Red-necked phalarope, tundra pond, National Petroleum Reserve, Brooks range, Alaska. Canon 1Ds Mark III, 500mm w/1.4x (700mm), 1/500 sec @ f/6.3, ISO 200.
This little Red-necked phalarope, with its elegant presence, is the only shorebird that swims on the water. There were many nesting pairs along the same lake that the pair of Pacific loons were on. I usually see this bird in south central Alaska during the spring migration, and often see them in large flocks. So it was particularly interesting to see them at their summer breeding destination in the high arctic. This frame has a few distracting blades of grass, but not bad for a quick shot in very swampy, unstable conditions using a long lens. I was forced to stay somewhat high, at least high enough to avoid further obstruction by the grasses and sedges.
