Sooty Shearwaters, Roseate Tern, Ruff, Curlew Sandpiper, Mississippi Kite, Common Eider

Quite a list of headliners today . . . the Roseate Tern (an unbanded adult) flew out of the fog at Stone Harbor Point this mid-afternoon just after the two Sooty Shearwaters disappeared into it, during CMBO's Peak of the Red Knots field trip; the Ruff, a blond-headed apparent male according to Glen Davis's report, was at the second impoundment at Heislerville, sticking through 7:15 p.m. + according to Tom Reed. The MIKI seen there sailed off to the NW, also according to Tom Reed's report. The Curlew Sandpiper was the female, first impoundment at Heislerville. One immature male Common Eider flew out of the fog at Stone Harbor Point, and another loafed on land at the tip of S.H.P. this evening. Shorebirds, including Red Knots, at least doubled since Thursday at the more popular Delaware Bayshore viewing sites, with Reed's Beach featuring hundreds of Red Knots and an unusual, crab-egg-eating, breeding-plumaged Purple Sandpiper, noted by several observers, a first, behavior wise, for veteran observer Vince Elia, and me, too. Clapper Rails were ridiculously easy to see on Nummy Island this afternoon for the CMBO field trip. Dave Lord had a calling Northern Bobwhite at Goshen Landing this morning, arguably the scarcest (or at least most notable) of all the above. Photos of some, plus more details and reflections to come tomorrow morning.