I just returned from Hart-Miller Island. I was attending the Hart-Miller
Island Citizens Oversight Committee meeting where I gave the Committee an
update about birds on the island. When leaving the island at 9:30 p.m.,
about 10 BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONs were present at the boat dock.
If anyone is on the fence about going to the island with me this Saturday, I
offer this enticement:
I was with the Committee for their bus tour around the island. The North
Cell had extensive shorebird habitat and numerous shorebirds were present.
(The moving, bouncing bus and the tinted windows did not allow for any
identifications.)
As a reminder, here is the general information for any new subscribers to
the list:
GENERAL INFORMATION
Birders can make arrangements to ride the Maryland Environmental Service
(MES) boat to the Hart-Miller Island Dredged Material Containment Facility
on weekends only. Reservations are required. The boat travels to the island
most, but not all, weekends. The boat leaves the mainland promptly at 7:00
a.m. and leaves the island at 5:00 p.m. A walking circuit, beginning and
ending at the island boat dock, covers 6 to 8 miles depending on the route
taken. The circuit is mostly level and is slowly walked over 10 hours. The
only shelter is at the administration building, where there are rest rooms
(the only ones) and water available. All food, water, clothing, and optics
must be carried. Spotting scopes are a necessity. Wear a hat and long
pants, and carry sunblock and insect repellent during warm weather. Tennis
shoes are adequate. Conditions in the summer can be extremely hot, humid,
and still.
To arrange to bird at the Hart-Miller Island Dredged Material Containment
Facility contact Gene Scarpulla after 7 p.m. at (410) 388-0852 or at
no later than the Thursday evening prior to the weekend
that you wish to visit the island. For safety reasons, "first-timers" to
the island must be accompanied by either Gene Scarpulla or another birder
who is experienced with the island.
Gene Scarpulla
Millers Island, Maryland
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