I spent two hours circling the golf course at Hains Point - East 
Potomac Park in D.C. this morning, May 20, in an ultimately 
unsuccessful search for the previously reported Ruddy Turnstone.  But 
there were shorebirds to be found there, especially before the crazy 
golfers came out to play (surf?) at around 10 a.m., and at two other 
DC wet grassy areas -- Anacostia Park and Kenilworth Park.

Shorebirds at Hains Point:

SOLITARY  1
SPOTTED  8
GREATER YELLOWLEGS  1
LESSER YELLOWLEGS  2
BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER  1

The B-B Plover was in with Ring-billed Gulls in the extreme north 
part of the golf course, just south of Buckeye Drive (the cross 
road).  It was in mostly basic plumage, with a few beginning blotches 
of dark on the belly.

Shorebirds at Anacostia Park (wet grass at far north end):

SOLITARY SANDPIPER  1
LEAST SANDPIPER  2

Shorebirds at Kenilworth Park (rain puddles along the crumbling park road):

SEMIPALMATED PLOVER  2

Hains Point also was decidedly good for passerines, the best of which 
was a singing YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHER in a big willow oak towards 
the end of the one-way road on the airport side.  I heard this bird 
first, singing incessantly, and it took a good 10 minutes for it come 
into satisfactory view.  It was noticeably bigheaded, with a yellow 
wash from throat to belly and a nice yellowish eye ring.  It was 
still singing when I left.

Some other birds sighted or heard at Hains Point were a BANK SWALLOW 
(among many swallows of 4 species), a male WILSON'S WARBLER, 3 YELLOW 
WARBLER, 3 BLACKPOLL, 2 NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH, 3 COMMON YELLOWTHROAT, 
a female AMERICAN REDSTART and a latish YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER.

There aren't too many advantages of a wet May day, but decent 
shorebirding is one of them!

Mike Bowen
Montgomery Bird Club
Bethesda, MD

D.H. Michael Bowen
8609 Ewing Drive
Bethesda, MD  20817
Telephone: (301) 530-5764
e-mail:  dhmbowenATyahooDOTcom