Jerry,

There are actually three ponds -- the one you mention near the start of the
trail (if you walk along Mt. Zion Rd away from the car park), one which is
viewable after a short walk on a faint trail which goes left from the gate
at the maintenance facility (go along the chain link fence), walking this
time up the gravel road from the car park -- this is where the White Ibis
was this summer -- and another pond behind the maintenance yard which is
unviewable from the trail but which (we are sure) contains goodies! Lots of
Killdeer, anyway.

We found it a bit slow yesterday as well -- however it has been a good spot
and could well turn up a rarity.

Being from Maine, I consider almost all of Maryland (save parts of the
western counties) to be "too civilized - but hey, you take what you can get!

Gail Mackiernan
Colesville, MD

on 10/29/2004 12:40 PM, Gerald & Laura Tarbell at 
wrote:

> Gail and all,
> I paid my first visit to this much talked about place this morning. I
> could have sworn the weather idiots said it wouldn't rain until this
> evening. I was there from about 9 to 10 AM, so I must have missed you.
> I did not find the other pond, you are referring to. Either I didn't
> take that part of the trail or was just being oblivious, which ain't
> unusual. The only pond I saw was near the front and had an old beaver lodge
> in it. I didn't find Tom's fallen aspen either.
> I can't say I was real impressed, but then I tend to dislike civilized
> places. A trail around a landfill is just a tad too civilized for me.
> Nonetheless, I do see the birdy potential. <snip>