C&O Canal and Fort Frederick Near Hagerstown, Maryland

After leaving Martinsburg, WV in the morning, we visited the C&O Canal’s Cushwa Basin at Williamsport, MD. After a brief stroll, we checked out the visitor center and then drove 25 minutes upriver to Fort Frederick State Park. We caught the end of a musket firing demonstration, listened to some rangers talk, and walked through the fort’s historical buildings.

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C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) at Shenandoah National Park

We visited Shenandoah National Park this evening to try and see a comet, C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS). The weather forecast was favorable and things looked good on our way in with clear skies. Unfortunately, it was quite hazy and some clouds rolled in to the west before sunset and our viewing turned out to be only partially successful.

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Another Meadowlark Morning

We decided to head out to the Meadowlark Botanical Gardens again today, just like last Saturday! There was quite a bit new as many displays were setup for the annual Winter Walk of Lights. Some plants have been removed to make room, though there was still plenty to see. But, unlike last week, we didn’t see a single Eastern Bluebird! We did find a Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker though, something we haven’t seen very often!

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A Bluebird Day at the Meadowlark Botanical Gardens

We decided to visit the Meadowlark Botanical Gardens this weekend as the weather was forecast to be pretty good. It was a bit questionable on our way there but the skies cleared quickly! We saw quite a variety of flowers, as usual, and many birds. In particular, there seemed to be Eastern Bluebirds everywhere! Later on in the afternoon, we visited the Red Rock Wilderness Overlook Regional Park in Leesburg for the first time.

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