Someone or something happened to the Pond. Yesterday there was almost too much water in it still for Shorebirds, and today there is almost no water at all. It is going to be very exciting this weekend there.
This afternoon @12:30 pm,
10 Glossy Ibis
1 Adult Little-blue Heron
3 White Little-blue Herons
Killdeer 12
Greater Yellowlegs 4
Lesser Yellowlegs 25
Pectoral Sandpiper 5
Western Sandpiper 2
Semipalmated Sandpiper 9
Least Sandpiper 20
Possible Bairds Sandpiper 1
Bank Swallow 6
Rough-winged 2
At first I was trying to make this bird into a Pectoral more than a White-rumped due to the amount of buff in the breast band area, the similar pattern of the back and color over all. It was hanging around with the Pectorals in the grass mud line in the pond and was smaller than the Pecs it was with. It had a long stream lined look to it. One other thing I noticed was that it didn't have an eye line in the face.It was just a buffy wash. The last White-rumped I had in there did have an eye line and the bird over all was much grayer and white. I don't have very much experience with Bairds, but I can eliminate what I think it wasn't and I think it wasn't a White-rumped due to color, and the general feather patterns on its back. Also, I know it was to small for a Pec.
What else is there?
By the way I did take pictures but it ended up on the other side of the pond farther away and they didn't turn out at all. I will probably go back when the light changes and check it out again later. Pictures of the Western came out just ok. This will be a prime shorebird spot to hit this weekend! It is going to be packed with birds due to the exposed mud. Try to see it while you can. Afternoons are always better, but there was birds in it this morning too, just not the numbers.

Sean McCandless
Elkton, MD
Sean