The Wonder of Wilson...(Bolivar Peninsula, Texas): 20 April

Backtracking to the middle of the day, noon saw me out with a group down on the shore with Christian Boix. Frenchtown Road on the southern end of the Bolivar Peninsula has been irresistible of late, and today was no different. I had barely got my 'scope upright when Christian was onto a beautiful brick Red Knot, doing a bad job of trying to hide among a group of "rusting" Short-billed Dowitchers. Least Sandpipers weaved in and out of the grasses at the edge of the pool, although the beastly Clapper Rail in the same area was a little more obvious. A Sora on the back edge of the marshy pool was much appreciated too. However, a couple of striking objects bolting out of the sky and dropping into the pool like avian missiles had Christian and I scrambling for our 'scopes: a pair of Wilson's Phalaropes had dramatically dropped in, superb. A little later someone pointed out the pair had moved in closer so I set my camera on my scope and pressed record. When I looked closer though I realized this was not the same pair at all, as this one held a "dull" male in its midst, but the first two were clearly "flawless" females. A quick scan of the marsh ended the confusion: there were two pairs to feast on. Magical shorebirds.