English and Scientific names:	Black Rail (Laterallus jamaicensis)
Number of individuals:	Probably one, although at times it sounded as though there were 2 birds calling.
Locality: LOUISIANA:	Cameron
Specific Locality:	At the west landing of the Cameron ferry on Hwy. 27/82 on the north side of pullout near the gate where a road goes north through the marsh.
Date(s) when observed:	April 27, 2008
Time(s) of day when observed:	3:35-4:20 p.m.
Reporting observer and address:	Phillip Wallace New Orleans, LA
Other observers accompanying reporter who also identified the bird(s):	Curt Sorrells (discovered), Roger Breedlove, Mac Myers, Paul Conover, Dave Patton, et al.
Other observers who independently identified the bird(s):	Heard by several other birders on same day and on subsequent days.
Light conditions (position of bird in relation to shade and to direction and amount of light):	Good, but irrelevant.
Optical equipment:	Not seen; heard only.
Distance to bird(s):	Sounded as if it were 2-10 m from us.
Duration of observation:	Persistent, but not constant, calling for 50 minutes. Still calling when we left.
Habitat:	Primarily Spartina patens.
Behavior of bird:	Calling spontaneously and then in response to ipod calls. Often seemed on the verge of coming into the open but never did.
Description:	Heard only. Sorrells first heard the bird when he got out of his vehicle while we were wating for the ferry. Wallace went to the gate across the road heading north into the marsh and the call seemed to come from the direction of the cars waiting in line, leading Wallace to think someone was playing a tape of the call. When he went back toward Hwy 27, the call was clearly coming from the marsh. He called Sorrells over and the two listened to the calling bird for the next 45 minutes. The bird was giving the classic "kicky-dur" call at more frequent intervals and at a little higher pitch than the call on the ipod. A couple of times the bird gave the "grrr" call in response to the ipod.
Voice:	See above.
Similar species:	Call is diagnostic.
Photographs or tape recordings obtained?	Videotape of the call by Wallace submitted to LBRC.
Previous experience with this species:	I've seen it once at Anahuac many years ago and once on the Sabine Christmas Count (Texaco Rd.) many years ago.
Identification aids:	None
This description is written from:	Memory and videotape.
Are you positive of your identification? If not, explain:	Yes.
Reporter:	Phillip Wallace
Date and time:	June 1, 2008 5:30 p.m.