Date: Sun, 17 Dec 2000 21:45:03 -0500 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Peter Webb Subject: Directions to Snowy Owl in Frederick County MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hi, Shireen! Since no-one else has stepped forward to answer your question, for anyone needing them, here are directions from Baltimore: West on I-70 (Beltway exit 16) to Frederick, about 40-45 minutes at the posted speed limit. When the speed limit reduces to 55 MPH, watch for exit for Market Street and MD 85 South. Take that exit south and bear right at fork in the busy roadway to follow Md Rt 85 south. After passing through interchange for I-270 (to Washington, D.C.) and some industrial development reminiscent of the spreading development all around our nation's capital, you will pass through the quaint little town of Buckeystown and out of all the development as if someone threw a switch and cut it all off, leaving early 20th century landscape intact. Continuing south, passing the intersections for Rt 80 and Adamstown Road, among other, newer residential roads, one reaches a wide open, flat landscape at the intersection with Lily Pons Road on the left (east) and/or Oland Road on the right (west), same road with names changing as it crosses Rt 85. You are now one block east of the center of the territory the Snowy Owl has been seen in. I recommend continuing to the next road on the right, Greenfield Road, which has signs for a tree farm. Watch the open areas on either side of Greenfield for possible horned lark flocks which could have longspurs or snow buntings mixed in with them. Reaching the end of the road, you are at a "T" intersection with New Design Road, which parallels Rt 85, the road you took down from I-70. Proceed north on New Design Road and look for groups of birdwatchers with telescopes gawking at either the Owl or at a Horned Lark flock with longspurs or snow buntings. This afternoon, the Owl was, as posted, north of the Oland Road intersection, and opposite the end of Doubs Road, where I parked to join people from 16 cars parked to view the Owl, along with a policeman wondering what this fuss was all about. Total travel time from the Baltimore Beltway: a little under an hour one way (observing speed limits). New Design and Buckeystown Pike are like the two sides of a ladder with some cross-roads serving as rungs connecting them. Buckeystown Pike, Rt 85, connects at the top to I-70. Connecting roads between New Design Road and Buckeystown Pike include Oland Road, Greenfield Road, Adamstown Road, and a portion of Rt. 28, Tuscarora Road, at the south end. This afternoon, the bird was far enough away from the road that I might easily have missed it if not for the crowd already gathered to admire it. Without the crowd, look for white or off-white objects on the ground or on a telephone pole, easily overlooked with all the white plastic used by farmes to cover their hay bales. If you happen to see a flying white bird much larger than a gull, you've been lucky enough to have the owl draw your attention to itself and be conspicuous, as you'd think it would be all the time. If it isn't moving, however, it looks like just some more white plastic on the ground. On a pole, it's just enough off-white to look like the lighter wood on some of the poles. Good luck, it's a pleasure to see that yellow-eyed face looking around when you get to see it. Pete Webb Baltimore, Md (USA) pwebb@bcpl.net (home, after 6) pew@niroinc.com (work, 830-5 M-F) ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================