Red Phalarope

Gallery: AvianPosted June 13, 2010107 views17 comments

Red Phalarope (Phalaropus fulicaria)

Place: Gilbert, AZ
Date: June 3, 2010, 7:03 pm
Equipment: Nikon D200, Nikkor AF-S 300/2.8 & TC20E 2x), Gitzo 1325, RRS BH-55, Sidekick, SB-800
Exposure: Aperture priority matrix metered. ISO 400, 1/250th at f/7.1, fill flash
Raw, PS CS3 on Mac G4, 77% of frame (crop required after correcting a 3.5 degree tilt)

Red Phalaropes are pelagic shorebirds, except when on the breeding grounds or in migration. They are rare treats anywhere inland, and especially rare in Arizona. When not in breeding plumage this bird is known as Gray Phalarope in some parts of the world.

This is the third I've seen in AZ, and the first for Maricopa County in June. It was around for four days. Details at AZFO.org

A little tighter than I'd prefer - I needed to crop this after correcting for a 3.5 degree tilt.

Honest critiques requested; all comments appreciated. If possible please view large image before commenting.

Comments

17 comments

Comment posted by Luke Ormand on June 13, 2010 at 12:28 PM

Really excellent detail Richard with nice lighting - congrats on this rarity.

- Luke

Registered on February 4, 2009, 1093 Posts, 7035 Comments

Comment posted by Mia McPherson on June 13, 2010 at 12:45 PM

Rich

When I saw this bird posted on your blog I was hoping you would post it here. Great eye contact, angle, colors, details and sharpness. She really is a gorgeous bird!

Fine work as always.

Registered on June 25, 2007, 491 Posts, 12566 Comments

Comment posted by Brian Gatlin on June 13, 2010 at 1:08 PM

very nice shot of a great bird, Rich. detail is excellent. lacking more room in front, I might take a little more off the bottom. I'd be thrilled to have seen this, let alone capturing this shot--the only Red Phalarope I've seen in AZ (or ever) was in non-breeding plumage.

Registered on March 21, 2009, 202 Posts, 4187 Comments

Comment posted by Bill Maile on June 13, 2010 at 1:32 PM

Very cool Richard, you folks never cease to amaze me! Great story and find. Agree about the tightness, but you already explained that.

Registered on March 2, 2009, 984 Posts, 2518 Comments

Comment posted by Steve Balke on June 13, 2010 at 1:57 PM

Beautiful shot and very informative caption, Rich. I particularly like the feather detail and color here. The reflection is sufficiently distorted that it being incomplete went completely unnoticed by me initially. Actually, I think I like it better without a complete reflection anyway.

Registered on June 18, 2009, 229 Posts, 2915 Comments

Comment posted by Dan Harbour on June 13, 2010 at 2:38 PM

Great rich colors, and interesting pose. Nice detail and light.

Registered on January 4, 2008, 113 Posts, 2416 Comments

Comment posted by Ronnie Gaubert on June 13, 2010 at 4:17 PM

Hi Richard,
Not being a birder, I'm amazed at the variety of species I've never heard of before being posted here on NPN. Nice shot with good use off fill. Sharpness is fine even in the large image.
Thanks for posting,
Ronnie G.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 810 Posts, 3495 Comments

Comment posted by Simon Bennett on June 13, 2010 at 4:46 PM

Good view of breeding plumage and typical pose. Focus is spot-on.

Registered on February 4, 2007, 350 Posts, 4614 Comments

Comment posted by Cheryl Molennor on June 13, 2010 at 5:18 PM

Beautiful Richard.Nice soft light and great detail

Registered on June 30, 2009, 300 Posts, 5051 Comments

Comment posted by Ron Dudley on June 13, 2010 at 7:37 PM

Amazing Rich - you do come up with the rarities and always present them extremely well. The image is excellent.

Registered on March 30, 2007, 437 Posts, 10915 Comments

Comment posted by Nate Chappell on June 13, 2010 at 7:51 PM

Congrats on this rarity and a sweet image of it Richard.

Registered on February 1, 2006, 1158 Posts, 19528 Comments

Comment posted by David Haynes on June 13, 2010 at 10:54 PM

Superb detail Richard. Nice catch light in the eye. Beautiful bird. The incomplete reflection doesn't bother me at all. Colors are fantastic. I have never seen one of these birds before. I'll have to do some research. This is very sharp even with a 2X extender. Outstanding Richard.

Registered on February 20, 2010, 110 Posts, 1511 Comments

Comment posted by David Sparks on June 14, 2010 at 12:30 AM

Richard:
Congrats on getting such a fine image of this rare, for your area, bird. I saw Gray Phalarope in Iceland, but did not know they were Reds in non-breeding plumage. Terrific detail in the image and the bird gave you a very nice pose. I bet it was an exciting moment when you took the shot.

Registered on May 26, 2007, 290 Posts, 4270 Comments

Comment posted by David Chauvin on June 14, 2010 at 4:54 AM

Beautiful color and lots of detail in this one, Richard.

Looks like he's on the move.

Registered on August 5, 2004, 1007 Posts, 5595 Comments

Comment posted by Rob Drummond on June 14, 2010 at 6:37 AM

Excellent Richard - if it's anything like the phalaropes I've seen it never sits still. Great detail and i like the little bow wave

cheers
Rob

Registered on November 8, 2003, 617 Posts, 8267 Comments

Comment posted by Jim DeWitt on June 15, 2010 at 1:09 AM

Beautiful work, Richard, and congratulations on such a terrific capture of this rarity. The only place I've seen them is on the North Slope and around Barrow, and I don't have anything nearly this nice.

Registered on August 28, 2006, 1240 Posts, 8506 Comments

Comment posted by Derrick Lipinski on June 15, 2010 at 1:26 AM

Really spectacular detail about the head especially. Very nicely captured, Richard; congratulations!

Registered on October 5, 2007, 58 Posts, 2039 Comments