Adult Virginia Rail portrait – Nikon D500, f10, 1/640, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
Yesterday morning while I was at Farmington Bay I was fortunate to be in the right place at the right time to be able to take these Virginia Rail portraits. I had stopped to talk to my friend and fellow photographer David Eccles. We chatted for a bit and then he went south and I started moving towards the north. I had only driven about 25 feet when I spotted this adult Virginia Rail. Perched on a rock. Out in the open.
Adult Virginia Rail close up – Nikon D500, f10, 1/640, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
My jaw dropped as I stopped my Jeep and grabbed my camera. The rail was so close to the edge of the road that without taking off my teleconverter I could only take portraits of the handsome bird. Anyone who has been following me here for any length of time or knows me in person knows I can’t pass up taking portraits.
I was beaming so hard I am surprised that my face didn’t melt off. Until yesterday I had never been this close to a Virginia Rail.
I quickly started taking photos and adjusted my aperture on the fly. A quick glance through my windshield allowed me to see a small, red flatbed pickup barreling towards me with dust flying into the air behind them. I knew I had to hurry and take as many photos of the rail as I could because that red pickup was going to scare the rail away as fast as it was traveling.
Virginia Rail portrait – Nikon D500, f10, 1/640, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
I took 124 photos of this striking rail before that horrible red flatbed pickup flushed it into a nearby wild rose bush. No one should be traveling that dirt road as fast as they were going.
Virginia Rail close up – Nikon D500, f10, 1/640, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
Even though I wish I could have spent more time photographing this Virginia Rail for the rest of the morning I felt like I couldn’t contain my joy for finding and taking portraits this bird. Rails are typically fairly secretive, skulky and hard to see birds but not this one.
Life is good.
Mia
Click here to see more of my Virginia Rail photos plus facts and information about this species.
What an incredible group of portraits! The detail, colors, eye contact…all perfect. Thanks Mia.
These are beautiful!
Lovely bird. What a find! The teleconverter and the thundering truck are the reality of our lives.
Mia, what fabulous photos!
My question: your previous Va. rail photos that you included in this post, show the rails with spotted flanks. I’m a kayaker and have diligently searched for, and gotten quick views of, Va. rails for many years. However, I have never seen that spotting. Is this immature going into adult?
Thanks so much for today’s intimate views!
Sue
Well, I am TOTALLY JEALOUS!
But very happy for you! What a unique opportunity. I am ecstatic to just glimpse a rail, let alone get a useable image. Your photographs are simply exquisite! I’d be hanging one of these in the office for sure!
A pox on fast drivers on dirt roads.
Awesome portraits and lighting, a wonderful sighting.