I have checked the area regularly since I found suitable shorebird 
habitat on July 22. Although numbers have been decent  I am somewhat 
disappointed by lack of species diversity. Before August 22 I had recorded 5 
species- Killdeer, Solitary Sandpiper, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Least 
Sandpiper, and Pectoral Sandpiper.  A Semipalmated Plover was reported by 
others and a report of Western Sandpipers is questionable.  I have only one 
record of this species in all the time I have birded the area.
      On August 22 I came out to see what all the rain had done to the area 
and found that there was greatly improved shorebird habitat because many of 
the depressions were filled with water again and that the drying mudflats 
had become wet.
      I found two new species- Lesser Yellowlegs (5) and Greater Yellowlegs 
(3).  Also saw 4 Killdeer, 2 Solitary Sandpipers, 1 Semipalmated Sandpiper, 
23 Least Sandpipers, and 3 Pectoral Sandpipers.  I probably missed some 
birds because it can be difficult to see them among the spatterdock.  The 
biggest surprise was the small number of Killdeer since I had seen 30 on 
Saturday (8-18).
     This area should be good for quite awhile because the stream that feeds 
into the large impoundment is still dry so no high water and this is enough 
standing water to last several weeks before it dries up

Paul Woodward
Fairfax City, VA