Red Phalarope Phalaropus fulicaria on Sable Island, May 22. Since 1993, four have been seen: May 22, June 3, July 6 and August 1. McLaren (1981) notes that during the morning of May 29 1977, an estimated 16,000 birds (in flocks of 50 to 300) passed over and within visible range of the island. Except during their nesting period, these small shorebirds (22 cm long, the size of a Starling) spend most of their lives at sea, far offshore, often in large flocks, feeding on zooplankton.