ML490875151

Age

Not specified

Sex

Not specified

Observation details

Very much like a giant rail. Larger than a Mallard, smaller than a Great Blue Heron. Long neck, long bill, and long legs. Overall dark brown with short white streaking on head, neck and back. Head paler, buffy brown with darker crown. Dark eye. Mostly dark yellowish bill, slightly darker on the distal third. Legs dark. Slow, somewhat jerky gait. Jerky head and neck movements, especially when on alert. Foraged in shallow water for freshwater mollusks, completely submerging head, neck, and upper breast. Opened the mollusks by stabbing with bill and then prying them open. Flight with deep, slow wingbeats, outstretched neck, and trailing legs. Vocalized while in flight and immediately after landing. Call a woody, raucous series of clucks and rattles. Habitat: Large, linear pond in subdivision surrounded by homes. Manicured, grassy shoreline and 4–6" riprap at water's edge. Pond wooded on several sides, and a few scattered, small trees in the perimeter lawn. Small island of dense trees and shrubs in the center of the pond. The Limpkin utilized this island as shelter when not foraging. Note posted 6 Oct 2022 to Facebook by Phillip Hooper (homeowner in this subdivision): The Limpkin is on private HOA property. To access the private property, the HOA Board asks you to do two things: 1. Stay on the footpath, the gazebo, or the grounds between footpath and water. 2. Consider making a voluntary contribution to our Homes Association. The dam that contains our ponds is cracked and needs to be replaced. If it fails before it can be replaced, (which won't be soon) the ponds will be drained. Country Meadows Homes Association P.O. Box 2235 Independence, MO

Technical information

Model

NIKON D850

Lens

70.0-200.0 mm f/2.8

ISO

200

Focal length

200 mm

Flash

Flash did not fire

f-stop

f/3.5

Shutter speed

1/800 sec

Dimensions

2000 pixels x 1333 pixels

Original file size

1.82 MB