Re: Susquehanna birding.
Gary A. Griffith (brdnsum@dpnet.net)
Wed, 12 Nov 97 16:34:14 PST
Joseph and Tyler,
I recommend parking along Bell Manor Rd and suffering the walk when chasing birds in this area. This is simply because it gives you a greater opportunity to cover a larger portion of the river, and the location of the bird found by Rick Blom would have been about the same hike from that parking area. The lower end of the tunnel should be just about on the line between PA/MD. When I located the PALO a few days later it was only a short distance north of Blom's find, just where the two tracks join as one, and quite some distance from the tunnel.
Marcia Whitmyre reported to me this morning that she'd seen the Kittiwake at about this same spot on Sunday.
Lastly, one of only two places in the county I've had a 12 guage aimed at me was when birding along the Bald Friar Rd trying to end up at the suggested area. I don;t like to tempt fate. By the way, this is also where the idiot that shot the Bald Eagle earlier in the year lives. Get the drift ?
Gary A. Griffith (BrdNSum@dpnet.net)
Elkton, Maryland
----------
> Joseph Halpin wrote:
> > I will be travelling north on I 95 this weekend and was looking at the
> > possibility of making a diversion, taking off south of the Conowingo Dam
> > to Rt 1 and returning to I 95 on the PA side. Being a novice birder and
> > not having a scope, is this a wothwhile diversion with at least a modest
> > probability of seeing some of the exceptional birds reported there last
> > week?
>
> Joe and fellow Ospreyans:
>
> First, a question. Where is the Maryland/Pennsylvania border in relation
> to the 2 railroad tunnels on the Cecil County side of the Susquehanna?
>
> My wife, Jane Kostenko, and I went chasing the Pacific Loon on the
> Maryland side of the river yesterday, 11/11. We were joined by Marshall
> Iliff and Paul DuMont. All of us walked as far as the north side of the
> first tunnel. Though we didn't see the Pacific Loon, we did see about a
> dozen Common Loons and several Red-throated Loons. There were also
> American Coots, Black Ducks and Buffleheads along the river. Paul had
> been there longer and had a long list of stuff which I can't remember
> but included Common and Red-breasted Mergansers. The loons were easy to
> spy without a scope though we got excellent looks at them with a scope.
> I think that a scope is necessary if one is really actively trying to
> find the Pacific among the other loons as they tended to be out in the
> middle of the channel.
>
> We parked along Bell Manor Rd and walked north on the tracks about 2
> miles to the first tunnel. When we were almost there, a car pulled into
> a gravel parking lot which prompted us to think there must be an easier
> way. According to the Maryland Gazateer map, pg. 77, if you continue on
> Bell Manor Rd. then left on Pilot Town Rd. there are 2 potential
> options. Either continue across Bald Friar Rd. onto a gravel road, which
> might end up at the aforementioned parking lot, or turn left onto Bald
> Friar Rd. and follow it to the end. Give it a whirl if you want to save
> your ankles from the nasty LONG walk along the tracks.
>
> --
> Good Birding! ...and all this science,
> Tyler Bell I don't understand, It's
> mailto:bell@say.acnatsci.org just my job five days a week.
> California, MD Elton John (Rocket Man)
> http://www.acnatsci.org/erd/berc/