April 12: Druid Hill Park & Baltimore Water Taxi

Yellow-crowed Night-Heron and Osprey. Photos courtesy of Dr. Frode Jacobsen.

Bring your binoculars to Baltimore for a fun morning field trip at Druid Hill Park and an afternoon cruise on the Patapsco River!

Join our Baltimore Birding Weekend guides on Saturday, April 12 to explore birding hotspots during a morning field trip at Druid Hill Park & the Jones Falls Trail and an afternoon cruise around the Baltimore Peninsula and Fort McHenry!

In the morning, we’ll host a field trip that connects two birding hotspots:

You’ll have time for lunch between 11:00 am – 1:30 pm, and then we’ll meet at the Port Covington Marina for an afternoon cruise with the Baltimore Water Taxi:

  • 2:00 – 3:30 pm: Birding by Boat around the Baltimore Peninsula

Scroll down for field trip descriptions and registration information. You can register for your field trips using the secure PayPal links below. You do not need a PayPal account to register; credit cards are accepted.

We hope you’ll join us for spring birding in Baltimore on Saturday, April 12!

MORNING FIELD TRIP

Druid Hill Park + Jones Falls Trail (HIKING)
Time: 8:00 – 11:00 am
Cost: $30/person
Guides: Russ Kovach, Brenda Miller & Jim Rapp
Meeting Location: meet your guides in front of the Baltimore City Recreation & Parks Office Building, located at 3001 East Drive, Baltimore, MD 21217. There is parking along East Drive. GPS Coordinates: 39.320395, -76.634617

Horseshoe Falls

We’ll hike a ~2.5 mile loop as we search Druid Hill Park and the Jones Falls Trail for spring birds. During our hike, we’ll scope the Druid Hill reservoir for gulls, grebes and waterfowl. In the forests and fields, we’ll look for spring songbirds, woodpeckers and raptors. On our way to the Jones Falls Trail, we’ll stop on the Wyman Park Drive bridge to scan the treetops for nesting Yellow-crowned Night Herons. We’ll work our way down the trail to gaze upon scenic Horseshoe Falls (also known as Round Falls). We’ll make a stop at the St. Paul’s Lutheran Cemetery in the park before heading back to our vehicles at 11:00 am.

Field Trip Route

AFTERNOON CRUISE

Ruddy Duck, Bald Eagle and Horned Grebe. Photos courtesy of Dr. Frode Jacobsen.

Birding by Boat around the Baltimore Peninsula (BOATING)
Time: 2:00 – 3:30 pm (please arrive early to park and arrive at the dock on time; scroll down for parking and meeting info)
Cost: $45/person
Guides: Russ Kovach, Brenda Miller & Jim Rapp
Meeting Location: the Port Covington Marina, located at 321 E Cromwell St, Baltimore, MD 21230. Meet at the dock for the Baltimore Water Taxi. GPS Coordinates for the dock: 39.264381, -76.604892

Ahoy, birders! Join us for an afternoon birding boat trip aboard a private charter with the Baltimore Water Taxi. We’ll cruise around the Baltimore Peninsula and Fort McHenry while enjoying scenic views of the city skyline and scanning the Baltimore waterfront for birds, including waterfowl, gulls, raptors and more! Your guides will help you locate and identify the species as we ply the waters of the Patapsco. We tallied 29 species on this cruise in April 2024.

There is metered parking on nearby streets for $2/hour. The 250 Mission Garage is a 6-minute walk from the boat dock, and parking there will be ~$12.00 for four hours. Click here to reserve your parking space in the 250 Mission Garage.

Water Taxi Route

Before and after your 2:00 – 3:30 pm birding cruise, visit the Baltimore Peninsula for lunch or a Sagamore Spirit Distillery tour!

Some common sense approaches to make your birding trips more enjoyable:

  • Wear appropriate clothing and shoes for spring weather near the water.
  • Although the Water Taxi is covered, bring rain gear as this trip will run rain or shine.
  • Arrive with enough time to park and arrive at the dock at least 15 minutes before the trip departs so that we can check you in.
  • Use the restroom before the boat departs. There is no head on the water taxi, and the marina restrooms may not be open.
  • Bring your own binoculars. Loaner optics are not available.
  • Small coolers with snacks, wine and/or beer are welcome!

Please note:

  • No cancellations after March 28, 2025. For a further explanation of our refund policy, please click here.
  • Trips will go in the rain or fog, unless torrential downpours prevent us from viewing wildlife.
  • If the trip is canceled due to dangerous conditions (typically storms or strong, gusting winds), we will notify you as soon as possible 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.
  • eBird checklists for all tours will be shared with participants.