Wilson's Phalarope in Goldsboro, NC

[Barbarahunter919@aol.com]

This morning (Thu., Aug. 16) I checked out the Goldsboro (NC) Wastewater 
Treatment Plant.  Very few ducks and no hoped-for Black Terns, but lots of 
shorebirds:

Lesser Yellowlegs (3)
Spotted Sandpiper (1)
Pectoral Sandpiper (numerous)
Least Sandpiper (oodles)
Semipalmated Sandpiper (1)
Semipalmated Plover (at least 2 or 3)
Killdeer (numerous)

Among the others was a small, long-necked, mostly white sandpiper that, after 
I consulted Peterson and Sibley, I decided must have been a Wilson's 
Phalarope.  It walked constantly on the sludge without ever stopping; was 
noticeably whiter than anything else on the mudflat, including on the head 
(no visible eyebrow stripe, but maybe a little grayer toward the nape); was 
light gray on the back and wings; had a medium-length, straight bill; was 
obviously longer-necked than the peeps; and its legs appeared to be 
light-colored, not black.  I've seen my share of Wilson's before (in Texas), 
but they were always swimming.  I was unprepared for this.
       The bird was on the first pond on the side of the road opposite from 
the office.  You can't walk out to this pond, but you can scan it from across 
the road on the elevated driveway that runs around the perimeter of the ponds 
on the office side of the plant.  If anybody is interested in checking it 
out, don't forget to sign a release form at the plant office before heading 
out to the ponds.  They also have some construction going on that they want 
visitors to steer clear of.

Erik Thomas
Johnston Co., NC
barbara_hunter@shmm.com