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Subject:

QA County: 3 No. Phalaropes, 1 Buff- Breasted Sand, STFL

From:

James Moore

Reply-To:

James Moore

Date:

Sun, 30 Aug 2009 17:39:53 -0400

En route to visiting my mother in Delaware, I had some time to try 
for the nice birds being reported from Queen Anne's County. I saw 
the previously reported Northern Phalaropes at the Central Sod 
Farm on John Brown Road Saturday afternoon around 4 PM. I believe 
only two were previously reported, but there were three together 
in the large pool of water that parallels the road to the south 
and is in front of the irrigation pipe. Be aware that these are 
birds in juvenile plumage, so they are darker and browner compared 
to adults in basic plumage. There was also a Buff-breasted 
Sandpiper in the same pool (initially spotted by another birder). 
nfortunately, all the birds were flushed from the pool while we 
were watching them.

When I returned to the area on Sunday, neither the phalaropes nor 
the Buff-breasted Sandpiper had been seen that day. However, as 
was previously reported, several American Golden-Plovers were 
present. I saw five in the grassy area on the south side of the 
road, and others reported them in the plowed field north of the 
road. There were also good numbers of Pectoral Sandpiper (about 
15), Least Sandpiper, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Killdeer, and both 
Yellowlegs.

I also saw the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Sunday around 1:30 PM. It 
was on a utility line just south of the house with the red Camaro, 
opposite the road from a line of trees.

Good birding!
Jim Moore
Rockville, Maryland