President’s Welcome

Welcoming all attendees to the 78th MOS Convention!!!

From the 25th to the 27th of September 2026, MOS will hold its 78th annual Convention in Salisbury, MD. We very much hope to welcome you there in person.

Whether this is your 1st MOS Convention or whether you are a regular attendee, there will be something new for you. Although most of our Conventions take place at the end of, or in mid-Spring, last year we had a rare early Fall Convention in Frederick, MD. This year, due to serious problems with our venue in Solomons scheduled for May 2026, we’re having to go with another early Fall Convention at the end of September. So, this still provides us with a great opportunity to enjoy fall migrants once again, but this time in a coastal environment! There will be numerous field trips across the eastern shore of MD, DE and VA, including several boat trips, led by skilled leaders and attended by many MOS members. Attendees will be able to sign up for field trips starting on Saturday 1 August.

This year, we are going back to our central hotel model for the Convention – the DoubleTree Hotel in Salisbury, MD. The DoubleTree is located in downtown Salisbury – see the MOS Convention website for a map. We are a little bit constrained on the space we have available, both in the Hotel and its parking lot. Thus, we are utilizing an additional parking lot nearby the Hotel for field trip departures/arrivals. Jim Rapp will be in his 2nd year of serving as Chair of the Convention Committee and in charge of organizing our Convention.

MOS Conventions are geared toward birders as much as they are toward birds. Become friends with members of other chapters and of your own chapter, maybe around a nice drink. Learn about other U.S. birding organizations, especially the Delaware Ornithological Society, and view and learn from interesting posters presented by researchers, biology students, conservationists, and environmentalists. Additionally, meet our sponsors who will be delighted to talk to you, try your luck at winning a nice prize in our raffle or silent auction, and witness a variety of awards presented to our many worthy recipients.

Each of our Conventions is the perfect opportunity for reviewing our history and contemplating our future! Please consider becoming active in MOS and helping us function to maximize our great potential as an organization dedicated to protecting birds and their habitats!

We greatly look forward to seeing you in Salisbury!

Steve Sheffield, Ph.D.
MOS President