Another Shorebird

After yesterday's incident, I headed north.  Plans were dashed as it poured rain, so I came home early.  One never knows what the weather will be since forecasts are wrong about eight times out of ten anymore.
I stopped at one of the lesser known sewage lagoons at Forest.  Sometimes there are things to see there and today there were a few shorebirds.
I was heading to Joany's Woods north of Sylvan, but the pouring rain turned me away.  It is a fairly recent acquisition by the Thames Talbot Trust and is quite unique.  Another time.
What to do?  Strathroy was not far away, so I headed to the lagoon site.  This lagoon has had a fairly decent showings of shorebirds in the past.  I think a Snowy Plover was there once.
Although still raining, I went in and looked at shorebirds along the edge.  A good number there, but farther out was another mudflat.  Lots of birds again.  I scanned and something stuck out.  An American Avocet!  Still had some colour and likely a male due to curvature of the bill.
I have been in an Avocet drought in recent years, until this spring when I saw the ones at Hillman.  I saw these impressive shorebirds quite regularly for a number of years, including many I found myself.
No photos today due to the rain.
Photos of the Avocet can be seen at:  Strathroy Avocet
Thanks to local resident Erin Carroll for getting those photos!

Another photo of the Red Phalarope from yesterday.  Not sure why I misidentified it originally, but my first look in the morning was not satisfying.  Just as I arrived and spotted it, a maintenance worker drove in and the birds flushed.  I assumed it was a  Red-necked.  I never saw it again until I went back in the afternoon.  Something seemed odd about it for a Red-necked, but it never dawned on me until later to check it further.
I was going over photos, etc. in books when I got an email from Alan suggesting it is likely a Red Phalarope. That led me to more searching and I finally found a similar match for a Red Phalarope (adult moulting into winter plumage). I'll blame it on the heat!

Very early for one and I would assume a record early fall migrant for Rondeau area.  I have only seen one before in the Rondeau area (Erieau channel) in October many years ago.  We usually see them on the lakes such as Point Edward or Point Pelee Tip.  I have seen a few at those locations.