Friday, May 8

Baltimore Oriole and Common Raven. Photos courtesy of Dr. Frode Jacobsen.

Registration will open before March 1st.
Please note that trip descriptions listed below may change before registration opens.

MORNING TRIPS

Middle Branch Park/Masonville Cove (DRIVING/HIKING)
Time: 8:00 – 11:00 am
Cost: $30/person
Guides: 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

Please note: The parking lot at Masonville Cove is very tight, and there is no nearby street parking. Participants will be asked to carpool to reduce the number of vehicles. Drivers will be asked to return to Middle Branch Park after Masonville Cove. The drive is 5 minutes.

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.

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. We will scope the river and waterfront for waterfowl, shorebirds and wading birds.

Around 9:20 am, we will depart for a 5-minute 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 nesting Bald Eagles. This trip will feature up to two miles of hiking on mostly flat nature trails and dirt roads. Restrooms available.

Hart-Miller Island (BOAT/BUS/HIKING)
Time: 9:00 am – 1:00 pm
Cost: $65/person
Guides: TBD
Meeting Location:  2024A Riverview Road, Essex, MD, 21221 – park and meet in the gravel parking area. Use GPS Coordinates: 39.255085, -76.427599

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

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 Essex, MD, 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, so please arrive early.

AFTERNOON TRIP

Southwest Area Park + Gwynns Falls Trail South (DRIVING/HIKING)
Time: 1:00 – 4:00 pm
Cost: $30/person
Guides: TBD
Meeting Location: meet your guides in the parking lot for the Baltimore Highlands Light Rail Station, located at 4113 Baltimore St., Baltimore, MD 21227. GPS Coordinates: 39.236027, -76.632732

We’ll begin this field trip with a leisurely ~1.5-mile hike at Southwest Area Park in Brooklyn, MD. The park has a variety of habitats, including open water, wetlands, forests and fields. Following the hike, we’ll then caravan to the Gwynns Falls Trail South, located behind the Horseshoe Casino in Baltimore City just 15 minutes by vehicle from Southwest Area Park. We’ll hike ~1 mile on the paved trail while we search for ducks on the water and songbirds in the open meadows. If time allows, we’ll end this tour at nearby Swann Park. The shallow waters near Swann Park provide habitat for waterfowl, gulls and herons.

Please note:

  • No cancellations are accepted after April 25, 2026. 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.