Wilson’s Phalarope (Female)

Another lifer! Glad this bird and her mate have hung around for a few days. Sad that they’re currently in a drainage ditch between a busy highway and road, near a large shopping complex. Our dry weather has allowed the mud to show, offering good habitat for shorebirds, but should we get one good rainstorm the area will flood. They were photographed mating here a couple of days ago, so it would be terrible if they nested and then got flooded out. Humans need to wake up to the importance of biodiversity and stop trampling on wildlife—if it’s not already too late.