Date: 7/17/12 8:00 pm
From: Benjamin DeHaven <benjamindehaven...>
Subject: [MDBirding] Re: Juv. White Ibises tonight


First off, let me say hello to the OP. I was the gentleman who came the opposite direction of you with the black, blue, and white Australian Shepard. I was so dead tired at that point the only thing I wanted to do was get back into the air conditioned car and occasionally point the camera along the way. We hardly spoke so let me say "hello" now...

Second, let me give some advice to anyone like me who has never been in the Pennyfield Lock area but what to go see the Ibis. This is EXACTLY how to get on the right path. As you drive in on Pennyfield Lock Road you will come upon a parking lot on your right. Keep going straight until you reach the second parking area, the one with the two green porto-pots. Then on foot continue in the same direction past the gate, cross the bridge until you come to the long gravel "tow path". Turn right and walk upstream. The "lake" will be about .75 miles ahead on the left. I found the Ibis almost exactly where they have been reported in previous posts including the one where the poster linked to a point in Google Maps.

Here is what not to do, which is what I did today (and part of the reason I was so dead tired by the time I found the Ibis). I parked in the second lot but then walk upstream immediately, back along the road I just drove up. After the first parking lot I found a beaten dirt trail that began just to the right of the canal. I followed this figuring it would either take me to a bridge or give me a view of the lake (I failed to realize what side of the towpath and canal the lake was on). After 1/2mi I lost the trail due to many downed trees. I continued bushwhacking for about another 1/2mi or so. As I went along, the number of spider webs and spiders that touched my face and mouth began to really freak me out. I finally gave up because I was lost and couldn't get an accurate GPS signal on my phone to figure out where I was in relation to the Google Maps point. Finally I turned around and hiked (off the trail for a bit to avoid the downed tree area) back to my car. This whole time I was carrying about 18 lbs. worth of tripod, camera, lenses, and flash. Plus fluid for both me and my 80 lbs. dog to survive a hike on a 98F degree day.

Luckily, between rereading all the posts, sending my own SOS post, and more careful observation of my surroundings I was able to find the route to the Ibis. But what should have been a 1.6ish mile hike took me nearly 4 miles total.

Anyway, this is half venting and half trying to save anyone else the runaround I went through today. Surely I can't be the only one here who hasn't been there before AND when arriving at a birding location just wants to get boots on the ground and search for birds instead of being sure to head the right direction.

Happy Hunting!

Benjamin DeHaven
Timonium, Maryland

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