Friday, June 4, 2010

The Rail


At Aaron's Beach a week or so ago, I noticed several of these birds hanging out in the marsh.

Now, as you may know, Chesapeake Bay Woman is not good with details, specifics, facts, data, fine print, technicalities, anything requiring patience and housework. In spite of all that, she is going to take a stab at assigning a label for this bird, and what she's come up with is a rail.

Before both any of you rush to correct me, let me also say that even if this is not a rail, we do have rails in Mathews. And today we're talking about them.

Naturally when required to provide facts and details, I turn to the internet, because as we all know everything one reads on the internet is whatever you want it to be, just keep looking until you find the answer you like accurate and factual.

Here's what my BFF Wikipedia says about the aquatic birds known as rails:

"...any of 127 species of slender, somewhat chicken-shaped marsh birds, with short rounded wings, short tail, large feet, and long toes, of the family Rallidae (order Gruiformes). The name is sometimes used to include coots and gallinules, which belong to the same family, but coots and gallinules are far more ostentatious. Coots and gallinules flock like ducks, swim in open water, and waddle conspicuously on shore. By contrast, rails are secretive birds, hiding among reeds at the water’s edge by day and uttering their calls mostly at night."

Coots and gallinules?
Ostentatious coots to boot?

Oh, the field day I could have with these words, but before I say something my children might read I might regret, let's bring this brief discussion about rails, coots and gallinules to a close.

If you hear somebody cackling and howling, it's just me laughing at my own off-color remarks about coots and gallinules and rails. Oh my.

Happy Friday.

13 comments:

deborah said...

Looks like a Rail to me. But you are the expert with your cacaphony of coots hoots and gallinules..ah yes, I see what you're sayin-

Annie said...

Either you laughing at your own jokes, cbw, or might it be the secretive rails lurking in the reeds at night, mainly laughing at us?

Haha.

I missed the 3 things, so here they are :

1. Nothing much is happening here.
2. Lunch with a friend. Nice.
3. Nothing much else.
4. Long weekend happening next weekend. nice.
5. Oops. that was four, oops, no, five. I can't count.

Exciting.

Mathews Mark said...

I would guess it is a five guzillion dollar fine if you shoot one. And i know they are very fishy, so you don't want to eat one. After these facts I guess what I am trying to say is not interested!! My three thing Thursday (I missed it also) 1. THIS IS THE YEAR OF THE ANT. 2. Summer colds suck. 3. Working with summer cold also sucks!!

Chesapeake Bay Woman said...

Deborah-a Cacaphony of Coots Hoots and Gallinules - now that makes me laugh and sounds like the title to a really bad (or good, depending on your perspective) country song.

Annie-Yes, I laugh at myself often, daily in fact. I also yell at myself, so it all evens out. Wish you were on this side of the planet, we'd find something entertaining to get into. Lunch with friends is my idea of a wonderful way to spend an afternoon.

Mathews Mark - Tastes like chicken, or so I've heard. Heck even wikipedia says they're shaped like chickens.

IT's Friday, I'm in a dress, sweating profusely (either a hot flash or humidity or both) watching ants crawl up the wall next to my computer. We're off to a riproarin' start to graduation day.

Serenity now.

Jamie said...

Coots reminds me of an old nickname my cousin bestowed on me in our youth- Cooter. This came about because I would always say "Hey Couz" when I saw him and he'd say "Hey Cooter" I'm going to say this was from Dukes of Hazard, but I'm not sure. After many years of not having contact, I found him on Facebook. He sent a message with the opening line "Hey Cooter".
I concur with MM, summer cold suck. Working with a summer cold sucks. And to add to that, being extremely emotional and crying while having a summer cold really sucks. Heading to the mountains of VA to see my grandmother for the last time.
Alcoholic beverages anyone?

Mathews Mark said...

Ok enough of my whining! Last night at the 505 meeting we got on a subject that I know CBW likes to talk about sex AHAHAHA just kiddin CBW and Bayman!! Actually it was Emerie's Tasty Freeze (please correct my spelling of Emerie's) I am sure we have talk about this before but I am going to bring it up again. Emerie's was located at wards corner in the heart of Mathews. It was a favorite hang out for everyone that grew up or visited Mathews. Back in the day we cussed the place because the owner was so tight. Example of my fav orite meal : cheeseburger with lettuce and mayo, french fries and a cherry coke. You would get a burger patty so thin you could read threw it one splash of mayo an half a piece of lettuce, between two 3 day old buns (never bought fresh buns) then put in a steamer pressed 3 times until it was flat, wola the best damn cheeseburger you ever ate! Oh don,t forget the french fries you would get 5 crinklie cut fries thats right 5 half cook fries and 1 thing of ketchup, if you asked for more ketchup it was 3 cents! and of course the fries were fantastic crisp on the out side soft cold in the middle. As I said we cussed this man back in the day and he was on the receiving end of many pranks, but as we were talking at the 505, He laughed all the way to the back! He had the first satellite dish ever in the county (it was as big as a house) He had the first wireless phone ever in the county. (also as big as a house ) nicest cars, the list goes on and on!! BOY I would run naked threw the court house on Market days for one of those meals!! CBW do you have any pictures of the old place? I know you loved it also!! MM

Caution/Lisa said...

I am slowly realizing that I never notice anything as significant as a bird. I think that's a problem.

I missed Three Thing Thursday, too, so here's mine:
1. I've had an Iced Capp from Tim Hortons every day this week
2. I've regained all the weight I lost
3. I am in charge the water bucket race at field day at my boys' school

Trisha said...

No clue what the bird is but . . . nice picture! Happy Friday to you!

Chesapeake Bay Woman said...

Jamie, I'm afraid it is your very nickname that has an alternate meaning, at least in some (not so fashionable) circles. I'll fill you in at Blog Fest. In the mean time,so very sorry to hear about your grandmother. My thoughts are with you.

Mathews Mark - I may have done a post on Emory's, I can't remember. If I haven't I always meant to, and actually what I'll probably do is just copy and paste your comment onto that post so I can have a night off from writing. (P.s. IF anyone else out there wants to write a guest post, please have at it.) Regrettably, I do not have a photo of the place. I did love it and fondly recall the ketchup dilemma.

CF-Stopping to watch the birds is very important to one's mental health and inner peace. (Knowing what kind you're observing is optional though.)

Trisha-Happy Friday and have a great weekend.

I'm off to start mine now. SCHOOL IS FINALLY OVER.

Mathews Mark said...

Calling all Mathews histstonians, HISTSTONIANS what the F (making up words now) I need a picture of Emory's frosty or tasty freeze Help!!!will name my next born after you if you can help!! MM

deborah said...

there are ants running everywhere outside! CBW, did you send your ants this way?

nativedevil said...

never will forget Emory's. His wife was a trip, too. I can still hear her sliding back that little door and asking "can I help you?" with the most sour face ever.
One night, as we were standing in line to get food, somebody said "does that woman ever smile?"Next person up, she smiled really brightly.
I also used to get rides to away basketball games with Wayne Revere,and his dad, Paul. Paul always called ahead to Emory's for a bag of burgers for us to eat on the way to Lancaster, Middlesex, wherever.

foolery said...

Something tells me that running naked through the court house on market day wouldn't be a long stretch for MM. : ) He is a TREAT!

I'll go with "rail," only because my only guess was "peacock," and I suspect that's wrong.