Red phalaropes winter on the ocean off the Pacific coast. But unusually heavy storms forced them inland to the San Francisco Bay Area for food and rest in late December 2005. This was to the lasting pleasure of birders, who took every chance to see these little sandpiper-like birds. Red-necked and Wilson's phalaropes are regular visitors to Mono Lake each fall, where they chow down on alkali flies and brine shrimp to fuel their migration south.

Buoyed by reports of red phalaropes in Mountain View, California's Crittenden Marsh, I mounted up my long lens and went to find them. At first I was happy with portraits of the hungrily-feeding birds. Then I noticed droplets dripping from bills after food dives. Finally, I captured birds in mid-dive. A good time was had by all, and hungry birds rested up for winter on open ocean.