Ridgway's Rail

Description:

Brown rail with long orange and brown bill. Short tail and medium length stocky legs. It has a white chin and streaky back. Similar to the Virginia rail, but larger and not reddish. The Virginia rail will mostly have grey cheeks too.
Spends most of it's time hiding from raptors. Once in awhile they can be spotted flying or running for shelter from one place to another. Their call is unmistakeable. Someone described it like a typewriter.

Habitat:

Long reed marshes. Salt or fresh.

Notes:

This was King Tide and the Rails and Soras were scrambling looking for places to hide. Some ignored it and swam and hung out at the edges and a few became a meal to the Harriers and other hawks.