Morning view

  

Stopped briefly on the way to work this morning (20 November 2025) to photograph a couple of Red Phalaropes (Phalaropus fulicarius).  They were feeding along Westshore Road near a raft of sea lettuce (Ulva sp.) 

 

  

 

 

Storm birds

  

During a break in the rain this afternoon (22 November 2024), I noticed a couple of Red Phalaropes (Phalaropus fulicarius) at the north end of Bodega Harbor — blown in from offshore by the recent storm.

 

 

 

 

Fall phalarope

  

  Juvenile Red-necked Phalarope (Phalaropus lobatus) in Bodega Bay on 28 September 2023.

Along the shoreline

  

There are still some Red Phalaropes around in Bodega Harbor, so here's another photo before they head back out to sea.

8.5 inches so far

  

Wow, 8.5 inches of rain in Bodega Bay during the past 10 days, and the rain just keeps coming.

Above, an Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) with a surfperch (possibly a Redtail Surfperch, Amphistichus rhodoterus) during morning showers. 

Below, a Red Phalarope (Phalaropus fulicarius) in Bodega Harbor in the afternoon rain:

 

 

 

 

The phalarope and the squall

  

The recent storms have blown some Red Phalaropes (Phalaropus fulicarius) close to shore.  I noticed a least a handful along the Bodega Harbor shoreline today (10 January 2023).

Here's another shot from the outer coast.  I was trying to photograph the waves and the sky, but it looks like there are two phalaropes in the photo, flying across the wave splash.  [You can click on the image for a sharper version.]

 

 

 

ADDENDUM (11 January 2023): Just for fun, I followed up on Peter's comment re: black-and-white photography and converted the phalarope image above to black and white:

 

Fringed -- Part 2

 Okay, here's the mystery photo I showed last night:

 

 

And the answer to the mystery is...

 

...a close-up of the foot of a Red-necked Phalarope (Phalaropus lobatus).  Although not the same bird, here's a photo of a Red-necked Phalarope from 2012 where you can see the feet:

 

 

 

Yesterday I found a dead phalarope on a road.  Based on the location and the conditions (very foggy and windy), I think it's likely the phalarope hit a wire in flight.  When I went to move the phalarope off the road, I was struck by its amazing feet.

 

Phalaropes have lobate feet — rather then webbing extending between all of the toes (like a duck), there are flaps that extend out to either side of each segment of the toes.  This design likely assists with swimming and stirring the water to bring prey up to the surface.  Here's a view of the foot from the side:

 

 

 

 

I'm fascinated by the little fringes along the edges of the lobes.  I don't know what the benefit of this structure would be.  Do you?  Here's another view from the other side:

 

 

 

 

And if you're curious, here's a view from below, looking at the bottom of the foot:

 

 

 

 

Along with a close-up:

 

 

 

 

While taking these photographs, I heard a phalarope calling overhead and then looked up to see a large flock of phalaropes wheeling over the grassland.  I scrambled to get my larger camera out of the car and managed a couple of quick photos.  Here's one for the record.  How many birds do you think are in this flock?  (My estimate is below.)

 

 

 

I counted 250 phalaropes in this photo...and I think I missed a few birds, so the entire flock was slightly larger than this.  They're migrating north to the tundra for the breeding season, so I'll be wishing them a successful journey.

Reaching for the...

...flies!

 

 

 

Near the Bodega Bay Post Office this afternoon (7 September 2021), I noticed several Red-necked Phalaropes (Phalaropus lobatus) feeding near the shoreline in Bodega Harbor.  It must be a good spot for catching flies.  I'm guessing this site is in a bit of a lee and that the flies are concentrated here and perhaps easier to catch.  [Dragonflies do this, too — feed on flying insects in the lee of trees and shrubs.]

I have some more questions and perhaps some video of this fly-catching behavior, but I'm running out of time tonight, so here are a couple of photos for now.  

 

Above, I'm guessing you'll be able to spot the fly just ahead of the phalarope's bill.  And below, note the fly that's just been caught and is visible at the tip of the phalarope's bill.  [You can click on the images for larger versions.]

 

Out of thin air

 

Cathy mentioned she's been seeing some Red-necked Phalaropes (Phalaropus lobatus) at Salmon Creek, so I went for a short walk there before work this morning (26 August 2021).  It was foggy and gray with hardly any wind, and perhaps that was a setup for an interesting feeding behavior.  

Although I'm used to seeing phalaropes picking insects (or other invertebrates) out of the water or off the surface, this morning many of the phalaropes were snatching flies out of the air!  In the photo above, can you see the fly above the phalarope's bill?

Here's another phalarope leaping into the air to catch a fly, ballet-style:

 

 

And a couple more:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Such an interesting behavior to watch.

 

At the other end of the day, after work, I stopped to look at some shorebirds on the mudflats in Bodega Harbor.  The sun was out but it was very low on the horizon — beautiful conditions, and more phalaropes!

 

 

 

 

 

A nice way to start and end the day!

Waiting out the wind

  

Well, when it comes to phalaropes, I just can't help myself.  I caught up with a few more Red-necked Phalaropes (Phalaropus lobatus) in the early evening (20 May 2021).  So here's another selection of these beautiful sea-shorebirds that spend nine months out of the year at sea, but that we're lucky to observe at the coast every now and then.

Hunkered down in the wind:

 

 

Female preening:

 

 

 

 Male walking along the shoreline and then preening:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And one more.  I was hoping for a nice flight shot.  I didn't have much luck tonight, but here's the best so far:

 

 

 

Stopping by on the way to the Arctic

 

 

Shorebird week continues!  I recently came across several Red-necked Phalaropes (Phalaropus lobatus).  They were busy feeding, so I just sat quietly and watched for a few minutes.  Luckily I had my camera and larger lens at the time.  Here are a couple of photos of the brighter female:

 

 

 

 

And several of a browner/grayer male:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I've heard of a few other phalarope reports recently — they're migrating through this region on their way to breeding areas in the Arctic.  Although they're usually farther offshore, with the windy conditions of today/tomorrow, more might be pushed towards the coast.  Sometimes phalaropes show up in the marsh/entrance pond at Doran Beach, or near the mouth of Salmon Creek, so if you're in those areas, keep your eyes open!

 

 

 

At the creek

Adrian posted some nice shorebird sightings from Salmon Creek last night, so I went for a short walk there this morning (29 August 2020).

A few examples:

 

 Baird's Sandpiper (Calidris bairdii) trying to land in a patch of Ditch-grass (Ruppia maritima)

 

Pectoral Sandpiper (Calidris melanotos) on the opposite shoreline

Red-necked Phalarope (Phalaropus lobatus) preening in the creek

Red-necked Phalarope (Phalaropus lobatus) feeding near shore

Stilt success

I had heard that Lisa had found a Stilt Sandpiper (Calidris himantopus) near the upper reaches of the Estero Americano, so I swung by there today (16 July 2020) on my way home.

Luckily, Gene spotted the Stilt Sandpiper not long after I arrived.  It was far away, but the views were still decent through a spotting scope.  My camera lens wasn't quite strong enough for a good photo, but here's one for the record, since it's the first Stilt Sandpiper I've seen in Sonoma County.  (Most Stilt Sandpipers migrate through the interior regions of the North America, so they're rare on the West Coast.)

 

There were a lot of nice shorebirds in this marsh today, so here are a few more examples:

 

Black-necked Stilts (Himantopus mexicanus) — the juveniles have pale edges on their back feathers, making them look "scaly" in comparison to the adults.  [Three adults in the foreground and three juveniles in the background.]

 

Another distant view, but note the Wilson's Phalarope (Phalaropus tricolor), the paler bird behind the feeding dowitchers.

 

Young Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) in pursuit of a dowitcher (Limnodromus sp.).  [After a long chase, the falcon won.]

Many thanks to all of the local birders who posted information about the Stilt Sandpiper.  It's much appreciated!