Field Trips & Seminars

Update (posted at 8:30 am on August 11): The MOS Convention Committee will be updating the website with new information as it becomes available.

Thank you to our partners for helping us plan field trips and recruit field trip leaders!

Click here to sign up for your field trips.

Field Trip sign-ups opened for registered convention participants on Monday, August 3 at 6:00 pm.

Each registered participant must sign up for their own field trips. If you registered for two people, you can sign up two people for the same field trip(s). You will need to log in using the email and password associated with your MOS registration and membership.

Field Trip sign-ups will close on Tuesday, Sept. 8 at 6:00 pm.

There will be opportunity to drop and add field trips at the DoubleTree on Thursday afternoon, Sept. 24 through Sunday morning, Sept. 27.

The MOS Convention Planning Committee is working with Field Trip Leaders now to schedule all field trips. Our goal is for the field trip descriptions and schedule to be finalized by July 28.

Field trips will be scheduled on Friday, Sept. 25 (morning, afternoon and all day), Saturday, Sept. 26 (morning, afternoon and all day) and Sunday, Sept. 27 (morning only). We may also have a Sunday afternoon “on the way home” field trip on the Upper Eastern Shore. There will be field trips that are accessible to participants using mobility aids such as wheelchairs, walkers and rollators. Seminars will be offered at the DoubleTree by Hilton on Saturday afternoon. Scroll down this page for field trip and seminar information.

If you are interested in leading or co-leading a field trip, please contact Jim Rapp at jim.rapp@mdbirds.org.

You can view this Google Map of 2026 field trip sites:

Field trip locations include:

Many thanks to the field trip site descriptions provided by the Birder’s Guide to Maryland & DC, a project of the Maryland Ornithological Society!

Links to field trip pages

Click on the links below for information about our Field Trip Leaders and our field trip and seminar offerings on Friday, Saturday and Sunday (please note: these pages will be updated regularly before August 1):

Convention registration and field trip sign ups

Participants must be registered for the convention before signing up for field trips. Registration has closed for the convention.

Online field trip sign-ups will open on August 3.

Field trip departures

Field trips will depart in 15-minute intervals. Morning and all-day trips will begin departing at 6:15 am, 6:30 am, and so on. Several field trips may depart at the same time. Afternoon trips will depart beginning at 12:30 pm, then 12:45 pm, 1:00 pm, and so on.

Most field trips will depart from a central meeting location in Salisbury, MD. For these field trips, the field trip leader(s) will meet you in the designated parking lot. Scroll down for more information about our field trip departure parking lots.

Some trips will meet at a location in the field. For these field trips, the field trip leader(s) will meet you at the field trip site. Addresses and GPS coordinates will be provided.

Meals

You will want to consider your meal options when signing up for field trips. You can choose to purchase a meal plan for the convention when you register. You may choose the “All Meals” option, or you may purchase meals individually. Click here for your options and the menu for each meal. You can also choose to dine on your own. There are many options for breakfast, lunch and dinner in Salisbury, MD.

On Friday, Sept. 25, there will be no breakfast or lunch served at the DoubleTree by Hilton. Breakfast and lunch will be on your own. The wine & cheese social will be hosted in the lobby of the DoubleTree from 4:00 – 6:00 pm and dinner will be served from 6:00 – 7:00 pm in the banquet room.

On Saturday, Sept. 26, these meals will be served in the banquet room at the DoubleTree by Hilton:

  • Breakfast will be served from 5:45 – 6:45 am. Box lunches for all-day field trips can be picked up at this time.
  • Lunch will be served from 11:30 am – 12:30 pm.
  • The wine & cheese social will be hosted in the hotel lobby from 4:00 – 6:00 pm.
  • Dinner will be served from 6:00 – 7:00 pm.

On Sunday, Sept. 27, these meals will be served in the banquet room at the DoubleTree by Hilton:

  • Breakfast will be served from 5:45 – 6:45 am.
  • Lunch will be served from 11:30 am – 12:30 pm.

Departure parking lots

The 6:15 am, 6:30 am and 6:45 am field trips will depart from the DoubleTree by Hilton in Salisbury, MD, located at 300 S. Salisbury Blvd., Salisbury, Maryland, 21801. Click here for a map illustrating where field trips will meet and line up at the DoubleTree.

All field trips departing at 7:00 am and after (including the afternoon trips) will depart from the parking lot of the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center, located at 500 Glen Avenue, Salisbury, MD 21804. The Wicomico Youth & Civic Center is ~1.4 miles (~7-minute drive) from the DoubleTree by Hilton. Click here for a map illustrating where field trips will meet and line up at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center.

For trips in the field, street addresses are provided when available, and GPS coordinates are provided for all locations. Check-in with the field trip leader(s) before the field trip in the designated meeting location.

The Google Map below displays the locations of the DoubleTree by Hilton and the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center, and the suggested driving route.

Transportation, carpooling & field trip reminder emails

Transportation to and from field trips is on your own. MOS does not provide transportation during the convention. If you join in carpooling, please offer the driver something to offset the cost of gas and admission to parks with entrance fees. If you are a driver, please ensure you know exactly where the trip is going.

MOS Convention Chair Jim Rapp will email specific information for each field trip the week before the convention. Emails will be sent BCC to each participant on a specific field trip. The email will include field trip leader contact information, field trip departure time and location, and meeting location in the field (if applicable).

Boat & canoe/kayak trips

We will have birding trips on boats and in canoes and kayaks.  If you are interested in these trips, remember to dress appropriately for the weather. It will be windy and a little cooler as the boat moves. Wear comfortable shoes that won’t slip on a boat deck. Bring something to drink and use sunscreen.

Field trip led by young birders, hosted by the American Birding Association

On Saturday, Sept. 26, the American Birding Association will host a field trip led by young birders at the Hazel Outdoor Discovery Center in Eden, MD.

Saturday afternoon seminars

Click here for information about our Saturday afternoon seminars featuring Tyme Anusonti-Inthra and Gene Scarpulla.

Please review these field trip suggestions:

  • Carpooling is expected and expedient. Please help out drivers with a contribution towards the cost of gas.
  • Some venues have a nominal fee per vehicle. Please be prepared to contribute to this cost.
  • Be sure to have appropriate field gear: sturdy, waterproof boots and jacket, sunscreen, insect repellent and a good supply of water. 
  • Please do not wander off the road except on public lands. Most private land is posted. Do not enter the woods where trees are marked with blue paint blazes along public roads.

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, ticks and chiggers 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.