When Ingrid and I retire we plan to do a Big Year, but until that day its bird before or after work.  And in May and June I can bird before AND after work.  Now that is really great.

Got five first of the year birds: Baltimore Oriole, Yellow Warbler, Warbling Vireo, Least Flycatcher and the elusive Virginia Rail.

In the morning I heard a Virginia Rail grunting from a marsh in Dresden, Maine, enough to count but I like to see the bird and ideally photograph it.

So this evening in Damariscotta I once again heard the grunting (and some squeaking).  With sometime on my hands (dinner was at 8:00), I simply entered the marsh and stood in ankle deep muck for 20 minutes until a Virginia Rail came into sight.  

It took me another 5 minutes before he appeared long enough to photograph.