Great morning out at Delta Park. Jim Osborn and I saw 10 shorebird species, 
he saw 11 (he flushed 2 Wilson's Snipe while walking out there, I arrived 15 
minutes after him). We saw the Phalarope at 7:11 a.m. It and all of the 
shorebirds were then put up by a Merlin. The Merlin was more persistant than 
any out there this year. So much so that it chased all of the shorebirds away 
and we didn't see one for about 45 minutes. About 12 were back when I left. 
The rest may or may not return. I hope they return for others to see them 
The Phalarope was not there when I left. We saw Ted Murin around 7:15 a.m. 
and he said that he had arrived at around 7:00 a.m. He did see the Phalarope 
soon after he arrived. Jim & I were down by the bridge at that time and saw 
the Phalarope as we were heading back. It was probably there for no more 
than 15 minutes before the Merlin spooked it. I hope it comes back. My 
complete list:

Delta Park, Colchester, Chittenden, US-VT
Aug 25, 2012 5:52 AM - 8:19 AM
Protocol: Traveling
0.75 mile(s)
30 species

Canada Goose  102
Mallard  11
Common Merganser  30
Double-crested Cormorant  36
Great Blue Heron  3
Great Egret  4
Osprey  1
Bald Eagle  1
Semipalmated Plover  7
Spotted Sandpiper  3
Solitary Sandpiper  1
Greater Yellowlegs  2
Lesser Yellowlegs  3
Semipalmated Sandpiper  6
Least Sandpiper  88
White-rumped Sandpiper  4
Baird's Sandpiper  3
Red-necked Phalarope  1     walking on sandbar edge with other shorebirds
Bonaparte's Gull  3
Ring-billed Gull  41
Herring Gull  3
Great Black-backed Gull  1
Caspian Tern  5
Common Tern  115     conservative count while in flight
Belted Kingfisher  2
Pileated Woodpecker  1
Merlin  1
American Crow  6
Marsh Wren  2
Carolina Wren  2

Enjoy Birds,

Jim Mead