Virginia rail

[squirl033]

anyone who's ever tried to photograph a Virginia rail knows how elusive these small shore birds are. they rarely come out in the open, move very fast across any gaps in cover, and they're usually out of sight again before the AF even locks on. and they seldom come out in broad daylight. today at the park, however, there was not one, but TWO of these secretive little fellows scurrying about in the reeds along the shoreline. they were still hard to catch in the open, and still moved quickly, but at least this time i had relatively good light and was able to capture some decent shots. i've been trying to get good pics of a rail for a couple of years, and today seemed to be my day! 40D, 400mm, various exposures...

 

[paulk_68]

Nice captures and great job getting focused on them through that grass!