"A SORA FAMILY"

Sora - 7 Photos

There was one and then there were two Soras searching through the marshes, obviously looking for food. And as Soras are virtually impossible to tell apart, there were definitely two as they appeared at the same time, at different ends of a marshy patch.

I lost track of who was who but at one stage, one adult came soaring through the reeds, part running, part flying, with what was definitely a catch. Upon reviewing the photographs, I believe this to be a fat earthworm (large by Sora standards) and was at least one of three, harvested from the marshland. Obviously, this wetland is abundant in food for small shorebirds such as the Sora.

And what was the frantic and repeated "Door Dash" all about? That is why the title has the word "family" in it.

I've never seen a very young Sora before (Photo #6 & Photo #7). And at first, I couldn't identify the small black flashes through the reeds. At one point, I thought I had caught a back end glimpse of a mink prowling through the shoreline grasses but there was no mistaking the black colour and minks are not jet black.

And then this little black puffball appeared briefly into the open before, once again, disappearing.

It has a passing resemblance to a baby Coot. The Coot is also a member of the Rail family and also possesses those wonderful "alien" looking feet, suitable for walking through marshy terrain. And like a Coot youngster, the baby Sora is so unattractive, it's adorable.

PHOTO #1

PHOTO #2

PHOTO #3

PHOTO #4

PHOTO #5

PHOTO #6

PHOTO #7