Wilson's Phalarope
Phalaropus tricolor (Vieillot, 1819) (0, 1)
Photo © Phil Woollen - Burton Mere Wetlands, Cheshire & Wirral, 27 September 2021
STATUS
Nearctic. Monotypic.
OVERVIEW
Record as per BOU (1971).
1950-57 RECORD
1). 1954 Fife Rosyth, 11th September to 5th October.
(F. D. Hamilton & K. S. MacGregor, Scottish Naturalist 66: 188-190; F. D. Hamilton & K. S. MacGregor, British Birds 48: 15-17; E. V. Baxter, Scottish Naturalist 68: 2-3; BOURC (1956), Ibis 98: 155; Thom, 1986).
History F. D. Hamilton & K. S. MacGregor (1955) in British Birds, Vol. XLVIII. pp. 15-17, say: 'On the afternoon of the 11th September 1954 we were bird-watching on an area of reclaimed ground between North Queensferry and Rosyth Dockyards, Fife, where there are two shallow fresh water pools. The two pools are separated from each other by a raised bank, and it was whilst watching from behind this bank that we came across a noticeably pale wader which was feeding beside a party of Ruff (Philomachus pugnax). The bird immediately excited our curiosity and, at first, due to the general pale colouring and method of feeding we suspected a phalarope (Phalaropus sp.) in winter plumage. After a few moments, however, we realised that the bird had yellow legs, and when it fluttered a few yards, saw that it had no wing-bar. It also had a white rump and tail. We then knew that this was something most unusual and the following description is compiled from notes taken on the spot by ourselves and others, especially D. G. Andrew, Dr. W. J. Eggeling, Miss M. I. Kinnear, Prof. M. F. M. Meiklejohn and George Waterston.
Size approximately that of Curlew Sandpiper (Calidris testacea) which was also present. General appearance of a very white bird, with longish neck and small head. Bill black, straight, needle-like and slightly longer than the length of the head. Throat, breast and under-parts, pure white. Forehead, white with ashy-grey crown and nape. White eye-stripe, separated from white of under-parts by pale greyish line through eye, which continued down side of neck to join with grey of shoulder; the line on the right-hand side was more noticeable than that on the left, but it became less distinct, during the time the bird stayed. Mantle, ashy-grey as crown, scapulars and coverts darker, with faint buff edges, giving a scaly appearance at close quarters, primaries, dark brown. Rump, white, as in Wood Sandpiper (Tringa glareola). Tail, white very faintly barred grey at tip. Underwing, white. Legs rather long and slender, colouring varying according to light conditions, appearing orange-yellow in bright light, and ochreous yellow at other times. Colour of feet similar.
From this description it is clear that the bird was a Wilson's Phalarope (Phalaropus tricolor) and it was first identified as such by D. G. Andrew from R. T. Peterson's American work A Field-Guide to the Birds. During the first few days the bird fed at the edge of the pool in a very energetic manner, running fast after insects, and picking these off the tops of the weeds and off the ground, with quick side to side movements of the head and it was not seen to probe at any lime. Whilst it was feeding the legs were flexed and the head and neck were held close and parallel to the ground, with the tail raised. Latterly, however, the bird spent a great deal of its time swimming: and apparently obtained its food from the bottom of the pool. On several occasions the Wilson's Phalarope was seen to spin very fast in one spot on land, 15-20 times, which is a characteristic habit of this species.
The bird was always silent, both on the ground and in flight, except on one occasion when it was heard to give a loud, nasal "aangh" when threatened by a Redshank (T. totanus). The flight was fast and purposeful, often with Redshanks and Dunlin (C. alpina), with which it kept in perfect formation, but on occasions it would break off and land on its own. When flying it appeared very much a grey bird, having rather a bullet-shaped body, whilst the legs projected slightly beyond the tail.
According to the outline given by A. C. Bent (1927, Life Histories of N. American Shore Birds, Part I), the Wilson's Phalarope breeds in southern Canada and the western United States as far north as Alberta and Saskatchewan, east to Ontario and Illinois, south to Indiana, Colorado and Nevada, west to California, Oregon and Washington. The wintering range does not appear to be exactly known, but most records come from South America and, to a lesser extent, Mexico.
On autumn passage, this species is a regular though fairly rare migrant on the east coast of the United States, from approximately Long Island southwards. The meteorological conditions for the ten days before the bird was first seen show that it might have reached Scotland via New York and the Quebec-Newfoundland region, thence across the Atlantic with a following wind of up to 40 m.p.h. A detailed discussion is not given owing to the uncertainty of the date of the bird's arrival. The appearance in late August or early September of a Stilt Sandpiper (Micropalama himantopus) in Yorkshire (see pages 18-20) and of three or more Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes) on the south coast of England also prove the existence of conditions permitting a transatlantic crossing.
The Wilson's Phalarope at Rosyth was last seen on 5th October and, during its stay of three and a half weeks, was watched by at least 60 different people, including, apart from those already mentioned, Miss E. V. Baxter, Dr. John Berry, A. G. S. Bryson, A. B. Duncan, I. J. Ferguson-Lees, Len Fullerton, P. A. D. Hollom, John Hoy, J. H. B. Munro, Dr. R. S. Weir and Tom Weir. We would like to express our gratitude to Admiral Robson for his courtesy in allowing various observers to spend so much time on the dockyard land.'
Admitted nationally as the first for Britain (BOURC (1956) Ibis 98: 155).
NOT PROVEN
0). 1886 Leicestershire & Rutland Sutton Ambien, Market Bosworth, obtained, undated, now at Mansfield Museum.
(Anon., Proceedings of the Zoological Society 1886: 297; Eds., Zoologist 1886: 256; Browne, 1889; Browne, 1907; Eds., British Birds 48: 17; H. Dixon, British Birds 48: 190-191).
[BOURC (1974), Ibis 116: 579].
History Anon. (1886) in the Proceedings of the Zoological Society, p. 297, at a meeting held on 18th May 1886, says: 'Mr. Joseph Whitaker, F.Z.S., exhibited a specimen of Wilson's Phalarope, Steganopus wilsoni (Sabine), believed to have been shot some years ago at Sutton Ambion [sic], near Market Bosworth in Leicestershire. Mr. Whitaker had found the bird stuffed in a case of local species of birds which had belonged to a Mr. Richard Bradfield, who stated that he shot the specimen in question on a small pond, into which the manure ran from his farm-yard, and the breast of the bird showed a stain which might have been so produced. The owner was quite unaware of the rarity of the species, looking upon it merely as a curiosity; and unless there should have been some accidental exchange at the bird-stuffer's, the evidence as to its genuineness seemed entitled to credence.'
In an Editorial (1886) in The Zoologist, 3rd series, Vol. X. p. 256, reporting on the Proceedings of the Zoological Society, of 18th May, 1886, it says: 'Mr. Joseph Whitaker exhibited a specimen of Wilson's Phalarope, said to have been obtained at Sutton Ambien, near Market Bosworth, in Leicestershire.'
Browne (1889: 151) says: '...Had Mr. Whitaker communicated with me, I might have saved him the trouble of putting up this ornithological skittle only to be knocked down promptly, for, as I saw it before he knew of its existence, I should not have failed to secure it for the Leicester Museum if I had the smallest grain of faith in its being locally obtained. To relieve the historian of the future of any further anxiety I may say that, being behind the scenes in this matter, I can emphatically state that Wilson's Phalarope was not obtained in the county, nor in Britain.'
Browne (1907 (1): 149) in the Victoria County History of Leicestershire, in a footnote, says: 'A specimen of Wilson's Phalarope, Steganopus Wilsoni (Sabine), is said to have been obtained at Sutton Ambien near Market Bosworth, and the occurrence was mentioned in the Proc. Zool. Soc. (1886), pt. 3, p. 297, and in the Zool. (1886), p. 256, but the authenticity of the record has not been fully established.'
In an Editorial (1955) in British Birds, Vol. XLVIII. p. 17, it says: 'Another report is quoted by Montagu Browne in the section "Birds" in A History of the County of Leicester (1907, p. 149) as follows: "A specimen of Wilson's Phalarope, Steganopus Wilsoni (Sabine), is said to have been obtained at Sutton Ambien near Market Bosworth, and the occurrence was mentioned in Proc. Zool. Soc. (1886), pt. 3, p. 297, and in the Zool. (1886), p. 256, but the authenticity of the record has not been fully established. This report is not mentioned in The Handbook.'
Hugh Dixon (1955) in British Birds, Vol. XLVIII. pp. 190-191, in a letter says: 'Sirs, - In your Editorial comment following the short paper on the Wilson's Phalarope (Phalaropus tricolor) in Fife in 1954. (antea, p. 17) you quote three previous reports of this species in the British Isles. One of these records is taken from Montagu Browne's A History of the County of Leicester. However, the same author had this to say about the record when writing in his book The Vertebrate Animals of Leicestershire and Rutland (1889) - "Had Mr. Whitaker (the person who exhibited the specimen at the Zoological Society meeting in 1886) communicated with me, I might have saved him the trouble of putting up this ornithological skittle only to be knocked down promptly, for, as I saw it before he knew of its existence, I should not have failed to secure it for the Leicester Museum if I had the smallest grain of faith in its being obtained locally. To relieve the historian of the future of any further anxiety, I may say that, being behind the scenes in this matter, I can emphatically state that Wilson's Phalarope was not obtained in the county nor in Britain".
As the above was published eighteen years before his reference to the record in A History of the County of Leicester, Mr. Browne did not apparently relieve himself of much anxiety!'
BOURC (1974) in The Ibis, Vol. CXVI. p. 579, quote Montagu Browne's statement and find it unacceptable.
Comment Probably imported. Not acceptable.
0). 1911 Shetland Near Scalloway, Mainland, female, killed, 10th June.
(F. W. Frohawk, Field 19th Nov., 1925: 879).
[BOU, 1971].
History F. W. Frohawk (1925) in The Field of 19th Nov., Vol. CXLVI. p. 879, says: 'On November 10th last, the disposal took place at Stevens' Auction Rooms, Covent Garden, of the first portion of the very remarkable collection of British birds, formed by the late Sir Vauncey Harpur Crewe, Bart., during about fifty years of his life....One of the rarest birds in the collection, a fine example of Wilson's Phalarope, was shot at Scalloway, Shetlands, June 10th, 1911 (the second example obtained in the British Islands), realised £9.10s.'
In an Editorial in British Birds, Vol. XLVIII. p. 17, it says: 'Another female in similar plumage was reported as killed near Scalloway in the Shetlands, June 10th 1911. It passed into the Harpur Crewe collection from which it too was bought by Mr. Griffith. But as no accurate data have been ascertained to corroborate the original report, this bird has been relegated, till further evidence may be available, to the general collection at the Church Street Museum [Brighton]. This report is not mentioned in The Handbook.'
Comment Harpur Crewe is a known discredited collector. Not acceptable.
0). 1925 Sussex Near Winchelsea, adult female, 1st May.
(Griffith, 1927; Walpole-Bond, 1938; Eds., British Birds 48: 16-17).
[E. M. Nicholson & I. J. Ferguson-Lees, British Birds 55: 299-384 HR].
History Walpole-Bond (1938 (3): 213) says: '...I may just add that very seldom indeed has this bird occurred anywhere else in the whole of Europe, and that so far it has not on universal recognition as a genuine visitor to the eastern hemisphere. Perhaps, therefore, it should be bracketed.'
In an Editorial (1955) in British Birds, Vol. XLVIII. pp. 16-17, they say: 'In the Dyke Road Museum, Brighton, Sussex, there is a single specimen described as follows in the 5th edition of the Museum's Catalogue of Cases (1927, pp. 199-200) by the editor, A. F. Griffith: "This bird, almost if not quite the first of the kind to be recorded as obtained in Europe, was shot by Mr. W. Clarke of Mann Street, Hastings, near Winchelsea, Sussex, on the 1st May 1925 and taken to Bristow to be stuffed. It was examined the next day, before being skinned, by Mr. W. Ruskin Butterfield.
A female, in her charming bridal plumage, she must have come a long way round from her usual nesting quarters in North America. This plumage is only assumed for about three months in the summer, the winter being spent in the southerly parts of the American continent, even as far south as Patagonia and the Falklands; the winter plumage, as in the case of the other two Phalaropes, being much less striking, though still beautiful. It was bought through Mr. Bristow's good offices by Mr. A. F. Griffith and given to the Museum.
The Sussex record is included in John Walpole-Bond's A History of the Birds of Sussex (1938, p. 213) with the following comment: "so far it has not received universal recognition as a genuine visitor to the eastern hemisphere. Perhaps, therefore, it should be bracketed. This report is not mentioned in The Handbook.'
Comment Hastings rarity. Not acceptable.
