Ray Duffy reports:

I checked DeKorte around 12:30pm, picked up a first of year Caspian Tern flying over the Kingsland Impoundment.  No sign of the red-necked phalarope, but the Common Moorhen, American Coot and Sora continued.  I also had a brief look at a Virginia Rail in the phragmites.

Around 4pm, I visited Schmidt's Woods where I got my first of year female Scarlet Tanager.  For warblers had Northern Parula, Yellow-rumped, Black-throated Green, Black-and-white and Ovenbird. 

I closed out the day at Laurel Hill Park.  I had my scope and checked the nest.  I can confirm at least 5 juvenile Common Ravens on the nest so far.

(Thanks, Ray!)

Vincent Nichnadowicz reports: "I had a lucky, close view of a Swallow-tailed Kite at 3:52 p.m., 29 April, from the parking lot round-about near the Visitor's Center looking up the incline towards what I presume is Disposal Road (area where the Northern Shrike was two winters ago). 

"The bird was pestered by two crows before disappearing over the ridge from the parking lot.  The bird had a complete set of tail feathers." (Thanks, Vincent!)

I mentioned to Ron Shields yesterday that I had heard two reports of a Virginia Rail in the Shorebird Pool at DeKorte earlier in the day. I said it was too bad the bird was too elusive for a photograph.

Ron managed to go out on the Marsh Discovery Trail and get a distant photo of the rail above, and a distant shot of the rail with a Sora as well, below.

Ron sez:

"Pic was taken from the Marsh Discovery Trail just beyond the Canada Goose nest or the first blind on the left.  I was looking back towards the parking lot from the "bridge" when Chris Takacs' friend pointed out the sora. 

"It was at the base of the far set of phragmites.  I hung around a bit more and was rewarded with the rail who made its way along the phragmites/mudflat darting in and out  times.  It was joined by the sora for a short while.  The pics are distant and poor quality….but good documentation." (Thanks, Ron!)