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Ridgeway's rail        Images © Mark A. Chappell

The clapper rails of California's coastal salt marshes were recently classified as a new species, Ridgeway's rail.   Nomenclature aside, they are under serious threat from loss of habitat, as these regions have been prime sites for development.   Some of these rails were photographed at the Palo Alto Baylands nature center; others (including the breeding birds with fuzzy black chicks) were at Bolsa Chica wetlands in coastal Orange County, California.   Many of the photos were made in very dim light, using electronic flash; hence they look kind of stark.

  • Canon 1D Mk. II, 1D4, 500 mm IS lens + 1.4X converter or 800 mm IS lens or 100-400 zoom, electronic flash (2006, 2010, 2015-2017)
  • second from bottom, center: Nikon F2, Leitz 560 mm f5.6 Telyt, Ektachrome film (1975)