For my birthday, I acquired a new item in my collection, a taxidermy water rail.  It if from the same person who did my painted snipe and azure-winged magpie.  I first saw a water rail this year at Attenborough Nature Reserve, and was very lucky too, as they are one of the most elusive birds in the UK.  They are related to corncrakes, and birds such as the little or baillon’s crakes, which are occasional visitors to the UK, the corncrake being resident but very rare.  Water rails are dumpy waders, with long beaks and legs, and a short, buff-coloured tail.  Part of their underbellies are barred black and white,  the…