Moon phase: Waning gibbous Weather: Cool Last month I made a trip up to Sugarloaf Mountain in Dickerson, Maryland, which is one of my favorite places. I spent a couple of hours just watching the turkey vultures flying around — they got so close sometimes I could see individual feathers. I also saw a raven at one point, identifiable by its wedge-shaped tail, although I didn't get a picture. Since ravens shun civilization, the closest they come to DC is the Appalachians, and Sugarloaf is just a little east of the Blue Ridge. Still, I was surprised to see it since I've only seen them in Wisconsin and Maine before.