Nkulengu Rail

I suppose if I had considered which birds in Africa I would like to see but never thought that I would, Nkulengu Rail would have been near the top of the list. It was with great excitement therefore when one called while we were looking for owls. Our guide set off on a track through the forest at a fast pace and after 14 hours birding already that day, I found it a struggle to keep up. After ten minutes or so, we left the track and walked through some dense undergrowth in pitch darkness. This amazing bird was roosting high up in a tree and was visible in torchlight almost vertically overhead. The guide helped me to find a line of sight through the dense vegetation and allowed me to balance my camera on his shoulder while holding the torch in order for me to take this photograph, only the second that I have seen of this species. For the technically minded, the shot necessitated the use of ISO 6400.