Birds in Hand III

Spotted Crake (Porzana porzana).Småfläckig sumphöna. Our Sora is in the same genus.They netted another, this one substantially smaller than the first, so it had some chowing down to do before taking off for Africa. These birds eat insects and other aquatic yummies found in marshes. [The birds are weighed and checked for body fat, which is done by blowing the feathers away from their bellies to see the fat reserves or lack thereof.]And then a Water Rail (Rallus aquaticus) was netted. This was all the same morning, btw. This one is known as vattenrall in Swedish. We had heard one or two previously, which is often the most you can ask for from these reed-dwellers.Our Virginia Rail is also a Rallus.Some new feathers coming in here…