ML69860351
Contributor
Date
Location
- Age
- Not specified
- Sex
- Not specified
Observation details
Taos countie's first eBird record for Red-necked Phalarope. Life species. Two Spotted Sandpipers flushed from shoreline as I was leaving the reservoir. With the Spotted Sandpipers was another shorebird with dramatic black and white pattern on it's back and face. This Phalarope proceeded to go for a swim leaving the two spotties on the far shore. Observed through a pair of Vortex Lightning 8 x 32 binoculars at 100 feet away, the bold eye patch, thin straight bill and black and white back pattern were visible. A quick look at my 1983 Golden Guide ruled out Wilson's Phalarope and confirmed my suspicion that this was a Red-necked Phalarope, a species which is known to occur east of Taos county in Colfax county. Indeed this week falls in peak fall migration for this species. Returning to my vehicle I returned with my camera and relocated this bird which allowed close approach. I continued to observe this bird through a Tamron 600mm lens for at least 20 minutes. This winter plumage Red-necked Phalarope displayed typical behavior for the species feeding while swimming in half circles but never did the typical 360 degree spinning. See photos.
Technical information
- Model
- Canon EOS 20D
- ISO
- 1600
- Focal length
- 600 mm
- Flash
- Flash did not fire, auto
- f-stop
- f/14.0
- Shutter speed
- 1/1250 sec
- Dimensions
- 2458 pixels x 1627 pixels
- Original file size
- 5.49 MB