Saturday, Sept. 26 Field Trips
Update (posted at 6:00 am on July 14): The MOS Convention Committee will be updating the website with new information as it becomes available.
We are working with our Field Trip Leaders now to schedule field trips for Friday, Saturday and Sunday. This page will be updated often between July 1 and July 12. Most field trips should be posted on this page by July 15, and all field trip details will be finalized by July 28. Field trip sign ups open on August 1.
General field trip information for Saturday, Sept. 26
On Saturday, Sept. 26, field trips will be scheduled for the morning, all day, and afternoon. All field trips are hosted within a ~one-hour drive of the DoubleTree by Hilton in Salisbury.
Field trip signups will begin on August 1.
Breakfast will be served at the DoubleTree from 5:45 – 6:45 am. Lunch will be served at the DoubleTree from 11:30 am – 12:30 pm. If you purchased lunch on Saturday and you sign up for an all-day field trip, you can pick up your box lunch at the DoubleTree starting at 5:45 am.
Field trips must return in time for the 4:00 – 6:00 pm wine & cheese social at the DoubleTree by Hilton, located at 300 S. Salisbury Blvd., Salisbury, Maryland, 21801.
Click here and scroll down for general information about convention field trips. Scroll down this page for specific information about field trips on Saturday, Sept. 26.
If you have any questions, please email Jim Rapp at jim.rapp@mdbirds.org.
Departure parking lots
The 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.
Saturday Field Trip Descriptions
Many thanks to the field trip site descriptions provided by the Birder’s Guide to Maryland & DC, a project of the Maryland Ornithological Society!
Before August 1, field trips will listed below in order of start time. Please note the meeting location of each field trip to estimate the driving time from your lodging for the weekend.
MORNING FIELD TRIPS
Departures for morning field trips will begin at 6:30 am and continue in 15-minute intervals until all trips have departed. Check this page often for updates to the field trip roster.
Departing at 7:30 am
Sinepuxent Bay Boat Trip
Guide: Kim Abplanalp
Description: The Sinepuxent Bay Boat Trip will explore the coastal bays behind Ocean City and Assateague Island. The 2-hour tour with the OC Bay Hopper will begin in the West Ocean City Commercial Harbor. From there, the boat will cruise by the mudflats and shallow waters north of the Route 50 bridge. The boat will then cruise south to investigate the Downtown Ocean City docks, the south jetty at the Ocean City Inlet, and the bayside shoreline of Assateague Island. Please note: the boat is open-air with a canopy and does not have a heated cabin or restroom.
Cost: $40/person
Maximum # participants: 14
Driving time from Salisbury: ~35-40 minutes; boat departs at 8:30 am
Departing from: Parking Lot A at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center Parking Lot, located at 500 Glen Avenue, Salisbury, MD 21804
Meeting Location: You will meet your guide at the meeting location. The pickup location for the boat is the West Ocean City Boat Ramp, located on Sunset Avenue. There is no specific street address for the boat ramp, so please use these GPS coordinates: 38.3275, -75.10681. For reference, the boat ramp is located on Sunset Avenue 1/4-mile before you reach The Shark on the Harbor restaurant, which is located at 12924 Sunset Ave, Ocean City, MD 21842. Park in the large public parking lot, but please park in a short space designated for a single vehicle. Try to avoid parking in a long space designated for a vehicle and boat trailer.
Facilities: There is no head/toilet on the OC Bay Hopper, so please use the public restroom in the harbor prior to departure. The restroom is located next to the boat ramp.
Habitat: Open bay, sandy shorelines, marsh, mud flats, jetties
Difficulty: Although not physically demanding, boat trips do require participants to board and disembark with limited assistance. Once on board, participants will mostly sit. Standing to view or photograph wildlife is permitted when the captain allows it. Sturdy shoes are recommended.
The Sinepuxent Bay Boat Trip will be accessible to participants using mobility aids such as walkers and rollators. Assistance will be provided when boarding and disembarking the boat. There is no boarding ramp, so you will need to step into the boat with assistance. If you have questions, please contact Jim Rapp at jmrpp2@gmail.com.
Departing at 8:30 am
Beginner Bird Stroll at Pirate’s Wharf
Guides: Sarah Kulis, María-Elena Montero & Jim Rapp
Description: Like the name describes, this trip is aimed at beginning birders! Pirate’s Wharf Park is Wicomico’s County’s newest public park, having opened in fall of 2023. The county purchased the 341-acre property in 1997 from a farming family, using State of Maryland Program Open Space funds, and began the process of planning for the park around 2015. The county is still building out the park’s amenities, but most of the park is now open for the general public and birders to enjoy. Some parts of the park are still off-limits; obey posted signs. The pace will be slower so no one will be left behind.
Cost: free
Maximum # participants: 24
Driving time from Salisbury: ~20-25 minutes
Departing from: Parking Lot A at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center Parking Lot, located at 500 Glen Avenue, Salisbury, MD 21804
Meeting Location: You will meet your guides at Parking Lot A at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center before driving to Pirate’s Wharf, located at 4701 Whitehaven Rd, Quantico, MD 21856
Facilities: Restrooms are available.
Habitat: meadows, open fields, river, wetlands, deciduous and pine forests
Difficulty: Participants will stroll less than two miles. Trails in the main part of the park are paved with packed stone dust and are ADA-accessible. Sturdy hiking shoes are recommended.
The Beginner Bird Walk at the Salisbury City Park will be accessible to participants using mobility aids such as walkers and rollators. If you have questions, please contact Jim Rapp at jim.rapp@mdbirds.org.
ALL-DAY FIELD TRIPS
Departures for all-day field trips will begin at 6:30 am and continue in 15-minute intervals until all trips have departed. Check back soon for the field trip roster.
Departing at 7:00 am
Cape Henlopen State Park
Guides: Anthony Gonzon & Chris Bennett
Description: Cape Henlopen State Park is situated at the mouth of the Delaware Bay. The “Point” of Cape Henlopen, where the Delaware Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean, shaped the history of this landscape. For millenia, native people lived off the land’s abundant and rich resources and in the late 1600s, William Penn granted the land and allowed citizens to harvest many of the same resources. The area’s strategic position led to the construction of Fort Miles during World war II with its iconic fire control towers along the Atlantic coast. A diverse collection of habitats makes up the coastal ecosystem of the park, including barrier dunes, coastal beaches, and maritime forests that are home to many bird species. This trip will include a stop at the Cape Henlopen Hawk Watch.
Please note: this trip will take place from 8:00 am – 12:00 pm at Cape Henlopen State Park. It is not a true “all day” trip, but you will not have time to return to the DoubleTree for lunch. You may want to consider a box lunch, or dine in nearby Lewes or Rehoboth Beach. You will have time for birding on your own before returning for the 4:00 – 6:00 pm wine & cheese social at the DoubleTree.
Cost: Access is granted with a Delaware State Parks Annual Pass, or with a day-use fee of $10/vehicle with DE tags or $20/vehicle with out-of-state tags. For more information, please click here.
Maximum # participants: 24
Driving time from Salisbury: ~60-65 minutes; you will meet your guides at 8:00 am
Departing from: Parking Lot A at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center Parking Lot, located at 500 Glen Avenue, Salisbury, MD 21804
Meeting Location: You will meet your guides in the Fishing Pier parking lot at Cape Henlopen State Park, located at 15099 Cape Henlopen Drive, Lewes, DE 19958. GPS coordinates: 38.785857, -75.101570
Facilities: Restrooms are available.
Habitat: forest, marsh, mud flats, open ocean, beach, bay
Difficulty: Participants may hike 2 to 3 miles over mostly level surfaces. Trail surfaces include sand, dirt/grass, boardwalks, asphalt and compact gravel paths. Sturdy hiking shoes are recommended. Please note that some trails may become muddy if it rains prior to or during the convention.
Departing at 7:15 am
Cypress Swamp to Salt Marsh – Nassawango Creek Paddle and Truitt’s Landing
Guide: Russ Kovach
Description: This trip combines a morning paddling tour on Nassawango Creek, one of the most scenic and beautiful waterways in the Mid-Atlantic, and an afternoon visit to the open marshes of Truitt’s Landing along Chincoteague Bay. You’ll begin at the Pocomoke River Canoe Company in Snow Hill, MD, where you’ll use the restrooms before loading the van for a short drive to the launch at Red House Road. The creek winds ~2.5 miles through the The Nature Conservancy’s Nassawango Creek Preserve before you reach the bridge at Nassawango Road. After getting safely off the water, the vans will transport you back to Snow Hill for lunch. You can bring a box lunch from the DoubleTree or dine in Snow Hill. After lunch, you will drive to Truitt’s Landing for birding in the marshes along Chincoteague Bay.
Cost: $65/canoe or tandem kayak (this equals $32.50 per person, please only make this selection if you are going with a paddling partner); $60/solo kayak, and $25 if you are bringing your own boat & equipment. Canoe and kayak rentals include paddle and PFD.
Maximum # participants: 14
Driving time from Salisbury: ~25-30 minutes; van with kayaks and canoes departs at 8:00 am
Departing from: Parking Lot A at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center Parking Lot, located at 500 Glen Avenue, Salisbury, MD 21804
Meeting Location: You will meet your guide at Parking Lot A at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center for the drive to the Pocomoke River Canoe Company, located at 2 River St, Snow Hill, MD 21863.
Facilities: Restrooms are available at the Pocomoke River Canoe Company.
Habitat: Bald Cypress swamp, salt marsh, freshwater marsh
Difficulty: Nassawango Creek is a usually a very gentle paddle. Please prepare to paddle 2.5 miles in the morning, and walk up to a mile in the afternoon along the dirt road at Truitt’s Landing. Sturdy shoes are recommended.
AFTERNOON FIELD TRIPS
Departures for afternoon field trips will begin at 12:30 pm and continue in 15-minute intervals until all trips have departed. Check back soon for the field trip roster.
AFTERNOON SEMINARS
Click here for information about Saturday afternoon seminars from Tyme Anusonti-Inthra and Gene Scarpulla. Seminars will be hosted at 1:15 pm and 3:30 pm in the banquet room of the DoubleTree, located at 300 S. Salisbury Blvd., Salisbury, Maryland, 21801.