ML118943731

Age and sex

Juvenile, Unknown sex - X

Observation details

Molting juvenile; photos; will add details when time. At about 7:45 am Jim pointed out a single phalarope swimming in near one of the old concrete bridges in the northeast portion of storage pond #2. We used spotting scopes for a better look, as the distance from us was 260 m (measured later). My (Harold) initial thought was that it was likely a Red-necked Phalarope based on probablility and what I saw. Jim mentioned the possibility of Red Phalarope and snapped a few photos that were inclusive when viewed on the viewfinder. It appeared to me that the back had contrasting blackish streaks that did not fit my mental image of the solid gray back of a basic-plumaged Red Phalarope. I walked south to get closer and was soon joined by the others. We were still 200 m (measured) from the bird, which was lit from our left by the morning sun. Through the scope the bill did not look to me to be thick enough to be a Red and I was still seeing substantial contrast in the plumage of the upperparts. Sal produced a photo of a juvenile Red in molt that showed similar contrast, but I remained with the more expected species as the probable ID. It was only after viewing my photos and then Jim's photos on a larger screen that I became convinced that the bird was indeed a Red Phalarope. The bill looked heavier in the photos, particularly Jim's, than it had to me in life. The upper neck and throat shows a light buffy patch that had appeared to me only as a shadow on the viewfinder but is entirely consistent with a molting juvenile Red and would not be expected on a Red-necked. The upperparts appears to me to still have a substantial number of blackish juvenal feathers, mostly toward the upper back and wing coverts, but there is a large area of rather uniform, medium gray color that would not be expected in Red-necked Phalarope in any plumage. Taken together, these characters strongly support the identity of this bird as a Red Phalarope in molt from juvenile plumage to first basic plumage.

Technical information

Model

COOLPIX P900

ISO

160

Focal length

785.4 mm

Flash

Flash did not fire, auto

f-stop

f/6.5

Shutter speed

1/500 sec

Dimensions

2763 pixels x 1283 pixels

Original file size

396.38 KB