Rare Red Phalarope at Ridgefield

Home » Rare Red Phalarope at Ridgefield

Rare Red Phalarope at Ridgefield

Posted in

It’s been quite a while since I’ve spotted a lifer species for myself at the Ridgefield NWR, but with the location help of my brother, Gary, on Nov. 17, 2016, I was able to get this shot of a Red Phalarope (one of a pair).  This bird breeds in coastal Artic tundra and migrates over the ocean as opposed to land.  They winter in tropical waters as far south as Peru and Chile. The “Red” in the name comes mainly from the female of the species, whose body feathers turn a bright brick red during breeding season–the same time her bill turns yellow with a black tip.  As the crow flies, Ridgefield, Wa., is about 60 miles east of the Pacific Ocean which makes this a somewhat rare inland spotting.  As I took this picture, both birds were busy continually plunging their heads into the water which is why you see water droplets in the air.  The length of this bird is 8 to 8 1/2 inches with wingspan 16 to 17 inches.

LARGEVIEW!

Canon 7D Mark II, 1/1250, f4, ISO 800, 500mm, 12:56 p.m.

Posted in

It’s been quite a while since I’ve spotted a lifer species for myself at the Ridgefield NWR, but with the location help of my brother, Gary, on Nov. 17, 2016, I was able to get this shot of a Red Phalarope (one of a pair).  This bird breeds in coastal Artic tundra and migrates over the ocean as opposed to land.  They winter in tropical waters as far south as Peru and Chile. The “Red” in the name comes mainly from the female of the species, whose body feathers turn a bright brick red during breeding season–the same time her bill turns yellow with a black tip.  As the crow flies, Ridgefield, Wa., is about 60 miles east of the Pacific Ocean which makes this a somewhat rare inland spotting.  As I took this picture, both birds were busy continually plunging their heads into the water which is why you see water droplets in the air.  The length of this bird is 8 to 8 1/2 inches with wingspan 16 to 17 inches.

LARGEVIEW!

Canon 7D Mark II, 1/1250, f4, ISO 800, 500mm, 12:56 p.m.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

My Gear:

  • Canon EOS 5D Mark IV & Grip
  • Canon EOS 7D Mark II
  • Canon EF 500mm f4L IS II
  • Canon EF 24-105mm f4L
  • Canon EF 50mm f1.8
  • Canon 1.4X III Extender
  • Canon 2x III Extender
  • Canon 580EX Flash
  • Zoom H1 Recorder
  • Better Beamer
  • Manfrotto tripod/monopod
  • Manfrotto Gimbal Head
  • Sandisk Compact Flash Cards
  • The Molar Bean Bag by Vertex
  • Joby Gorillapod Focus & Ballhead
  • Canon EG200 Backpack
  • Storm Jacket Camera Cover
  • Kinesis Safari Sack
  • Original Bug Shirt Elite Edition

Software:

  • Adobe Photoshop CC
  • Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
  • Nik Color EFEX Pro 4
  • Nik Sharpener 3
  • Nik Dfine 2.0
  • Nik Viveza 2
  • Nik HDR Efex Pro 2
  • Nik Silver Efex Pro 2
  • Nik Analog Efex Pro