MD Osprey:

Around 1 pm, I saw Helen Horrock's message that Gary Smyle and Jim Green
had the bird earlier this morning (8/18) so I "dashed" down to Assateague.
My goal was to digiscope the critter.

I hit the 7.5 MM mud flats around 4:30 pm and briefly saw the bird
distantly, but diagnostically, through the scope; a medium-sized sandpiper
with brick red on the breast, a darker back, and its distinctively decurved
bill. Unfortunately, as I was looking, all the shorebirds flushed and
shuffled the deck. The tide was coming in. I searched the 7.5 - 8.0 MM mud
flats for about an hour and a half but did not refind the bird. On the way
out, I checked the 8.5 MM area, also without luck. Maybe low tide will
bring it back (?)

Thanks to Gary, Jim, and Helen for the quick relay of the status!

Good luck ...


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Phil Davis      Davidsonville, Maryland     USA
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