Lake Chautauqua
Described Autumn 2005
Lake Chautauqua Park is a small suburban bit of ground near McMullen Booth and Enterprise.
Go west on Enterprise from McMullen Booth, and then south on Landmark just a couple of blocks until you are inside the park.
Drive into the park until you reach the lake with parking on your right and just beyond, a wide wooden boardwalk.
The brief drive loops around, so if you miss it the first time you'll find it the second.
Purple Gallinules - at least one adult and three juveniles - are active there as of September 2, 2005.
Arrive early (or late) & listen
(Purple Gallinules are crepuscular: most active
at dawn and dusk. The park closes at sunset.)
As the light comes up, small flocks of Mallards fly in and leave again. Gulls dip down briefly.
Three juvenile Purple Gallinules tend to feed north of the board walk. You'll hear them before you see them.
Listen for long single syllable, high, wheezy calls from the juvenile Purple Gallinules.
(Note that there is also a family of noisier and more visible Common Moorhens.
Their calls tend to be polysyllabic chirps and squawks.)
As they do become visible you'll note that the juvenile gallinules remain well camouflaged.
The first photo below barely shows two juveniles near a duck. In the second you'll see that
even those dramatic white under-tail coverts blend in with the blooming water lilies.
If you are patient they may eventually approach quite close to the boardwalk.
Note that they are growing fast. The juvenile below was shot on August 21; the two shots that
follow, were taken on August 31.
Great patience may get you a view of the adult. Watch north and west of the boardwalk.
Good luck!
