phalarope

I really love it when a rare bird shows up, you give chase, and there it is, right where they said it would be. Served up on a silver platter, just the way I like it. Such was the case with today’s Red Phalarope. Word got out yesterday, I tried to sleep last night, I ran over to Patagonia Lake State Park, and there it was. Red is the most pelagic of the phalaropes. It is only accidental in Arizona and is rarely seen from land anywhere. So this is a real good one for the list.

Another good one there was Greater Scaup. Now scaup can be tricky but this bird was side-by-side with 2 Lesser Scaup so the comparison was obvious – green head/purple head, flank color, head shape, the works. At one point they all swam in close for knee-buckling views! Meanwhile, back at the feeders, I caught this Lazuli Bunting scarfing down one more seed:

Not all is rosy in Patagonia. Once again I am stiffed by Green Kingfisher. In Patagonia! It shows daily, probably on the hour with a matinee. But I couldn’t find it. Sorry for the rest of the birders there but if I couldn’t find it I’m glad you couldn’t either.

On the way back I stopped at the Paton House in Patagonia and added Violet-crowned Hummingbird. A visit to Taco Bell completed the day. I added these birds today: Clark’s Grebe/Red Phalarope/Greater Scaup/Double-crested Cormorant/Common Loon/Neotropical Cormorant/Violet-crowned Hummingbird (171).

Postscript – If you are thinking about chasing the phalarope, word on the street is that later in the morning it was predated by a Red-tailed Hawk. Lights out – show’s over.