This beautiful Water RailW was spotted and photographed by Gary Smith on 16th March 2010 in one of the gardens at Raffin, near Stoer lighthouse.
There have been several sightings of Water Rail in Assynt this year already.
This one was probably just passing through and stopped for a break and to feed. They eat plant material and small animals.
Although they are very shy and retiring and easily overlooked there are occasional breeding records from Assynt.
A. Summers