Phalaropes - Birds of a Different Feather

Detail below..

“ A flock of PHalaropes wing out of the fog and settle on the rollers. The open seas between Homer Spit and the south side of Kachemak Bay act as a funnel, channeling beach debris and other detritus carried out and brought in by the tides to gather here.

Phalaropes come to these tidal rips to feed on plankton sheltering in mats of floating kelp. They appear dull grey, already wearing their drab winter feather. They float like corks, busily swing in tight circles, probing the sea with their long, narrow beaks, then take to the air, flying quickly away, disappearing into the fog hanging low on the sea. ”

An excerpt from Bill Kitzmiller's Kachemak Wilderness Notes.