Friday, May 10

Registration is open for the 2024 Baltimore Birding Weekend!

MORNING TRIPS

Middle Branch Park/Masonville Cove (DRIVING/HIKING)
Time: 8:00 – 11:00 am
Cost: $30/person
Guides: Jim Rapp & Guide TBD
Meeting Location: 3301 Waterview Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21230 – meet near the dock behind the Boat House, then Masonville Cove at 1000 Frankfurst Ave, Baltimore, MD

Visitors to Masonville Cove must wear closed-toe shoes with sturdy soles (no open-toe shoes or thin soles).

Bald Eagle. Photo credit: Hugh Simmons.

A highlight of this trip is catching a glimpse of nesting Bald Eagles at Masonville Cove! We will begin at Middle Branch Park, which has 150 acres of woods and open fields located on the Middle Branch of the Patapsco River. For eBird sightings in May, click here.

Around 9:20 am, we will depart for a short drive to Masonville Cove, which has 70 acres of protected bird sanctuary on a formerly neglected parcel of land along the Middle Branch of the Patapsco River. Some of the trails are closed to provide a buffer for the nesting eagles. This trip will feature up to two miles of hiking on mostly flat nature trails and dirt roads. Restrooms available. For eBird sightings in May, click here.

Hart-Miller Island (BOAT/BUS/HIKING)
Time: 9:00 am – 1:00 pm
Cost: $60/person
Guides: Tim Carney & Scott Housten
Meeting Location:  2024A Riverview Road, Essex, MD, 21221 – park and meet in the gravel parking area. Use GPS Coordinates: 39.255085, -76.427599

Visitors to Hart-Miller Island must wear closed-toe shoes with sturdy soles (no open-toe shoes or thin soles).

Hart-Miller Island is sold out. If you want to be added to the waitlist, please email dmvbirds@gmail.com with your name and the number in your party. If someone cancels, we may be able to add you.

Green Heron. Photo credit: Hugh Simmons.

Take a boat to Hart-Miller Island! The island was created as a containment facility for sediment dredged from the access channels to the Baltimore Harbor, and has been restored to provide wildlife habitat. We’ll meet at a land-based location in eastern Baltimore County, and be transported by boat to and from Hart-Miller Island. Once on site, we’ll board a bus to tour the island for birding and learning about its unique history and construction. Restrooms available. Boat departs promptly at 9:00 am. For eBird sightings in May, click here.

AFTERNOON TRIPS

Middle Branch Paddle (PADDLING)
Time: 1:00 – 4:00 pm
Cost: $45/person, cost is per person for solo kayak or 2-person canoe; you will be asked for your boat choice after you register
Guides: Bud Poole & Jim Rapp
Meeting Location: 3301 Waterview Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21230 – meet near the dock behind the Boat House

Before this field trip, we may ask you to print, sign and bring a Baltimore City Recreation & Parks waiver with you. We will email all participants prior to this trip.

Paddling on the Patapsco. Photo credit: Luke Franke/Audubon

We’re partnering with Baltimore City Recreation and Parks to host this paddling adventure on the Middle Branch of the Patapsco River. We’ll explore the shoreline for shorebirds and herons, and keep our eyes on the skies for gulls, terns, Osprey and Bald Eagles. If conditions allow, we’ll paddle to Ridgely’s Cove at the outfall of the Gwynns Falls. Solo kayaks and 2-person canoes are available, and you will be asked to select your choice after you register. Note: this trip may be canceled due to high winds or thunderstorms. If canceled, participants will be notified as soon as possible via email. Restrooms available. For eBird sightings in May, click here.

North Point State Park (DRIVING/HIKING)
Time: 2:30 – 5:30 pm
Cost: $30/person
Guides: Scott Housten & Guide TBD
Meeting Location: the park address is 8400 North Point Road, Edgemere, MD 21219, but we will meet at the parking lot just inside the park entrance after the payment kiosk. Use GPS Coordinates: 39.220358, -76.430679

When you arrive at North Point State Park, participants must pay the entrance fee of $3/vehicle for Maryland residents; $5/vehicle for out-of-state residents.

Indigo Bunting. Photo credit: Hugh Simmons.

North Point State Park is a 1,310 acre park southeast of the City of Baltimore, on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay near the mouth of the Patapsco River. The Defenders Trail, which passes through the park, was used by soldiers in the War of 1812, when the area was under siege by the British. From 1906 through 1947, an amusement park was located here, and remnants of the amusement park era still exist in the park. Habitats include a large freshwater marsh, deciduous woodlands, bayshore with an outstanding view of the Chesapeake Bay, meadows, and farm fields. Within the park, a 667-acre section of the Black Marsh Natural Area has been designated a State Wildlands, with special protections that limit uses to passive recreation. For eBird sightings in May, click here.

Please note:

  • No cancellations are accepted after May 1, 2024. For a further explanation of our refund policy, please click here.
  • Trips will go rain or shine, unless torrential rains or dangerous conditions prevent us from viewing wildlife.
  • If the trip is canceled, we will notify you via email. Please note that the email will be sent to all participants BCC, so you may need to check your email spam folder. A full refund will be provided within 15 days.