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Yesterday morning Jim Mead discovered a newly (for this year) emerged sandbar off Delta Park. By coincidence I was teaching a UVM field course all afternoon on the outer beach there. So I was able to spend some time observing the sandbar. A cluster of Ring-bill Gulls were the primary inhabitants of the sandbar, mostly lounging and occasionally bathing. At one point I saw two small shorebirds flying and landing. They turned out to be a Sanderling and a Least Sandpiper. They were only there for about five minutes, during which I was able to view them well by scope. They then disappeared and I did not see them again over the next 40 or so minutes. See list and more comments below. Ian ============= Delta Park IBA, Chittenden, US-VT Sep 9, 2013 3:03 PM - 3:48 PM Protocol: Traveling 0.2 mile(s) Comments: Observed while teaching UVM Landscape Nature History course field trip. 9 species Double-crested Cormorant 125 Amassed on Colchester Reef Bald Eagle 1 On Colchester Reef; adult Sanderling 1 On newly emerged (since yesterday) sandbar. Flying up, landing, running with waves on edge of sandbar. Also foraging on sandbar. Generally with Least Sandpiper in that they would both fly up and land at the same time. Seen for about five minutes. Then not seen again over the course of 40 minutes or so of observation. Pale bird with what looked like meager traces of last of molting at shoulders and neck. White underwing evident in flight. Strong white line on upper wing evident in bright but semi-diffused sunlight. Least Sandpiper 1 On newly emerged (since yesterday) sandbar. Flying up, landing and foraging on sandbar. Sometimes disappearing behind crest of sandbar. In and among gulls from time to time. Generally with the Sanderling in that they would both fly up and land at the same time. Clearly smaller than Sanderling. Seen for about five minutes. Then not seen again over the course of 40 minutes or so of observation. Ring-billed Gull 36 On newly emerged (since yesterday) sandbar. No gulls observed in flight during the period of observation. Herring Gull 1 On newly emerged (since yesterday) sandbar. Great Black-backed Gull 1 On newly emerged (since yesterday) sandbar. Warbling Vireo 1 Black-capped Chickadee 1