In a message dated 9/12/2004 11:35:07 AM Eastern Standard Time,
 writes:

Rick  Sussman has found a juvenile White Ibis at the Blue Mash Nature
Trail in  northeastern Montgomery Co. It is in a pond on the left as you
come in from  the Zion Rd parking lot and approach the gate and fence
that surround the  old landfill. From the path, the pond is mostly
obscured, and you need to  bushwhack through goldenrod, etc, to get a
view. The pond also has some  shorebirds.

To reach Blue Mash: take Georgia Ave north to Olney, take a  left and
head northwest on 108. Just past the huge soccer complex, take a  right
onto Zion Rd. Cross Brookeville Rd. The entrance to the small  parking
lot will be about a quarter-mile ahead (I think), and on your  left.



Hi all,
 I watched the juvenile White Ibis from about 10:10AM until I  left about
12:30 or so. I went back to my van twice, once to get my walking  stick and see
if John Pangborne was still there (he was) and we both went back  and saw the
bird. After John left I went back again to get my scope to view the  other
shorebirds present (Least Sands, and Lesser Yellowlegs and Killdeer),  pretty well
wearing myself out in the process. As Lydia mentioned, you need to  bushwack
through quite a bit of chest-high goldenrod, milkweed, dogbane, and  assorted
briars to reach to pond. Anyway, the Ibis is hanging out with at least  1
Great Egret, preening and resting when the egret did, and feeding very close
behind when the egret did. Maybe they're migrating buddies! To reach the pond as
easily as possible, after you park, head past the big "pipe" gate along the
gravel road, following the gravel road towards the landfill. Nearing the fence
in front of the landfill look left to see a bluebird box on a post, and start
 heading into the weedy field, working your way left as far as you can, and
going  towards the fenceline. There is a small grove of locust trees outside
the fence;  work your way to their left, where you can look through the willow
trees (lining  the inside edge of the pond). The egret and ibis were on the far
side of the  pond when I left, but look carefully as they may be in front of
the willows.  Also on the pond, besides the shorebirds, were many Mallards, at
least 4  Blue-winged Teal, and some Wood Ducks.

Other highlights this morning and new to my Blue Mash list were
Chestnut-sided Warbler, Magnolia Warbler, Black&White Warbler, Blackburnian  Warbler, N.
Parula's, and Black-throated  Green Warblers, along with a  single
Rose-breasted Grosbeak, heard Barred Owl (calling twice at  noon!),and flyover immature
Bald Eagle. Also seen were a half-dozen Blue  Grosbeaks, a late Eastern
Kingbird, lots of Indigo Buntings, catbirds, Red-eyed  Vireos, a flyover kingfisher,
Green Herons, Brown Thrasher, Mocker, lots of  Goldfinchs. My Blue Mash list
now stands at 128!

Rick Sussman
Ashton,MD