Virginia rail babies

Into the Fill, it was much too quiet in the building, so went outside for a walk. Not a lot of birds on the water, however, while walking along the canal, two cedar waxwings chased each other across the path, and there was a duck swimming in the canal with three ducklings in tow. Swallowtail butterflies. Dragonflies. Crows, bathing in the lake and then flapping off their wings to dry in the trees. A heron flying low and heavy just above the grasses. Lots of turtles out sunning. In the Fill itself, about half-way around the loop trail, a common garter snake (Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis) crossed the trail in front of me into the tall, dry grasses. Been hoping to see one, though surprised, as it's not that warm out today. Another duck with one kid lying in the drying mud east of the main pond. Housefinches, redwing blackbirds, more crows, a northern flicker, and lots of singing in the trees from birds I couldn't see.  Crossing back across the canal, a skinny brown bird with long legs walks across as far as it can on the pond lily leaves until it begins to sink then flaps across a short distance and disappears. At the edge of the cattails from where it started, I see small black creatures moving. They come out more into the open, the bird returns in a similar fashion (walking, short flight, walking) with something in its long beak to feed the chicks. I think there were two adults and six chicks altogether. It was difficult to get a good look. I didn't have binoculars, and they were in and out of the verge, but I'm pretty sure they are Virginia rails, (Rallus limicola) http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/virginia_rail/id they didn't vocalize at all. Super cool sighting. I'm pretty psyched.