At Lake Redman just to the south of York, Pennsylvania, a draw down to provide drinking water to the city while maintenance is being performed on the dam at neighboring Lake Williams, York’s primary water source, has fortuitously coincided with autumn shorebird migration. Here’s a sample of the numerous sandpipers and plovers seen today on the mudflats that have been exposed at the southeast end of the lake…
![Least Sandpiper Least Sandpiper at Lake Redman, York County, Pennsylvania.](https://www.susquehannawildlife.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Least-Sandpiper-IMG_2032-Copy.jpg)
![Semipalmated Plover and Least Sandpiper A Semipalmated Plover and a Least Sandpiper at Lake Redman, York County, Pennsylvania.](https://www.susquehannawildlife.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Semipalmated-Plover-and-Least-Sandpiper-IMG_2041-Copy.jpg)
![Pectoral Sandpipers Pectoral Sandpipers at Lake Redman, York County, Pennsylvania.](https://www.susquehannawildlife.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Pectoral-Sandpipers-IMG_1999-Copy.jpg)
![Pectoral Sandpiper and Least Sandpipers A Pectoral Sandpiper and Least Sandpipers at Lake Redman, York County, Pennsylvania.](https://www.susquehannawildlife.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Pectoral-Sandpiper-and-Least-Sandpipers-IMG_2012-Copy.jpg)
![Semipalmated Sandpiper A Semipalmated Sandpiper at Lake Redman, York County, Pennsylvania.](https://www.susquehannawildlife.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Semipalmated-Sandpiper-IMG_2004-Copy.jpg)
![Stilt Sandpiper A Stilt Sandpiper at Lake Redman, York County, Pennsylvania.](https://www.susquehannawildlife.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Stilt-Sandpiper-IMG_2124-Copy.jpg)
![Stilt Sandpiper Stilt Sandpiper consuming an edible at Lake Redman, York County, Pennsylvania.](https://www.susquehannawildlife.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Stilt-Sandpiper-IMG_2128-Copy.jpg)
![Stilt Sandpiper Stilt Sandpiper at rest at Lake Redman, York County, Pennsylvania.](https://www.susquehannawildlife.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Stilt-Sandpiper-IMG_2046-Copy.jpg)
![Solitary Sandpiper A Solitary Sandpiper at Lake Redman, York County, Pennsylvania.](https://www.susquehannawildlife.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Solitary-Sandpiper-IMG_2146-Copy.jpg)
![Lesser Yellowlegs A Lesser Yellowlegs at Lake Redman, York County, Pennsylvania.](https://www.susquehannawildlife.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Lesser-Yellowlegs-IMG_1967-Copy.jpg)
![Greater Yellowlegs A Greater Yellowlegs at Lake Redman, York County, Pennsylvania.](https://www.susquehannawildlife.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Greater-Yellowlegs-IMG_2047-Copy.jpg)
![Osprey Osprey at Lake Redman, York County, Pennsylvania.](https://www.susquehannawildlife.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Osprey-IMG_1937-Copy.jpg)
![Osprey Hovering An Osprey hovers above shallow water near the mudflats as it searches for fish.](https://www.susquehannawildlife.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Osprey-IMG_2084-Copy.jpg)
Not photographed but present at Lake Redman were at least two additional species of shorebirds, Killdeer and Spotted Sandpiper—bringing the day’s tally to ten. Not bad for an inland location! It’s clearly evident that these waders overfly the lower Susquehanna valley in great numbers during migration and are in urgent need of undisturbed habitat for making stopovers to feed and rest so that they might improve their chances of surviving the long journey ahead of them. Mud is indeed a much needed refuge.