Dave,
I'm not an expert on phalaropes, but Wilson's doesn't have a white wing
stripe, I believe. Alternatively, the wing stripe on the red phalarope
that was at Lilypons las week was VERY prominiant and distince despite the
bird being clearing in a transitional plumage (i.e., molting).
Great find!!
Dave
On Thu, May 16, 2013 at 12:18 PM, David Mozurkewich <mozurk...>
> wrote:
>
>
> This morning, May 16, 2013, there was a Wilson's Phalarope in
> Billingsley marsh. It was feeding with two Lesser Yellowlegs and a
> flock of Least Sandpipers on the big mudflat along Railroad Creek and
> was last seen flying north or northeast with the yellowlegs. The Leasts
> stayed for a few more minutes until the mud was entirely underwater.
>
> Billingsley Marsh is the wetland north of where the Western Branch
> enters the Patuxent River. It is best viewed from Mount Calvert
> although I am pretty sure this mudflat is not visible from dry land.
>
> Although the view was not the best -- fairly distant and from a rocking
> boat -- the identification is pretty straightforward. It appeared a
> little smaller and slimmer than the yellowlegs (but substantially
> larger than the Leasts). The light rusty patch on the side of its upper
> breast and lower neck is what drew our attention to the bird. It had a
> thick, black band across its face which separated its light forehead
> and cap from its equally light throat, neck and underparts. I did not
> get a useful look at either its bill or legs. When the bird took
> flight we all noted its plain upperwings (i.e no wing stripe). Perhaps
> it is due to old age, or perhaps just the couple of decades that have
> elapsed since I last observed alternate plumage phalaropes (or any
> phalaropes in flight), but I was expecting a Wilson's to have a
> prominent white wing stripe. Not seeing it bothered me at the time; I
> attributed its absence to the brief view and less-than-ideal conditions.
>
> I have not found any illustrations that exactly match what I saw on
> this bird although I believe the light underparts and the lack of a dark
> cap eliminates the other two phalaropes and the thick black bar across
> its face suggests an alternate plumage female.
>
> Good birds appear when the camera is staying dry in the car.
>
> David Mozurkewich
> Seabrook MD
>
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David M. Kidwell
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