Date: Wed, 25 Jul 2001 20:39:59 -0500 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: "George M. Jett" Subject: no Ruff but Avocet, Caroline Co. MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Wed. morning, the Ruff was not spotted by our group (Eric and Howard Gofreed and myself) at the Rte 314-Kibler Rd. pond when we checked at about 8:30 am and again at 10 am. Another birder had been there for about 15 min. before us (earlier trip) and had no luck either. We did see several pectoral sandpipers, greater and lesser yellowlegs (fewer than in Fred Fallon's post), least sandpipers, killdeer, and laughing gulls. Some birds were in ponds further back from the road to the west- at least more laughing gulls and yellowlegs, not seen except for brief flights up and back to the same pond. Made me wonder what else might be back there... We did see a breeding male plumage American avocet, but not at that site. We stopped by the Ridgely waste water treatment facility on Bell Rd., where an avocet flew over and circled a few times at about 9:45 am (first spotted by Eric). It then flew off to the south. Also at this location were spotted sandpiper and least sandpiper, female ruddy duck, mallard, and Canada geese. One pond has water but the other is under construction. Guess it didn't look too inviting to the avocet! Gwen Brewer ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================