Ridgway's Rail

Ridgway's Rail -- Arrowhead Marsh, Oakland, CA
Canon EOS Rebel T5i, EF-S 55-250mm IS II, 1/2000s, f/5.6, ISO:1000

I've been hitting the Shoreline pretty hard over the last couple of months.  I was excited when the winter birds started to return and that excitement hasn't subsided.  Excitement is probably too strong a word, it's not opening Christmas presents when you're a kid kind of excitement.  I guess it's closer to opening Christmas presents after your kids are grown and out of the house and you know what your wife bought you already because she put it on your credit card and it's a sweater kind of excitement.  I mean, Christmas is Christmas, right?

This morning I spent some time sitting on the lawn with the geese.  There was one white-fronted goose mixed in with the canada geese.  Last week there were three.  This one seemed to hobble a bit, I suspect it might be stuck with an injured leg.  Hard to know, though, it might just like hanging out with those rambunctious canada geese.

I saw this ridgway's rail near the fishing platform.  At least, I think it's a fishing platform.  They aren't rare here, but like soras they seem to like to choose particular moments to expose themselves.  I'm always excited to see one.  There's that word again.