Red Phalarope gets me to 990

Red Phalarope - breeding female

     Red Phalaropes are pelagic and seldom seen away from the ocean, except at their breeding grounds in north Alaska, arctic and a part of Greenland. Late Saturday morning, I got a report of a Red Phalarope north of Houston. Over the afternoon more people were reporting it with good close photos. I read that the bird was co-operative and sometimes feeding within 10 feet of people. Importantly it was a female in breeding plumage. Phalaropes look colourful in breeding plumage, and the female is more colourful than the male, unlike the other bird species. Driving five hours to see this bird versus maybe seeing it in Alaska when I need to target the Eiders was a thought that was playing in my mind. I let Saturday go through. It was reported on Sunday morning too. So, I decided to see it and be back before evening. I ate a quick breakfast, made tea and left home around 9:30 am. I reached Jersey Village Jogging Trail near Houston around noon. It was hot, and I went to a couple of parking lots before seeing a few birders at a distance. As I was getting out, a birder told me where to go and I quickly walked to the spot. It was easy to see once I reached the spot and I joined a few other birders to have prolonged looks at the bird. The bird was indeed co-operative and gave us excellent looks. Checklist - https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S57001405. I made the 2.5 hrs drive back without any stops feeling mentally good.

     With this I have seen all three Phalarope species of the world. The Phalaropes are interesting in that male and female behavior is reversed - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phalarope

Red Phalarope - breeding female