I went to LaDue this morning at about 8:15 to 10:30. Not much at the Auburn
Road and Route 44 areas. I then walked along the west shoreline going north
from the end of Washington Street. I walked all the way to where the Caspian
terns and gulls hang out (which is just about where the houses start onshore
across Valley Road).

I saw groups of least sandpipers from the boat ramp all the way to the
terns. There would be anywhere from 4 to 20 sandpipers in a group. The
groups would move now and then. Usually there would also be at least one
killdeer with them. The killdeer are like watchdogs. When they make noise
and fly away, the other birds bolt.

There was one juvenile Caspian tern with spots with maybe six adults. They
were mixed in with the gulls on land. I saw six greater yellowlegs along the
way. I also had the osprey fly overhead again. There were pairs of spotted
sandpipers here and there. Some kindbirds were in the trees along the shore.

The best thing for me was a juvenile red-necked phalarope. If you went
straight down the boat ramp from Washington Street, you would pass what is
probably an island most of the time on your left. The bird was on the south
side of this "island" by itself in the shallows. You can walk to this
"island" now since the water is so low. 

There were also two groups of ten least sandpipers and three greater
yellowlegs in the muck right out from the boat ramp. These birds were not
bothered by the kayaks, sailboats and fishermen passing close by. Maybe the
feeding was just too good?

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