It would be well worth listening to recordings of Lewin's Rails because they're
easy to hear if they're calling) but much harder to spot. In my limited
experience, they tend to stay in or very near the reeds, and you have to be
lucky to have one stay out on the mud for a while.
I've found you can vastly improve your chances by scanning the edges of and
into the reeds constantly, with the naked eye occasionally to look for
movement, but mostly with binoculars because from 20m away they can come out
without you noticing.
They tend to move along feeding for a few seconds, then run for a bit, even if
they don't know you're there. That means if you're watching one spot, you can
miss them if you don't watch it constantly.
It's hard work constantly scanning, and I find it difficult to do it for
prolonged periods unless I know there are rails there. But of course I won't
know that unless someone else has seen one, or if I do the hard work (or hear
one, or fluke it).
Early morning and evening have been best for me. I've seen them near reed beds
and in salt marsh with what I think is called Samphire - very low shrubs they
can hide under. Almost always when they come out on the mud, but sometimes
clambering over reeds, sometimes a glimpse deeper in the reeds or flying to the
other side of the water.
I've found the constant scanning helpful for Spotless Crakes too, as they seem
to work their way along the edge of the reeds, weaving in and out, only visible
for a second or two.
Peter Shute
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