Red Phalarope

[bo nelson]

I'm liking this bird as a Red Phalarope but worried.  I took this photo today about 5 miles off Bodega Bay, CA.  I was salmon fishing so I didn't pay much attention to getting a good photo.  There were four of these guys out there at least.

[DLecy]

Indeed, this is a molting Red Phalarope. The feathers on the uppers are all gray, the bird's bill is stout (for a Phalaropus sp.), the base of the bill is yellow, and the feathers at the base of the bill are dark. The red also surrounds most of the neck and extends to the underparts of the bird.

They are just starting to move trough the region in good numbers, so the timing of your observation is spot on.

[bo nelson]

Thanks