Ocean Parkway: Corn Crake

I went to Heckscher Park this morning with my kids to show them the Hudsonian Godwits and possibly the Long Billed Dowitcher and Golden Plovers but when we got to Field 7 most of the puddles in the lot had dried up.  I looked around and noticed a Godwit on the shoreline (of the bay) but as we got out of the car, 2 photographers? walked up to it and scared it away.  On the "plus side", we got to hear it (distress call) and it flew over our heads. 

Later on, I saw a "this is not a joke" post by Suzy Feustel that a Corn Crake was found by her and Ken on Ocean Parkway by Cedar Beach.  With some negotiating my kids obliged me with another outing and we got over there ASAP.  I saw the bird from a distance but wanted to get a better look and let my kids see it also.  Being spoiled with close looks of the recent Hudsonian Godwits, I made the mistake of driving up to the Corn Crake perhaps so my kids could get a look.  My daughter saw it but not my son...after a little bit the Corn Crake went into the shrubs.  Luckily it came out later and was obliging to other birders (whew!)  This was a great bird to see and I'm thankful for the Feustels for finding and reporting it.

Corn Crake