Sunday, May 11
Registration is open!
We are still waiting for approval to run the Maryland Zoo trip on Sunday, May 11. We will update the website as soon as approval is provided.
MORNING TRIPS
Maryland Zoo (HIKING)
Time: 8:00 – 11:00 am
Cost: $45 to $50/person (we’re waiting on info about the final cost); cost includes admission to the Maryland Zoo after the birding tour ends
Guides: Peter Martin & Scott Housten
Meeting Location: Maryland Zoo entrance at 1 Safari Place. Use GPS coordinates: 39.322724, -76.649751
Please note: Although we will be provided with special access to the Maryland Zoo, we will not visit the main pathways and animal exhibits during the birding tour. All participants are invited to visit the Maryland Zoo following the birding tour.
We need 10 participants to run this tour. If you are interested, please email dmvbirds@gmail.com with your name and the number in your party. When we reach our minimum, we will open registration.
This birding adventure begins in an area rarely accessed by zoo visitors or Baltimore birders: the historic Boat Lake in a quiet, closed-off area of the Maryland Zoo, which is nested in Druid Hill Park. We’ll search the trees around the lake and the forested paths of the zoo for migratory and resident species. This trip will include short hikes on occasionally steep trails on zoo property. All participants are invited to visit the Maryland Zoo following the birding tour. Restrooms available.
Catching & Banding Birds in Patterson Park (HIKING)
Time: 8:00 – 11:00 am
Cost: $30/person
Guides: Eric Fishel, Bud Poole & Nico Sarbanes
Meeting Location: Across from 2901 E Baltimore Street, Baltimore, MD 21224 – park on the street and meet your guides at the corner entrance of Patterson Park, across from the Patterson Public House. Use GPS coordinates: 39.292108, -76.576341
We will begin with a bird banding demonstration in Patterson Park, where birds are safely caught and examined by a licensed bird bander from Birds of Urban of Baltimore working in collaboration with the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center. Participants will observe this valuable component of conservation research, while getting a close look at wild birds “in the hand,” then continue with a bird walk. Baltimore’s oldest park features 134 acres of open lawns and fields, mature trees, and a shallow wetland. Species may include Green Heron and Spotted Sandpiper in the park pond, and more than a dozen spring warblers in the trees. This hike will feature up to two miles of hiking on slightly hilly park paths. Restrooms available.
Druid Hill Park & Jones Falls Trail (HIKING)
Time: 8:00 – 11:00 am
Cost: $30/person
Guides: 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
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.
Please note:
- No cancellations are accepted after April 25, 2025. 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.