Hi Folks,

The CURLEW SANDPIPER was in place this morning, Tue., 10 Aug, on Assateague
Island, pretty much where Dave Czaplak described it, and as an added bonus,
a MARBLED GODWIT was also in the same area.  Dave's directions were
excellent, but I wasn't quite sure where to look when I was at the bayside,
since the "pond" was no longer there, but was instead a big mudflat.  So,
here are some additional directions:  from the bath house at Assateague
STATE Park, go out to the beach, and follow it north (towards Ocean City)
till able to see the white tipped distance marker with "8.0" written near
the tip.  This hike took me about 40 minutes, but I walk at a pretty brisk
pace.  Do not take the road, lest you be DEVOURED by mosquitoes (I actually
did this on the way out, and have the welts to prove it).  Once the 8.0
marker is in sight, angle left towards it, and follow this direction to the
bay, staying in the clear as much as possible, and avoiding all vegetation,
where the mosquitoes are lurking and waiting for a meal.  When you get to
the bay, there are numerous signs posted all along the waterfront.  These
signs read "Restricted Area...Endangered Species..." etc. etc. to those
approaching from the water.  On the back of the signs, as seen from the
island, distances are given, and the southmost sign reads "12.1" and I
followed the waterfront towards the north almost to the sign reading "10.5"
(the distances are obviously reckoned differently on the bay side than they
are on the beach side).

Most of the shorebirds were found in a big semi-dry mudflat around the 11.5
to 11.3 signs, and while I was searching in this area, the MARBLED GODWIT
flew over my head, and landed to the north near the 10.5 sign.  After nearly
90 minutes of searching up and down the bayside waterfront, I had not seen
the Curlew Sandpiper, and decided to call it quits and head back.  I scanned
the shore areas on my way back, and at almost the last possible moment, I
saw the CURLEW SANDPIPER.  It was fairly close to the 12.1 distance marker
(within about 75 feet), and I studied the bird for about 15 minutes at a
range of around 100 feet, and then closed in to about 50 feet, getting
phenomenal looks through the scope.  Its face, breast, and belly were
heavily mottled with a brick red color.  Its back was patterned in dark
brown and buff; the red splotching of the belly evolved into what looked
like barring, and then into large spots under the tail.  Medium sized curved
bill was dark; legs were dark.  The underwings appeared white with dark
linings, as the bird preened.  The bird is about the size of its cousin, the
Dunlin, and a bit larger than the Semipal. Plovers nearby.  It spent most of
its time foraging, every now and then coming up with a morsel to eat.  I
found the bird around 8:30 a.m., and watched it till about 8:50.

Birds seen during the entire outing, include:

Brown Pelican--21
DC Cormorant--2
Great Blue Heron--2
Great Egret--4
Snowy Egret--4
Tricolored Heron--1
Turkey Vulture--1
Canada Goose--4
Am. Black Duck--1
Osprey--pair on platform
Black-bellied Plover--5; one in breeding plumage, the others in basic
plumage
Semipal. Plover--about 75
Piping Plover--7, including one fledged youngster
Killdeer--1
Am. Oystercatcher--3
Willet--15--DD/FL* (see below)
Spotted Sandpiper--3
Marbled Godwit--1
Sanderling--100s
Semipal. Sandpiper--about 25
Least Sandpiper--3
Pectoral Sandpiper--7
Curlew Sandpiper--1
Short-billed Dowitcher--6
gulls--all 4 (Laughing, Ring-billed, Herring, Great Black-backed)
Royal Tern--8
Common Tern--14
Forster's Tern--1
Least Tern--23
Yellow-billed Cuckoo--1 (near state park)
Tree Swallow--lots
Barn Swallow--lots
Carolina Wren--1
Marsh Wren--1
Common Yellowthroat--1
E. Towhee--1
E. Meadowlark--3
Boat-tailed Grackle--1

*  While standing near the 11.1 marker, scoping the Marbled Godwit to the
north, a Willet screamed at me, and flew circles around me for the entire
7-8 minutes I stood there.  Near the godwit, at the 10.5 marker, was another
adult Willet, near which was a youngster with a lot of down hanging from its
ventral feathers.

CHEAP GAS--On US 50, just west of Salisbury between mile markers 106 and 107
are a Mobil station and an Exxon station with regular for $1.699 a gallon.
The Mobil is across from the Hwy 670 turnoff to Hebron.

Many thanks to Dave Czaplak who discovered the Curlew Sand. and got the word
out so expeditiously through Mark Hoffman.  I was able to rearrange my
schedule for the day to go find it.  This has been my #1 most wanted state
bird for several years now, and I've spent many May and August days on
Hart-Miller Island hoping for one to show up.  The search is over.

Stan Arnold
Glen Burnie