Hi all,
   This evening at about 6:40 pm I found a Wilson's Phalarope at
Blackwater NWR. It was located in the small pond in the field just
west of the Visitors Center. In other words, between the Visitors
Center and the early exit from the Wildlife Dr. I viewed it from Key
Wallace drive. The bird was apparently a male entering breeding
plumage. The breast and throat are still white and the back is still
pale gray, but the black stripe across the face and down the neck is
coming in pretty strong. The bird was still present when I left about
7:15 pm.

   There were also many other shorebirds there including a
White-rumped Sandpiper, a Semipalmated Sandpiper, both yellowlegs,
Solitary Sandpipers, Dunlins, and many Least Sandpipers. There were
also some shorebirds in the first impoundment on the right just as you
enter Wildlife Drive. These were close the road and easily viewed from
the next to the little blind after you make a right around the
impoundment. At this location there were two White-rumped Sandpipers,
a Semipalmated Sandpiper, and two Semipalmated Plovers along with the
yellowlegs, Solitary Sandpipers, and Least Sandpipers.

Mike Ostrowski
North Bethesda