Hi All

Frank Hawkins and I did a dawn raid on Hains Pt by bike prior to the gates 
opening this morning.  We were impressed by just how keen the early morning 
golf course staff were to ensure that all birds were cleared from the tees and 
fairways at the earliest convenience.  By 0545 the place was teaming with 
little men in buggies and birds were scattering hither thither. But we did have 
some luck before the flushing team had theire desired full impact.  

To my surprise I flushed the Turnstone from off a puddle in the road and then 
refound it feeding on a gravel track just north of the golf club.  But it then 
disappeared. There were about ten Bonies amongst a few hundred Ringers 
there too and a Northern Waterthrush singing.

After giving up on further Turnstone searches we did a tour by bike of the golf 
course finding a few small puddles with about ten Lesser Yellowlegs, two 
Greater 'legs, three Solitaries, one Spotted sand  and - bird of the day - a 
Short-billed Dowitcher.  Paul Pisano arrived on the scene and was able to see 
this bird and then he found three Pec Sands and two Bank Swallows over the 
golf course too.

By the time we headed out the birds were getting pushed around a lot so I 
suspect many will have moved on.  We saw Mike Bowen and Rob Hilton (who 
had seen the CC Sparrow on the mall this morning) arriving so expect more 
updates later.

So no sign of the ibis(es) from earlier in the week but otherwise an interesting 
morning.

Best

Gary