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Subject:

Curlew Sandpiper relocated

From:

Fred Shaffer

Reply-To:

Maryland Birds & Birding

Date:

Wed, 11 Aug 2004 18:54:00 -0400

Thanks to the directions posted recently on the Osprey, I was able to
relocate the Curlew Sandpiper at Assateague State Park this morning.  As on
the previous days, the bird was located on the bayside near the sign
marked "8.0".  The bird was on a spit of land (mudflat)pretty much parallel
with the marker.  The mudflat where I saw the bird was about 100 feet or so
south of the larger mudflat where the temporary pool was located.

I watched the bird from 10:35 until 11:26, getting good looks at it through
my bins and scope.  It was about 100 or 150 feet distant.  The bird, as
well as the other shorebirds seemed skitish, flying around several times,
but always landing back in the same area.  The thin, downcurved bill was
obvious, as was the mostly red throat and belly, speckled with white from
molt.  I saw the white rump when the bird flew.  It is a really beautiful
bird.

At 11:26 the Curlew Sandpiper and surrounding Sanderlings and Semi Plovers
flushed and flew off to the south.  I waited for about 20 minutes, but was
not able to relocate the sandpiper.

At the larger mudflat just to the north (where the temporary pool is),
there were many Sanderlings, Semipalmated Plovers, 3 Piping Plovers,
several Oystercatchers, a large group of Least Terns, Forsters Terns, 3
Black-bellied Plovers, and 1 flyby Gull-billed Tern.  Some peeps were also
around, but I saw only Least and Semipalmated Sandpipers.  I was unable to
find the Godwit.

Other highlights were 6 Whimbrel (flying south over the ocean just off
shore), and a Sandwich Tern at Skimmer Island (molting into winter
plumage).  Also present at Skimmer Island were all of the common Gulls,
huge groups of Brown Pelicans and Cormorants, Royal Terns, Sanderlings,
Oystercatchers, and some Ruddy Turnstones.

Thanks again to those who posted the great directions.

Fred Shaffer
Patuxent MOS