Whitesbog's Wilson's

Last week a visitor from the west spent a day at Whitesbog, which is practically our back yard (if you don't count all the other yards in-between).

A Wilson's Phalarope. A shore bird usually found west of the Mississippi (check out the range map by clicking the link).

Patty was alerted to its presence via one of the may bird alerts she subscribes to. And she alerted me. So I headed on over and she would meet me when she finished work.

The bird was in Union Pond. Not knowing which pond was Union Pond when I got there I drove around.

I was told the bird was "on mud". I found a bird on mud.

Bald Eagle

It was not a Phalarope. Still cool to see though.

Lesser Yellowlegs

This isn't a Phalarope either. But it's closer.

This is a Wilson's Phalarope.

As it this (the same one in fact). No longer on the mud, a strip of which can be seen in the foreground.

Turns out Union Pond is the first pond on the left as one leaves the village for the bogs.

Image courtesy whitesbog Preservation Trust

I had done a quick scan of the pond on the way in, but did not see the Phalarope, nor any other birds. But after touring all the other 'ponds' I found our friend Terry's (in the red shirt) truck parked at the southwest corner of the pond. "The bird is here" she shouted. And so it was.

Very cool.