Sligo Hike #2: Wayne Ave. to the confluence with the Northwest Branch Saturday, April 12, 2003 The second half of a hike of the length of Sligo Creek Link to the description of the first half - Sligo Hike #1 Photos by Ellen X. Silverberg

Some of the group met at the Silver Spring Metro station and walked down Wayne Avenue to Sligo Creek where they were joined by the remainder of the hikers. More than half of the group had completed the first half of the hike the preceding weekend - Carla Thompson with her two sons, Nathan and Derek, and Ed Murtagh with his son Josh. The three boys were awarded a FoSC Frog Award by Sally Gagne for completing the hike of the entire creek.

Just downstream from Piney Branch Road, some sharp eyes spotted this heron sitting in her nest high above the stream. Folks in the neighborhood have observed herons nesting in this section of the creek for several years.

Derek just could not resist the temptation.

Derek and Nathan Thompson act as security guards for our party

On this mid-April day wildflowers abound along the creek. This May Apple is a bit early.

Not all the plants are native wildflowers. Clair is surrounded by lesser celandine forming mats on the ground and English Ivy vines girdling the trees. This spot is on the coastal plain in Prince Georges County just upstream from East-West Highway.

What luck! This abandoned shopping cart needed to be rescued from the swamp beside the trail.

AND our youngest hikers needed a ride. We have hiked more than five miles at this point.

Josh and Ed Murtagh at the confluence of Sligo Creek with Northwest Branch. The Northwest Branch runs right to left behind them. Sligo Creek enters from the top of the frame. A large island has formed in the mouth of Sligo from silt deposited by floods. From here we walked another half mile to the West Hyattsville Metro station for our return back to Silver Spring. Congratulations to Josh Murtagh, Nathan Thompson and Derek Thompson for hiking the entire length of Sligo Creek.