The RED PHALAROPE was still being seen as of at least 2:30pm Sunday 09 October along the Wildlife Drive at Montezuma NWR. It was in the Shorebird Flats, an area on the left side near the end of the straightaway beyond the Main Pool. This area was very open last year, but this year through natural succession has progressed to variably-open marsh. The bird was maybe 3/4 of the way along that area, just where and past where the last tall cattails are next to the road. Although the bird has been fairly close to the road, it has at times been hard to see in the vegetation as it swims placidly about pecking at minute prey on the stalks of emergent plants. Sometimes it has been too close to the tall plants beside the road to be seen, other times it has been hidden among plants a little farther away, other times it has been plainly visible in the open water in between.
As Jay McGowan mentioned, this bird is molting out of juvenile plumage into winter plumage. This is an unusual instance in which, as Kevin McGowan pointed out, a picture in the National Geographic Guide is better than in the Sibley guide, which does not show the transitional stage. The bird retains much of the juvenal dark plumage in the wings and some tan and black speckling at the base of the hindneck, and it has a buff wash on the throat, but it has also gained a great deal of gray on the back, which can lead to a first impression of the stripy contrast on the back and wings of a juvenile or winter Red-necked Phalarope. The back of the neck is gray, leading up to a blackish crown with some white in the center. The cheek has a broad patch of blackish, but otherwise the head, neck and underparts are white. The bill is medium length, straight, and generally black, but a good look reveals a blunt tip (like a Semipalmated Sandpiper), indicating that it is thick (for a phalarope!), and a scope view during rare moments that the birds stays still in the open reveals a bit of ochre on the lower bill at the base (the most distinctive field mark for the species). This is not easy to see because of the rapid tiny jerking movements of the head with every swimming stroke and whenever it pecks at food.
This was a fun and challenging bird because of how tricky it was to see, and the tricky plumage and bill details, yet the bird was also calm and tolerant of people and cars close by, and it was in excellent light this morning. For me it's the first time I've seen this species well enough to be certain, thanks to the cooperation of several birders, starting with Mark Miller who first noticed the bird, took photos, and looked closely at them. Thanks also again to Montezuma NWR for constructing habitat which can be viewed so closely by the public.
I understand that the rare times when Red Phalaropes are seen in our area are typically late in the season like this, when Red-necked Phalaropes are less likely, so it's best to double-check any late phalaropes.
I look forward to seeing photos by the many people who saw this bird!
--Dave Nutter
On Oct 09, 2011, at 08:03 AM, 6072292...@vtext.com wrote:
CayugaRBA RED PHALAROPE refound by Mark Miller, open water of shorebird flats, wildlife dr, Montezuma NWR 8am.
--Dave Nutter
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