I just wanted to add three points about the AMERICAN AVOCET that was
seen in DC yesterday (8/14):
1.  When Gary, Frank, Frank's friend and I were in Anacostia Park and
last saw the bird at about 8:45am, it was flying UP the Anacostia River,
not down (as I had said in the previous message).  This made it all the
more surprising to refind it from Hains Pt. about 25 minutes later as it
flew downriver.
2.  I took pictures of the bird.
3.  Even though I was out birding for c.2.5 hours yesterday, the Avocet
was the *only* species of shorebird I saw the whole day (not even a
Killdeer or Spotty).  I hope that says more about DC shorebirding than
it does about my skills as a birdfinder ;-)

PS - sorry I didn't have a subject heading in the original message.  I
was sending it from my friend's new iPad and for some reason the webmail
editor wouldn't let me enter that field.

Good birding,
Paul Pisano
Arlington, VA