Date: Sun, 1 Apr 2001 08:55:55 EDT Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Gail Mackiernan Subject: Re: Five Little Gulls at back River today In-Reply-To: Message of Sat, 31 Mar 2001 17:50:01 -0500 from Hi Lisa -- Directions to Back River. Take I-95 through Baltimore, via Ft. McHenry Tunnel, and exit onto Eastern Blvd. east. Stay on this road through lots of strip malls until you see, on your right, two huge golden eggs towering over the nlanscape. hese are the digesters for Back River Wastewater Treatment Plant. The Gulls have not been in the plant -- although they could be -- and have been viewed best from the parking lot next to the restaurant on the water's edge, behind the Royal Farms gas station. This gas station is on the right before you cross the Eastern Blvd. bridge into Essex. Some birds have also been seen above the bridge, for this you need to park in furthest east part of shopping mall lot and walk across road and across small grassy lot (wet!) down to river's edge in among the scrub and trees and trash. You could also check from park in Essex on Cox's Point -- essentially turn right after crossing bridge and follow shoreline along river to park. Depending on stage of tide, Bonies may be all flying about, roosting on mud or on the water. You could also try in the WWTP -- sometimes they let you in without calling ahead, sometimes they don't. Lately they have been flexible. Drive around and check all the round settling tanks for perched gulls. Obviously do not block roads or climb onto catwalks or equipment. Btw, we thought the restaurant on water's edge was closed, but it seems it IS open for business on weekends. It might be nice if folks reciprocated for our using their parking lot by going in and buying coffee or a sandwich. Gail Mackiernan Colesville, MD ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================