My work schedule has been a mess for the last couple weeks and I have been
unable to chase the Curlew Sandpiper found by Dave and Mary Ann last week .
until today.  I figured it would not stick that long, but the continuing
reports were just too much.



I arrived at the Assateague State Park around 12:30, and headed north.  I
ran into two of my Wicomico County friends (yes, I DO have friends in
Wicomico County), but there report was negatory.  Undaunted, I continued
northward.



I looked over (from the sand) the areas around milepost 8.5, but the tide
was quite high and with the strong SW wind, there did not seem to be any
shorebird habitat to speak of.  I continued north on the sand to the large
flats just north of 8.0, and it looked like a good place for a Curlew
Sandpiper.  I worked these flats for the next two hours, going north some
distance (to about the level of the large navigational structure just
offshore).  No Curlew Sandpiper.  I was feeling pretty dejected, but was
going to work the marsh fringe/pools that start on the bayside edge of the
most northern clump of shrubs on the way back.  It took some meandering to
go around the deeper creeks, etc., and the bugs were annoying, with
scattered shorebirds in the tidal pools in the marsh (there weren't any real
flats exposed).  I was probably about level with the 8.5 marker (and it
looked like even the marsh/tidal pool habitat was about to give out to the
south), when a "medium" sized shorebird flushed from the south and head
north, between me and the ocean and it good light.  The mixture of crimson
and white on the underparts in the profile view, and the gleaming white rump
as it was going away, was good enough that I had found the bird!!  I saw it
cut in and appear to land just at the south end of the big flats and hurried
back up there, but I could not relocate it.  It was getting late at this
point, so I need to head on back and did not try going farther north.  No
photos for my collection . but it has been well documented.  I believe it's
my #351 in Worcester County.  Also had two white-rump sands and 5 black
terns.



Thanks to all who have posted on this bird.



Mark L. Hoffman

Sykesville, MD