later I was walking in as a dozer was driving 30 yards to my
north.  As we neared my stuck tractor a Yellow Rail flushed from near the
dozer and landed about 15 feet in front of me.  I was unable to reflush the
bird by clapping, etc. even though I was where it landed with in seconds.

We pulled the tractor out.  I then drove into the area I intended to
harvest.  I had about five flushes as I made my way around this
approximately 3 ac area.  One bird flushed within five feet of the tractor.
Another one of these flushes was two birds at once - although they were
about twenty feet apart.  I flushed or reflushed a couple birds on my second
pass.  I drove around this area a couple more times without additional
flushes.  I then left the area due to the wetter than expected field
conditions.

The birds were all flushed in or near prairie cord grass.  The ground was
generally dry, but spongy in areas.  This is consistant with about half of
the flushes I have seen in the past.  Two of the previous (other years)
flushes were in drier areas.  Aside from areas of taller cord grass and
cattail, the bulk of the biomass at this location is within ~16 inches of
the ground surface.  Less densely vegetated drier areas are dominated by big
blue stem and maxmillian sunflower. Most of the birds flushed from areas
which were dominated by lower growing (no seed stalks) prairie cord grass.
I believe others flushed from the sparse big blue stem.  The thickest cover
in dryer areas is grass-leaved goldenrod, and an unidentified aster - I do
not believe any rails flushed from these areas.

Birds were well seen.  They were identified as rails based on their obvious
rail shape and flight.  They were identified as Yellow Rails based on their
obvious bright white secondaries.

Although I have also gotten the impression in the past, a feature I was able
to see well in some of todays sightings was a strong contrast between the
color of the breast and the belly of birds in flight.  The breast is
relatively dark perhaps buff with an apparent tint of rust color, while the
belly seems to be white or near white.  This is not a feature I can verify
in any field guides.  In fact the flight photo in Sibley shows a belly which
is darker than the breast.  This apparent inconsistancy caused me concern.
A quick web search determined that Yellow Rails do indeed have a white
breast; see http://huskertsd.tripod.com/photo_submit/yellow_rail_042604.htm
and http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/Infocenter/i2150id.html .

Juvenile Soras apparently show white on the trailing edge of their
secondaries.  I have noticed this on some Soras in flight in the past.  The
birds flushed today showed a much brighter, larger white band that extended
across the secondaries.  The entire secondaries appeared bright white.  I
believe wingbeats may have been faster, and perhaps more irregular, that the
wingbeats of a sora.

After hearing that the rails being flushed were unusual; other observer, the
dozer operator, without prompting mentioned that he hadn't noticed that they
were differant, but he added they did seem smaller than the rails that he is
used to seeing.

Yesterday I spent hours in the same general area.  Yesterday I did not make
it as far south as the majority of todays flushes, but I did drive in the
same immediate area as the first two sightings today (first four flushes).
It would appear to be quite possible that these birds were not present
yesterday.

I generally see one Yellow Rail a year, usually in fall.  All have been
flushed by equipment or fire.  I have never been able to reflush any of
these birds on foot.

I would love to get a photo of these critters in flight.  I have considered
examing the possibility of systematically searching suitable habitat in the
past, but bird density seemed too low to assume any reasonable chance of
success.  Another factor is the difficulity flushing the birds on foot.

Two firsts today.  I have never seen anything like the described bird
sightings and I have never before needed a dozer to get unstuck.



Brad Bolduan
Windom



-----Original Message-----
From: mou-net-admin@cbs.umn.edu [mailto:mou-net-admin@cbs.umn.edu]On
Behalf Of Brad Bolduan
Sent: Tuesday, October 05, 2004 19:21
To: MOU List
Subject: [mou] Yellow rails - Cottonwood County


At least two (approx 10 flushes, including two birds flushed at same time on
one occasion) likely at least 5 Yellow Rails present in a small portion of
Expandere WMA Cottonwood County.

I have to leave.  Will try to past more later tonight.

Brad Bolduan
Windom