After a long day of birding yesterday I was resting before doing the first of my Eastern Whip Poor Will surveys for the season after sunset (more on those surveys later). While sitting around catching up on emails I got a text from Theresa telling me she located three Red necked Phalaropes in the same small pool one was found just a couple days before. I had her send me a few photos and she sent some blurry back of camera photos that looked very interesting. I quickly had her send a few more in focus shots and we both quickly determined the birds were all Wilson's Phalaropes and not Red necked Phalaropes. I knew I would not be able to make it over with the quickly fading light and my previous obligation for a survey. I quickly texted a few people and some living close were able to make it there before the sun set and got to see the birds. I completed my survey late and finally got to bed and tried to get some sleep before I planned to make the trip over to Northampton at first light in the hopes they would still be there. I got up and going before the sun was up and made it to the East Meadows just before five as it was getting light and found both Derek and Joe already there. It was just getting light enough to see and although there were a number of shorebirds enjoying the small muddy puddle the phalaropes were not seen right away. After a bit of scanning Derek relocated them and we all got great looks of them as they actively fed among the mud and old corn stalks. With the great migration conditions last night I was pleasantly surprised to still have the birds present this morning. As the sun came up the views got better but the lighting was less than ideal as you had to look into the sun while viewing the puddle in the morning. The birds stayed through at least the morning and allowed many others to see the very rare visitors to the area. The last sighting of the species was back in 2004 at Arcadia where it fed in a flooded field for a single day before moving on. A true rarity in the valley and only the second time I have ever had the species in Hampshire County. Amazing to get two species of phalarope in the same small puddle in the matter of just a few days...makes me wonder when a Red Phalarope will drop in there.
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