This bird was found on Duxbury Beach feeding with 4-6 "regular" Ruddy Turnstones. Many odd things are going on with this bird. In addition to the excess white on the head and nape(leucistic?), the legs are dark not the orange of a Ruddy Turnstone, and the color of the back/wings is far more rusty/orange than normal. In addition there are dark blotches on the undertail coverts (pix 1 & 11), and though not as obvious in the photos, the bill is jet black not just dark like the regular Ruddy Turnstone.

The bird was on the bay side between the first and second crossovers. These pictures were taken between 12:15-12:30pm (High tide was 11:00am). When I returned about 3:30, I did not relocate the bird; however, with the tide well out it could have been almost anywhere on the exposed flats by then (the little flock was actively feeding when I saw it as were many other small flocks of Turnstones and Dunlin). Another birder, Jim Loehlin, called to say he got a phonecam video of it mid-morning.

Whatever caused this creature to look this way - It was one beautiful bird - that back coloring was stunning even under a heavy overcast sky. Now,I know I'm being greedy, but I can only imagine how smashing it would have looked in full sunlight against blue water!