Shoot Me Monday

Got the Monday blues?  Hopefully this colorful Purple Gallinule can cure a little bit of that.  I "shot" this bird on July 10, 2011 at Rio Rico Pond in Santa Cruz County, AZ.  Despite only 13 previous accepted records of this species in Arizona, another one was found the same day at the Palo Verde Nuclear Power Plant, some 200 miles away!  Note the extremely long toes that help them navigate on top of lily pads without sinking.