Hi all,
 I led a (very) small group on a birdwalk for The Backyard Naturalist  
today. We visited Triadelphia Lake Rd, north of Sunshine in Montgomery County.  
The road has been previously closed earlier this season, and just recently  
re-opened. The newest changes I could see were a newly erected dock/pier 
which  sits out into the water near the boat ramp, possibly for wheelchair 
accessible  fishing, and the "boy scout steps' now have a metal railing.
 Anyway, as we drove down the road about 8:20, just as I reached the  
gravel overflow lot, a Wild Turkey ran across the road ahead of my van, and  
continued running (sometimes flapping) up the cemetery trail. Unfortunately, as  
I was in the lead vehicle, I was also the only one to see it.
 
It began raining almost as we exited our vehicles so I made the decision to 
 just begin by birding along the road, staying undercover of the 
overhanging  trees. We walked up and back and then the rains began again, heavier with 
 thunder and lightning, so we quit around 11 AM. We managed 40 species just 
along  the road, but had the sun appeared we probably could have added 
another dozen.  We had "right-beside-the road" looks at Ovenbird, Wood Thrush 
(walking along the  road, picking through detritus), and Yellow-breasted Chat 
(also walking along  the road; never have seen one do this!), along with 
great looks at B-G  Gnatcatcher feeding 3 young, Scarlet Tanager, Cedar 
Waxwings, American Redstart  (male) singing and flitting beside the road, an E. 
Wood-Pewee perched on a wire  about 3 feet from a RT Hummingbird, Indigo 
Bunting pair, male Orchard Oriole,  Field Sparrows, lots of catbirds, Mockingbird, 
and others, plus heard only N.  Parula, Acadian Flycatcher, C. 
Yellowthroats, and other locals.
 
Also saw a young Red Fox in the middle of the road, which turned and headed 
 the other way when it saw us, deer, squirrels, and a mole/vole/shrew which 
 briefly came out on the road then went back into the weeds far ahead of 
us. I  haven't birded here since the big homes went up at the top of the road 
several  years ago, but it was nice to see things haven't changed that much. 
And since  WSSC has taken out many deer, there is once again a decent 
understory for  nesting species like Kentucky and Hooded Warblers (though we 
didn't see or hear  any).
 
Rick Sussman
Woodbine,MD
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