RED-NECKED PHALAROPE at Keyhaven Lagoon A juvenile RED-NECKED PHALAROPE remains for a third day at Keyhaven Marshes, showing very well on the lagoons. Sometimes stands still and catches flying insects; rarely pursues insects in the air. Also eats shrimp, copepods, seeds of marsh plants. But those sightings had both been distant so the attraction now was the exceptionally close views the Hants bird was said to be offering, and hopefully the opportunity to take my first pictures of the species (below). Membership benefits include one year of Audubon magazine and the latest on birds and their habitats. Look For Wilson’s phalarope, a member of the sandpiper family, is the largest of the three phalarope species. I felt glad to have done these two twitches of my own in the order that I did. Choose a temperature scenario below to see which threats will affect this species as warming increases. Protection of staging areas for migrants (such as Mono Lake, California) is important for survival. Spread the word. Wilson's Phalarope. An The Wilson's Phalarope is the largest of the phalarope species, and is usually quite tame and approachable within the state. Overwhelmed and Understaffed, Our National Wildlife Refuges Need Help. I myself have participated in enough such events over the years but it is not a scenario I especially enjoy. Visit your local Audubon center, join a chapter, or help save birds with your state program. Every year in late summer, migrating Wilson's Phalaropes put on an amazing show as enormous flocks amass on salty lakes of the West. I arrived on site at Pennington Marsh just before midday, using the small parking area at the end of Lower Pennington Lane from Lymington SO41 8FU (SZ318927). Mostly aquatic insects and crustaceans. In migration, may stop at ponds, coastal marshes, sewage treatment plants, but biggest concentrations are at salty or alkaline lakes. A female Wilson's Phalarope (Phalaropus tricolor) wades the shallow brine waters in search of food on Chaplin Lake east of Swift Current, Saskatchewan, Canada. Pennington Marshes, Hampshire. During breeding season, the female has a dark gray back and brown and black wings. Pennington Marsh and Grey Phalarope on Hayling Island - 17th September In a chilly north-easterly wind I was once again at Pennington Marsh. Wilson’s wades much more, swimming far less persistently and it is more at home on land. Wilson’s phalarope (P. tricolor) breeds primarily in interior western North America and migrates chiefly to the Argentine pampas. Nest site is usually on ground near water, sometimes a couple of inches above ground in marsh plants. The presence of a seemingly settled Nearctic wader on the Hampshire coast was a sufficient draw to tempt me out for a second time in three days. Young: Downy young leave nest within a day after hatching. Wilson's Phalarope by Neil Hilton 134 19 Keyhaven, Hampshire. According to RBA the Phalarope was frequenting the south-eastern end of Fishtail Lagoon, one of the several saline water bodies that lie behind the sea wall. On reaching home, I checked my phone and to my shock the top message was 'Wilson's Phalarope showing well at west end of Fishtail Lagoon', reported at 11:15 I must have walked right past this bird at around 10:15. The latter two both swim hyperactively while spinning and pecking at the water’s surface for food. Wilson's Phalarope. The bird then found at Pennington Marshes in Hampshire a week later was probably the same bird relocating southwards. Photo: Jason Crotty/Flickr (CC BY 2.0). Audubon protects birds and the places they need, today and tomorrow. Zoom in to see how this species’s current range will shift, expand, and contract under increased global temperatures. Now it had been wished “Rise today … and all that” by more than 100 birders, whose parked cars must have pleased the farmer no end. A possible Wilson's Phalarope was on a roadside lagoon near Filey, North Yorkshire, on 30th, although wasn't to be found there the following day. I remembered the location from previous visits here but still checked with birders walking the other way to be sure. The presence of a seemingly settled Nearctic wader on the Hampshire coast was a sufficient draw to tempt me out for a second time in three days. The bird then found at Pennington Marshes in Hampshire a week later was probably the same bird relocating southwards. I’ve been birding in Pennington Marshes many times before, it’s very “birdie” and has pulled in a number of national rarities in the past. Legal Notices Privacy Policy Contact Us. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. In Somerset, Stert Island's Kentish Plover was last noted on 26th, while the juvenile Pacific Golden Plover … They feed like many phalaropes, spinning in circles on the water to bring food items to the surface. I sat at my desk and completed some urgent work, the rest can wait till later and I headed back down to Pennington. At first I walked back along the sea wall to scan for the bird but soon reasoned it would be better to re-join the remains of the group and see what transpired. While all this was going on I received news of the huge dawn twitch that had taken place just within Cambridgeshire where the Lammergeier had catered for a further county’s listers by roosting overnight at a farm beside an open road. The behaviour of this largest and longest billed of the Phalaropes is very different from its more common Red-necked and Grey cousins. Part of Pennington Marsh Walking across the marsh along the coastal path we saw several species, Brent Geese, Shelduck, Curlew, Redshank, Wigeon, Teal, Shoveler and Pintail were some of the first sightings. She has a gray head, white cheeks, and a black stripe that runs across her eyes to her bill. Two weeks ago a Wilson's Phalarope had been found at the WWT reserve of Martin Mere in Lancashire and we had made plans to go and see that but, after staying for a few days, it predictably disappeared just before the weekend. More from Mike Trew. Lives of North American Birds. 4, sometimes 3. On Friday morning news broke of a Wilson's Phalarope on Fishtail Lagoon at Pennington. Learn more about these drawings. She has a light reddish-brown throat and neck and a white belly and rump. Female is brighter; paler crown and greyer upperparts. Picks up small items from surface of water, sometimes probes in soft mud. Female may take the lead in choosing nest site, but male finishes nest. A small crowd of possibly 20 observers was pointed out in the distance, but on my arrival they were dispersing as apparently my quest had flown. My own past records here are Pectoral Sandpiper (Aug 1997), Semipalmated Sandpiper (Sep 2013) and Long-billed Dowitcher (Sep 2016 – see here). Wilson's Phalarope : first-winter: Taken: Yesterday : Pennington Marshes (Hampshire) Date Added: Today : Photo: Jim Hutchins: Photographer's: RBA gallery : Back to Gallery Index Next Pennington Marshes, Hampshire & the Sussex Weald. Today’s bird demonstrated all this to good effect as I watched it on and off for more than an hour, sometimes down to less than 10 metres. These 5 Threatened Places Could Be Spared Under Biden, Top Wins for Birds 2020: State Efforts to Address Climate Change. Age of young at first flight and age at independence unknown. Spoonbill Pennington Feb 2016: Long-tailed Duck Pennington Feb 2016: ... Wilson's Phalarope, Farlington, Hampshire: Blackpoll Warbler, St Mary's, Isles of Scilly: ... Grey Phalarope, Pennington 3 Oct 1998: 1997. A Wilson’s Phalarope at Pennington Marsh, Hants – 10th Oct. 19/10/20: WILSON'S PHALAROPE: Fishtail Lagoon, Pennington: 1: K Churcher: 11:00: in very close you could have touched it. Male tends young and broods them while they are small, but young find all their own food. There I watched it partially obscured for some minutes before it flew off again. Meet our team. So instead of spending another day combing a corner of Kent for something out of the ordinary Barry Wright, James Hunter and I headed to Hampshire to twitch the Wilson's Phalarope. In breeding plumage, both sexes have dark lines extending from their eyes down the neck. The other two species of phalaropes nest in the Arctic and winter at sea, but Wilson's is a bird of inland waters, nesting mostly on the northern Great Plains. Downy young leave nest within a day after hatching. Date Species Site Count Observer; 20/10/20: WILSON'S PHALAROPE: Keyhaven: 1: H E ... Then returned to continue feeding amongst reeds. In breeding plumage, the female has a striking broad black stripe running from the base of the bill, through the eye and down the neck, and chestnut-reddish markings on the neck, breast and back. Wilson's Phalarope is an odd shorebird that swims and spins on prairie marshes. The bird returned around 90 minutes later and was reported again in the same location through several more days. Distinguishing characteristics of Wilson’s phalarope include a very thin, straight bill; gray wings; poorly defined facial markings in nonbreeding plumage; and a pronounced white rump. Park sensibly at the end of Lower Pennington Lane then walk towards the sea wall. In courtship, female stretches neck, puffs out neck feathers, makes chugging call. This feature is not available right now. ( Log Out /  Age of young at first flight and age at independence unknown. Or take action immediately with one of our current campaigns below: The Audubon Bird Guide is a free and complete field guide to more than 800 species of North American birds, right in your pocket. Wilson’s Phalarope by Gordon Small – Oct 9th, Pennington Marshes. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. Saline lakes and their associated wetlands throughout Intermountain West create a network of critical habitat that millions of birds depend on for breeding, resting and feeding during migration, and wintering. We hope that visitors to Hampshire will also find it useful. To order, click here. The National Audubon Society protects birds and the places they need, today and tomorrow, throughout the Americas using science, advocacy, education, and on-the-ground conservation. Please try again later. Wilson's Phalarope : Taken: Today : Pennington Marshes (Hampshire) Date Added: Today : Showed well until flushed by Sparrowhawk : Photo: Ted Smith: Photographer's: RBA gallery : Back to Gallery Index Previous Next Incubation is by male only, 18-27 days, usually about 23 days. Audubon is working to identify, protect, and restore priority habitats in the Colorado River basin and around intermountain saline lakes. Wilson's phalarope is a subtly-patterned wader identifiable by its small head, long legs and black, needle-like bill. I had seen two previously at Staines Reservoir, Surrey in 1997 and Vange Marsh, Essex in September 2015 (see here). The same climate change-driven threats that put birds at risk will affect other wildlife and people, too. Spring migration in North America is mostly through Great Plains. Let us send you the latest in bird and conservation news. Typical nest is shallow depression with slight lining of grass. Forages mostly while swimming (but does more walking on shore than other phalaropes). They are passage migrants through Central America around March/April and again during September/October. Also like the other phalaropes, sex roles are somewhat reversed. Male may try to lure predators away from nest or young by performing broken-wing act. Just published. Change ), A day on the Sussex coast, featuring Red-throated Diver and a lesson concerning Purple Sandpipers – 12th Oct, A celebration of the Magpie Inkcap, plus The Sickener and other autumnal English fungi: 25 – 30th Oct, Some musings on Helicodiceros muscivorus, the “Dead Horse Arum” – 16th Oct, A Wilson’s Phalarope at Pennington Marsh, Hants – 10th Oct, THAT Lammergeier at Cowbit near Spalding, Lincs – 8th Oct, Short-toed Lark at Shackleford, Surrey – 19th Sep, My first dealings with Amorphophallus Aroids, and some musings on the genus (especially A titanum) – 18th Sep, Willow Emerald Damselfly expands its range into Oxfordshire: 13 – 17th Sep, Long-tailed Blue butterflies in Brighton, Sussex – 8th Sep, Second brood Wood White in Bucknell Wood, Northants – 29th July, 2015 British Butterflies - 9: Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary in Bentley Wood, Hants - 5th June, Some musings on Helicodiceros muscivorus, the "Dead Horse Arum" - 16th Oct, THAT Lammergeier at Cowbit near Spalding, Lincs - 8th Oct, Early summer Odonata in Hants and Oxon - 5 & 6th June, Alpine Accentor and Red-billed Chough on Sagres peninsula, Portugal - 5, 6 and 9th Jan, Royal and Lesser Crested Terns and more at Souss estuary, Agadir - 3rd Nov, A re-appointment with the Tamri / Cape Rhir Northern Bald Ibis flock in Morocco - 11th Feb, Four Hairstreak butterflies: Black, Sloe, Ilex and White-letter at home and abroad - 11th, 19th and 22nd June, 2015 British butterflies – 5: Marsh Fritillary and much more at Cotley Hill, Wilts + Wall Brown – 13th May. The Hampshire Ornithological Society (HOS) records and publishes information about wild birds in the county of Hampshire, England. Phalaropes reverse the usual sex roles in birds: Females are larger and more colorful than males; females take the lead in courtship, and males are left to incubate the eggs and care for the young. Eats a variety of flies and their larvae, beetles, true bugs, and other insects, mainly aquatic species. Females compete for males; one female may mate with more than one male during the season, leaving each of her mates to care for a set of eggs. Audubon’s scientists have used 140 million bird observations and sophisticated climate models to project how climate change will affect this bird’s range in the future. This image is currently not in any albums. So I drove to Vange Marsh RSPB, and in the rain, the Wilson's Phalarope was showing well albeit distantly in the rain. Photo: Dick Dickinson/Audubon Photography Awards, Breeding adult male. Illustration © David Allen Sibley. At 14:00 pm the Phalarope suddenly flew high then departed south towards the Isle of Wight, so I decided to head home feeling more than pleased with the day’s outcome. Wilson's Phalarope is an odd shorebird that swims and spins on prairie marshes. Wilsons is a highly professional team of Czech and foreign lawyers, that was established by four of its partners in 2007 with a view to offering high level legal advice on a par with international law firms operating in the Czech and Slovak Republics, but with a more hands-on and personal approach. Wilson's Phalarope: This medium-sized sandpiper has grey-brown upperparts, red-brown streaks on back and shoulders, red-brown markings on white underparts, grey crown, white face, black eye-line, a black needle-like bill, grey wings and a white tail and rump. All rights reserved. Feeds on crane flies and brine shrimp. Your support helps secure a future for birds at risk. Buff, blotched with brown. This web site is for members and potential members of HOS. ( Log Out /  Wilson's Phalarope Recent sightings of Wilson's Phalarope. Being told by some people around me that the WP favoured this spot and would keep coming back, I elected to stay there and wait rather than chase it up and down the lagoon. Wilson's phalarope is about nine inches in length. There was no doubt this would spark a major twitch and with parking a premium at Pennington we had to decide what would be the best time to arrive. We opted for 6:30, just under an hour before sun rise. Phalaropes are truly wonders of the avian world. Unlike other drying lakes, Utah has the opportunity to change course and avoid those costs. I had expected to see it swirling round on the water and Dave said it had done so earlier. Wilson’s Phalarope is an annual vagrant to the British Isles, with most records being of juvenile birds such as this one in autumn. Once it had moved through the fence and onto the water the WP proceeded to put on quite a show as apparently it had been doing all morning. Has lost many nesting areas owing to draining of prairie marshes, but still numerous. Help power unparalleled conservation work for birds across the Americas, Stay informed on important news about birds and their habitats, Receive reduced or free admission across our network of centers and sanctuaries, Access a free guide of more than 800 species of North American birds, Discover the impacts of climate change on birds and their habitats, Learn more about the birds you love through audio clips, stunning photography, and in-depth text. A restlessness had settled on my spirit after a day on the road on Thursday, and this shorter distance twitch (87 miles) would fill the day ahead quite nicely. Two Grey Phalarope were also present in the period covered by this post, but I didn’t see them myself. During autumn and winter on salty lakes, may feed mostly on brine shrimp and brine flies. We protect birds and the places they need. This area of the 1200 hectare Lymington & Keyhaven Marshes LNR, administered by Hampshire County Council and the Hants and IoW Wildlife Trust (see here), regularly attracts scarcer passage waders. Bald Eagle. Two weeks ago a Wilson's Phalarope had been found at the WWT reserve of Martin Mere in Lancashire and we had made plans to go and see that but, after staying for a few days, it predictably disappeared just before the weekend. 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