I had a spectacular early morning walk around Schoolhouse Pond this
morning.  The heavy rains in late March, early April washed out the beaver
dam, leaving large areas of mudflats.  I had hoped the mudflats would
persist until migration, and they have, yielding much greater numbers of
shorebirds then typically show up around the pond.  Today there were:

15 Least Sandpipers
5 Spotted Sandpipers
1 Solitary Sandpiper
3 Killdeer
1 Semipalmated Plover - a first for me at Schoolhouse Pond!

The Semi Plover was on the mudflats near the observation platform at the
rear of the pond.

Also present were five egrets - 3 Great Egrets and 2 breeding plumage
Snowy Egrets, also very unusual for the pond.

Warblers included a male Common Yellowthroat, singing Northern Parula, 2
Yellow Warblers, several Yellow-rumped Warblers, and 1 Blackpoll Warbler.
An Orchard Oriole was singing from a Sycamore, a Great Crested Flycatcher
was calling, and there was a pair of Eastern Kingbirds (I saw one nest
building yesterday).  And, I heard one late White-throated Sparrow.

Fred Shaffer

Patuxent MOS