Field Trips
Field trip sign-ups have closed for the convention. If you have any questions, please email Jim Rapp at jim.rapp@mdbirds.org.
Late September offers an exciting time for birding in Frederick, Maryland, and its surrounding areas, as it marks the protracted peak of fall migration. Field trips will be offered in Downtown Frederick and Frederick County, and at locations up to an hour or so outside of the city. We will venture into Washington, DC and Baltimore, as well as Virginia and Pennsylvania.
Field trips will be offered on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Field trips will begin on Friday morning (this is new to the 2025 convention), and will wrap up before noon on Sunday. Most field trips are free with your convention registration. Costs such as park entrance fees must be covered by participants.
Field trip sign ups opened at 6:00 pm on Saturday, July 26.
Field trip sign-ups closed at 9:00 pm on Wednesday, Sept. 10.
Black-crowned Night-Heron. Photo credit: Dr. Frode Jacobsen.
More Field Trip Info
Click on the links below for information about our Field Trip Leaders and our field trip offerings on Friday, Saturday and Sunday:
To view a spreadsheet with field trip titles, leaders, and start/finish times for each day, please click here or click in the image.
Field Trip Locations Include:
- Audrey Carroll Audubon Sanctuary
- Baker Park
- Beginning Bird Walk
- Bird Friendly Frederick: Enhancing Bird Safety in Urban Environments
- Birding the Battlefields: Antietam
- Birding the Battlefields: Gettysburg
- Birding the Battlefields: Monocacy
- Birds, Bugs, and Beyond in the Frederick Watershed
- C&O Canal – Monocacy Aquaduct to Nolands Ferry
- Catoctin Creek Park and Nature Center
- Catoctin Mountain Park – Owens Creek Picnic Area and Manahan Road
- Centennial Park and Lake
- Connecting Land, River, and Sky: Anacostia River Birding Tour (BOAT TRIP)
- E. Eugene Myers Community Park
- Fort Frederick – Fields and Forest
- Frederick City Watershed
- Fred J. Archibald Audubon Sanctuary
- Gambrill Mill Trail
- Gambrill State Park – Rock Run Campground
- Greenfield Road
- Gwynns Falls Leakin Park
- iNaturalist and the Maryland Biodiversity Project
- Lake Roland
- Linganore Creek Farm (potential new MOS Sanctuary)
- Middle Patuxent Environmental Area
- Patapsco State Park – Henryton
- Patterson Park
- Placemaking for Birds—Restoring Habitat in the City
- Rickman/Woodstock Equestrian Park
- Rivermist/Monocacy River Path
- Strawberry Hill Nature Preserve
- Three-state Sweep: West Virginia, Virginia and Maryland
Google Map of Field Trip Locations
Field Trip Registration and Sign Ups
Participants must register for the convention before signing up for field trips.
All trip participants will meet their Field Trip Leaders on site, or at a meeting location such as a Park & Ride. Costs for park entries and boat trips will be paid by the participant.
What to bring & how to dress
- Wear layers of appropriate clothing and shoes for the weather. While we hope for good weather, we may not get it. Be prepared for showers. Bring rain gear as all events are rain or shine. We only cancel field trips due to dangerous weather, such as lightning or strong winds. Boots for wet locations are recommended.
- Bug spray and tick repellant are always a good idea. You can expect and prepare for flies, mosquitoes and ticks during some field trips. We suggest wearing long pants made of lightweight, quick-drying material. For information on preventing tickborne diseases, please click here.
- Carry sunscreen, sunglasses and/or a hat to protect yourself from the sun.
- Stay hydrated. Please bring a full water bottle.
- Optics are not provided. Please bring your own binoculars, spotting scopes and/or cameras.
Breakfast and Lunch
Breakfast and lunch will be on your own. Some of our field trip leaders encourage you to bring your own lunch, and they will provide a site to eat together. Some field trip leaders are making arrangements to eat lunch at a local restaurant. We encourage you to explore the many wonderful breakfast and lunch locations in and around Frederick. When you’re there, please let the businesses know that you’re in town for birding!