Red-Necked Phalaropes

Since it was an early tide last Wednesday, I had lots of time to bird other than just Bottle Beach. Despite considerable walking, though, I didn’t end up seeing very much. I even went to Tokeland twice because someone said there were curlews to be seen. By the time I got back, the gulls seemed to have displaced them.

So I was especially pleased when i say a pair of Red-Necked Phalaropes, though not in breeding colors, at Midway Beach. They weren’t shy and the bright sun insured that I got some of the best shots I’ve ever gotten of them.

When I first got there, the pair were swimming rapidly, apparently hunting insects. This is the way I’ve always seen them before.

Red-Necked Phalarope

I was pleasantly surprised when they started wading through the reeds, something I’d not seen before.

Red-Necked Phalarope

As a photographer, I’m as interested in the setting as I am in the subject itself and I thought the reeds provided and interesting background, nearly as interesting as the reflections in this shot:

Red-Necked Phalarope

In fact, I suspect that with a background like that I might even be tempted to go all Photoshopy and make the background as important as the Phalarope itself,

Red-Necked Phalarope

which it is, of course, because habitat is increasingly critical for all wildlife.

2 thoughts on “Red-Necked Phalaropes”

  1. Enjoyed your photos. I saw the Wilson’s yesterday and want to some day see the re-necked. Like you said “something I have not seen before” Linda

Comments are closed.