I'm sorry for this late report - our Internet access was down 
most of yesterday afternoon and evening.

I was at the pond at Chesapeake Farms in Kent County from about 
11:45 to 12:30 yesterday.  I am virtually certain that I saw the 
female RUFF.  (It was my third try for the bird, and I was the only 
birder there at the time.)  It was foraging in the deeper water in 
the back of the pond, in the company of yellowlegs of both species 
(2 Greater, 1 Lesser).  It appeared to be slightly smaller than the 
Lesser Yellowlegs, but noticeably stockier, with a shorter, thicker 
neck, and shorter bill.  The legs were a duller, more orange-yellow 
color than a yellowlegs, and I was seeing "less leg" on this bird 
compared to the yellowlegs when it walked past.  Also, its foraging 
movements were more deliberate, compared to what you would expect 
with a yellowlegs.  So, I would say:  don't give up on this bird yet. 
I also saw the other birds reported by Kurt Schwarz and Bob Ringler, 
including at least one WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER, 20+ 
BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS, and several RUDDY TURNSTONES 
(the plovers and turnstones dropped in just as I was preparing to leave.)

Earlier in the morning I stopped at Terrapin Park on Kent Island in 
Queen Anne's County (mainly so that the dog could stretch her 
legs), where I heard and saw at least 3 BLACKPOLL WARBLERS and 
a male BLUE GROSBEAK (a county bird for me) in the trees along the 
path to the blinds.  There was a SNOWY EGRET in the pond.  On the 
way to Chesapeake Farms, on Ricaud's Branch Road, I heard another 
BLACKPOLL.

After leaving Chesapeake Farms, I went up to southern Cecil County. 
I had no trouble relocating the DICKCISSEL reported on Monday by 
Lin Just.  It was still singing mightily from the top of an arbor vitae 
west of the intersection of New Cut Road with Sandy Bottom Road. 
In the overgrown field across the private road, I heard a 
GRASSHOPPER SPARROW singing.  And in the bare fields along 
New Cut Road, there were a number of HORNED LARKS singing.

Elaine Hendricks
Greenbelt, MD  (PG County)



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