meadow hen family (clapper rails)

oil on canvas, (8" x 24")

In my paddles on the Peconic River, I had only seen clapper rails a few times and only for a quick glimpse. I had heard their clacking on rare occasion too, coming from deep in the marsh grasses.

This morning, before the full light of day, while paddling down a small cut in the flats, I was excited to see these two shy, light colored “meadow hens” foraging at the edge of the mud. As I got closer, I saw the little dark birds scampering along among them and thought, ‘how nice that the two species mingled so cooperatively.’ Yet as I got closer still,
I realized that these little birds were the young meadow hen chicks!

I was able to sit quietly and observe for over twenty minutes, before backing away to leave. Wish I could have lingered more but the tide was going out and I had to get back on shore for work.