Spotted Crake
Porzana porzana
Ferry Meadows Country Park, Peterborough
30 August 2002

An excellent find by Matt Webb and one of my highlights of the year. Matt actually found it as the Peterborough Bird Club Committee were busy meeting in the Ferry Meadows centre! Matt was apparently talking with another birdwatcher while they were watching Water Rails. Matt said "...but what I'm really looking out for is Spotted Crake..." and out one popped!

I arrived next morning along with Mike Weedon and Katie Fuller and the crake duly obliged.

We simply have too many sites in the PBC area which could host this species in the autumn, but Ferry Meadows is one of the more likely, as not only is it fantastic habitat, but the observer coverage increases the chance of things like this being picked up.

30 August 2002

Nikon Coolpix 995 + Leica APO Televid 77 with 20xWA

© Steve Dudley