Who Feeds on Brine Flies on Antelope Island - III

Mostly I photographed Franklin's gulls running through the clouds of brine flies with their open bills to catch as much flies as possible.  In July, I spotted on the shoreline of the Great Salt Lake Red-necked Phalaropes, also feeding on flies to fuel up for their long migration.

This Phalarope was passively snatching flies from the air while standing and resting.  

The clouds of brine flies can be so thick that they interfere with with cameras' autofocus, and it can sometimes be tricky to focus clearly on the birds behind the swarm of brine flies.  Practice helps and so does patience.

Generally, life is good.

Thousands of Phalaropes Over the Great Salt Lake

 

It's only the begging of summer but the shore birds of North America have already begun their fall migration. 

You can see hundreds of thousands shore birds at the Great Salt Lake and among them are Red-necked and Wilson's Phalaropes. They show up at the lake to feed and rest before continuing their journey.

Wilson's and Red-necked phalaropes feed on brine flies and brine shrimps.

I was very blessed this morning to see and photograph the incredible spectacle of thousands of phalaropes that were flying over the Great Salt Lake.

Generally, life is good!