MD Kelp Gull Update 2/18/99

Jane Kostenko (jkostenko@somd.lib.md.us)
Thu, 18 Feb 1999 19:21:41 -0500 

    The St. Mary's County, MD, Kelp Gull was seen at first light this
morning, in heavy rain, throughout the morning when I stopped in at noon,
and until, I'm told, around 3 p.m., when it disappeared, not to reappear by
the time Tyler Bell went after work. Birders who had been there before Tyler
got there said the bird had vocalized while it was perched on a piling.
Directions from Baltimore:
Take I-97 south from the Baltimore Beltway. Get off of I-97 at Rt. 3
(not business 3). Rt. 3 turns into Rt. 301 at Rt. 50. Get off onto Rt. 4
south in Upper Marlboro. Take Rt. 4 south about 50 miles to Solomons.
Continue on Rt. 4 across the Thomas Johnson Bridge into St. Mary's
County. At the intersection of Rt. 4 and 235, turn right onto 235. Go
about 8 miles north then shortly after Hillville (Amoco Station on
right) look for S. Sandgates Rd. Turn right and go about 2 miles until
you see the river, cross a small bridge then look for the Sea Breeze
Restaurant on the right. Park there and look for people with scopes!

Directions from DC/Northern VA:
Location:  The bird is south of Mechanicsville, Maryland (St. Mary's
County).

Directions:  From the Washington, DC beltway follow Route 5 South to the
town of Waldorf.  From north (Baltimore) or east (Annapolis), take US 301
South to Waldorf.  Routes 5 and 301 converge just before Waldorf.

Just as you enter Waldorf, follow Route 5 where it turns left (this is a
new bypass around the Waldorf business district--for the locals and old
timers, the bypass used to be named Rt 205).  Continue to follow Rt 5
(including where it turns left again at a traffic light).  About 20 miles
south of Waldorf, Rt 5 makes a right turn, however the main 2-lane road
continues straight and becomes Rt 235.  Continue on Rt 235.  Approximately
4 1/2 miles south of this point, turn left onto Route 472 (Sandgates Road).
Follow Rt 472 for about 2 1/2 miles until you come to the (Patuxent)
river.  You will see two restaurants, the Sandgates Inn and the Seabreeze
Restaurant and Crab House.

Jane Kostenko
jkostenko@somd.lib.md.us
California, Maryland

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