The Frigatebird

When a notorious birder is found dead in Nova Scotia, the list of suspects is already available on-line, if you know where to look.

Sergeant Howey Cross has to juggle an expanding caseload against a baffling murder and he has to learn birder-speak, otherwise how else will he understand what on earth is going on?

In the world of the birder, there are two sins that may be deadly, stringing and suppression, but who would kill for either them, someone might.

Monday 02 September 2019

Walking briskly and silently along the trail in semi-darkness, they headed for the spot. The late start had been Martin’s idea. King Rails were partly crepuscular, he’d said, and the half-light of dusk would offer the best chance of a decent view.

The grass was wet from a recent shower and their boots soon got wet through too, not that they were bothered. Birders don’t mind a bit of discomfort and seeing Martin’s King Rail would be well worth it.

Only Martin had it for Nova Scotia, although he had always reckoned that they were commoner than people realized, and that great expanses of suitable rail habitat in the province existed that were never checked. That was how he’d found his Yellow Rail spot, looking for breeding King and Clapper Rails. He’d promised that they could try the Yellow Rail site another time.

Some late song and a few warbler chips had come from the trail-side vegetation as they walked; common stuff and not something to bother with. They were after a real prize, if they saw it.