(Red Phalarope - Milwaukee, WI from 11/20/05)
"Pacific storms have blown thousands of rare sea birds into the Bay Area, many of them weak, emaciated and seeking refuge in rain puddles of suburban yards and parking lots. The small birds, called Red Phalaropes, ordinarily live many miles off the Pacific coast and are rarely seen on land. Since the afternoon of Christmas Day, they've been sighted in Los Gatos, Palo Alto, San Francisco, even Campbell's percolation ponds at Budd Road and San Tomas Expressway. Most abundant on the coast, a flock of 1,200 was reported near Half Moon Bay. "
Link: Full Story from Mercury News
Red Phalarope image © 2005 Michael McDowell