Trip Day Thursday 13 May 6, 2021 Triadelphia Reservoir or Brighton Dam

There were no appointments today so we got a good start and it was good as we beat the “pre Mothers Day” crowd to the Azalea Gardens by the Brighton Dam. A few phone calls to get some camping dates set, and a call to  Brenda Strohmer, who, with her family runs a farm just outside of Baltimore that we will try to visit tomorrow. We will share family heritage or maybe not?

The drive to the Brighton Dam was quite short and not complicated  as it  is about 20 miles closer to Baltimore  but still very much in the “woods”. Almost all  roads in this county except the freeway, curve and go up and down hill in a very short distance. in one mile  a road could have 5-6 hills and 3-4 curves or more. Speeds are usually posted at 35  or 45 mph  max, and some places on sharper curves at 25 mph. On route MD 97 which is a main trucking route there are places where there is no shoulder, and the curves slow traffic to 25mph. both sides more than likely surrounded by heavy forests right up ti the road edge. Reminds us of Kentucky in Harlan County.
 

Some of the 20,000 Azalea shrubs

                                The entry to the Garden

As we arrived at the Visitor Center there were two levels and I walked up to see if the upper level was the “front door”? It was, so I drove Ruth around to the top side where “Dorothy” greeted us on the phone and came out to see what was needed,  (The "covid" procedure was all posted on a big sign). The Azalea Garden was just across the street and we knew there were some birding/fishing spots, so a map she gave us helped pin point them. Remember, RUTH AND I  NEVER USED GPS ON ANY OF OUR TRAVELS. (overseas or stateside—Canada as well). So we started across the street to the Azalea Garden created  by the original Water supervisor of the Washington DC   (WSSC) Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission of which this Reservoir is one of two that supplies water to both Montgomery and Prince George Counties in Maryland.

More Azaleas!  Pink Pearl, Snow, Macrantha, Glen Dales and many  more up to 24 varieties.

 Ruth wandered as much as she could on the packed gravel pathways in the Garden,  and we did visit for 1 1/2hours as many Azaleas as we could. Ruth’s toe is healing but we didn’t want to abuse it. We walked  slow, but got there like the proverbial “turtle”. The Garden was a beautiful sight and our kudos to the crews that maintain it, and the visionary  who created it.  There were a few birds there including below the dam, a American Bald Eagle that I just caught a glimpse of soaring as we started across the road. Our first Bald Eagle but I don’t think our last.

a White Rumped Sandpiper seen at Big Branch fishing site. It flew a few times for us teo see that white rump!

The marker explaning of the Garden.

Next on the list was a small cove named the “pigtail” because of its shape. It is mainly a fishing site but has some good trails that lead to isolated bird watching.  But, as the reservoir  (where the Pigtail is located) has the highest water of the year, so the trail was under water for the most part. We did spot few species in the Parking lot there and talked with a supervising doing some work for the WSSC.

I will list some of the birds we saw today near the end of the blog.
 

The Brighton Dam , MD

The Visitor's Center Brighton Dam, MD

Birdsspecies seen; Mockingbird, Bald Eagle, Great Blue Heron, Eastern Bluebird, Black Throated Blue Warbler, Northern Parula, White rumped Sandpiper, Eastern Phoebe, Northern Harrier and 14 others.