Date: Fri, 23 Jan 2004 22:11:21 -0500 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding <MDOSPREY@HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM> Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding <MDOSPREY@HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM> From: Adam Smith <cyanbluecobalt@MSN.COM> Subject: BIRDING PROGRAM at Downs Park MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Come one come all for a day of birding at Downs Park in Pasadena MD. = Bring your scopes, binoculars and guides. 7am - 5:15pm. DRESS WARMLY. The normal fee of $5 per vehicle will be waived at the gate if you = mention that you are coming to bird program, regardless of the time you = arrive. If you get there before 10am there will not be a gate attendant = anyway. Park where ever there is room, as long at it is legal to park = there and please DO NOT DRIVE ON THE TRAILS. Downs Park has paved and unpaved trails through out the park. It is a = mixed Chestnut Oak, pine woods, with lots of pools of water(now frozen). = There is a tidal cove on the west side of the park and the east side of = the park is the Chesapeake Bay. Lots to look at here. We also have = live raptors in our Aviary and the are bathrooms in the park are heated. = There are a fair number of nature displays in the Visitors Center too. = Downs Park is located off of Pinehurst Road in Pasadena MD. The exact = location for your folks that want to MAPQUEST it is 8311 Johns Downs = Loop, Pasadena MD 21122. Essentially to get to the park take Route 100 = east until it ends and merges with Mountain Road (Route 177) there will = be a sign at this merge stating that Downs park is about 4 miles away. = Follow Mountain Road for almost the 4 miles and it will fork. You have = two options to veer right and head towards Gibson Island or to continue = straight onto Pinehurst Road. YOU WANT TO GO STRAIGHT. Again there is = a sign here stating Downs Park is straight ahead and Gibson Island is = right, GO STRAIGHT. The main entrance to the park is on the right hand = side about 200 yards down Pinehurst Road. The park will open early around 7am, normally 9am. There should be lots = of ducks in rafts on the bay early, these rafts number from the 100's to = the 1000's. Tonight when I left there was actually a large raft of = mixed Gulls on the bay just outside of the Visitors Center. The = Visitor's Center will be open early unless we (me or the other Park = Ranger) have to step out. But the office staff arrives at 11am. I will have hot drinks and some snacks for the birders who do brave it = out. Bird checklists will be available too. I will be bringing a scope for use inside of the Visitor's Center. The = birding will continue all day until the park closes at 5:15pm. Be = advised the entrance gates will close at approximately 4:45pm, = preventing anymore people from coming into the park. If you are already = inside the park you will have not problem leaving as the exit gates = close shortly after closing time. If you have any questions the office phone number is (410) 222-6230. Looking forward to seeing lots of people. Adam Smith cyanbluecobalt@msn.com<mailto:cyanbluecobalt@msn.com> Arbutus MD rpsmit01@mail.aacouty.org<mailto:rpsmit01@mail.aacouty.org> Park Ranger Adam Smith Downs Park Pasadena MD =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D =========================================================================