May 13, 2023
Purple Gallinules are one of those birds who continuously evade me. I’ve heard birds of this sort referred to as nemesis birds— pesky species everyone else seems to see but you’re never at the right place at the right time for. I’m not sure I feel enough angst against Purple Gallinules to go as far as calling them my nemeses, but they’ve certainly been on my mind since missing them in Texas and Oklahoma. I even missed them in Brazil, where they’re practically backyard birds. Of all places to find a Purple Gallinule, Sandusky, Ohio was the last place I expected.
My sister and I were in Ohio celebrating the Biggest Week in American Birding festival when I caught wind of a Purple Gallinule sighting at Pipe Creek Wildlife Area. We’d birded Magee Marsh the previous two days and agreed to try somewhere different in the morning.
We arrived at Pipe Creek Wildlife Area early, starting out by birding the wooded areas for warblers and orioles. A sliver of excitement was renewed at the prospect of finding a gallinule, but I also didn’t want to get my hopes up. Our relaxed morning was pleasantly interrupted by a lady speedwalking behind us, equipped with a camera and binoculars. It was clear she meant business. She asked if we’d seen the gallinule and I told her we hadn’t, but would holler if we saw anything. Our focus diverted to locating a singing Orchard Oriole.
It couldn’t have been more than twenty minutes before we saw the lady making her way back to the parking lot. When we asked her if she found the gallinule, she outlined detailed directions to its whereabouts. She told us she’d been birding at Magee Marsh all morning (a marsh about 45 minutes away) when another birdwatcher told her about the Purple Gallinule. Eager to add the rarity to her life list, she left Magee Marsh, bagged the gallinule at Pipe Creek, and was now returning to Magee Marsh to finish birding there. Dedication!
Following her directions and crossing our fingers, we eventually encountered a single Purple Gallinule chowing down on a fish. It was a better look than I could have hoped for and a fantastic day indeed.
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Gone Birdin' 