Virginia Rail

This shy species spends most of its time buried in impenetrable stands of reeds, so I was thrilled to able to coax this individual into the open with a bit of playback (full disclosure, right?). He's running across a gravel road, but I was so low that the resulting bokeh disguises that man made feature. While the unobstructed view is beautiful and rare, I can't help but wish for a bit more habitat context; some gently blurred reeds in the back would go a long way to suggesting the marshes this bird prefers. Can't beat the early morning light or direct eye-contact though!

Sierra Valley, Sierra County, California, 5/30/21
Canon 600mm f/4 IS II + 1.4x III on EOS 1DX Mark II
1/3200 at f/5.6, ISO 800