Avalon 15

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Is that a clapper rail?

Karen Sue and I spent the closing hours of one afternoon last October at Jake's Landing, northwest of Avalon. We were looking for a clapper rail, a chicken-sized bird that rarely flies and generally stays hidden in the tall grasses. (This is why we spent the closing hours of one afternoon looking for it but not actually seeing it.)

They are birds of the marshlands, grayish brown with a pale chestnut breast and a noticeable white patch under the tail. But, my God, who gets a chance to see the tail?

Should you get a peek at its bill, you'd notice that it curves slightly downwards, a suitable tool for probing shallow mud and water for the crustaceans, aquatic insects and small fish it likes to eat. Sort of surf and turf without the turf.

We were told that Jake's Landing was a good place to search. We heard one—the call sounds like a clatter, or clapping—one time, but that was all. As you might or might not suspect, a group of clappers is called an applause. But, of course.

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