Hi Everyone,

The Salisbury Landfill is still accessible and birder friendly.  I stopped by and spoke with one of the managers yesterday, and he described the guidelines for visiting birders:

1. Before entering the landfill, we are supposed to stop at the main office or the booth by the scales to request access for birding so that folks in charge know that we're in there.  The manager I spoke with said that he would inform the workers in the booth that it is ok for birders to enter after checking in.

2. Birders may enter the landfill for birding Monday through Saturday from 7 am to 4 pm.  We must be out of the landfill by 4 pm.

3. While inside the landfill, please take great care to stay well out of the way of the trucks and any folks working there.  And don't get stuck in the mud!  :)

4. It was made clear that access is not available on Sundays owing to a lack of staff to check us in.

I guess this is obvious, but maybe worth mentioning anyway.  We are guests who don't really provide any necessary service for the landfill.  The folks I spoke with yesterday were very friendly and welcoming.  I hope that we can all follow their simple guidelines and remain in their good graces.  The Salisbury Landfill is under careful scrutiny these days owing to some difficulties with former employees.  I think it's great that they are willing to do this favor for birders even while they have much bigger things to worry about.  Let's do everything we can to make them feel like it is a good decision to grant us access.  As long as we are friendly--and which birders aren't?--and respectful, we should be able to continue searching for Iceland Gulls and Thayer's Gulls among the glorious, stinky piles of human refuse!

Happy Gulling!

Ron Gutberlet
Salisbury, MD