ML239018051

Age and sex

Adult Female - 1

Media notes

Thin needle-like bill and dark eye mask and crown continuous with the dark bill. Red neck wrapping around to the lower neck from the nape.

Observation details

FRS, submitted 05.27.20 Continuing Phalarope reported earlier today by Bob H, and initially by Gregory L @ 0900 hrs. Smaller shorebird with a red nape and sides of neck wrapping around to the lower throat, with a white upper throat above and a dark mask on the face continuous with the dark bill. Thin needle-like black bill. White flanks and belly with contrasting darker sides before them with the bird appearing to have a dark upper breast in flight. White wing stripes within darker wings seen in flight. The bird at rest had a darker back with some lighter streaking within. The bird was at the west end of the lake mainly near the north shore close to the west end from anywhere from 50-300 feet south of the shore, and was frequently changing locations. It was observed from the road along the north side of the lake close to the Osprey nest. This bird was nuts. It was continually frantically flying- alighting on the water for 2-3 seconds then rapidly taking flight again. Sometimes flying a long distance before alighting again, sometimes only flying 3-5 feet before landing on the water. It did this for probably the first twenty-five minutes of the observation. Not a particularly photogenic bird. It was first observed it in flight when I stopped to scan the western part of the lake for it. It alighted on the water, probably 100 feet out from shore and I got out of the car expecting it to be on the water, but it was nowhere to be seen. So I thought it had left. But it was just rapidly flying around the west end of the lake, flying low over the water. It would land on the water sometimes just momentarily then take off again. Other times it would land on the water and stay where it landed for less than ten (10) seconds before taking flight again to another temporary landing location. It was difficult to photograph as by the time the camera had focused the bird had left. This happened continually. It was as bad as a warbler. I had never seen a phalarope fly so much. Finally around 2055 hrs it settled down for a bit, but still continued to fly. It was not feeding at this time. A little after 2100 hrs it settled down for a longer time and pecked at the water some, but I never saw it spinning in the water. Adult female bird by the red neck. Female Phalaropes are different and are the sex that gets the brighter breeding/alternate colors.

Technical information

Model

COOLPIX P600

ISO

400

Focal length

258 mm

Flash

Flash did not fire, auto

f-stop

f/8.2

Shutter speed

1/60 sec

Dimensions

2061 pixels x 1371 pixels

Original file size

457.25 KB