Montgomery Bird Club – A Chapter of the Maryland Ornithological Society
What are the goals of MOS and its chapters? What do we stand for?
The mission of the Maryland Ornithological Society (MOS) is to foster interaction and exchange of information among people interested in wild birds and the natural world, in order to encourage the enjoyment, study, and conservation of these birds. We, the members of the Montgomery Bird Club, a chapter of MOS, stand firm in our conviction that the love of birds and the natural world can be found in all peoples; that everyone should be able to partake freely in the enjoyment and study of birds and the natural world; and that the conservation of birds and the natural world benefits us all.
We recognize that inequities, whether socioeconomic, physical, intellectual or developmental, limit access to nature for too many people and impose a toll of environmental degradation upon too many. We resolve to do our part to address these inequities, by embracing inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility (IDEA) in the Montgomery Bird Club (and MOS) membership and activities. Only by ensuring that our organization is welcoming to all people will we achieve our goal of fostering interaction among all people interested in wild birds, nature, and their conservation.
About the Montgomery Bird Club
Do you enjoy birds and are interested in their conservation? Do you live in Montgomery County, neighboring counties or D.C.? The Montgomery Bird Club was established in 1964 and has more than 400 members, from beginner to expert birders and from teens to seniors. Why don’t you try us out?
What we offer
Several bird trips* each month from September through May, all free. They are led by people who know the birds and their habitats and enjoy sharing their knowledge. Trips are mostly local but sometimes take us to different counties or even to sites closed to the general public. During the trips we learn to find and identify birds, to observe their behavior and habitat, and to distinguish local residents from migrating birds.
An evening meeting* every month from September through May, free as well. We first enjoy meeting other members and viewing members’ bird photos. We then watch a presentation by club members or guests on bird research, conservation, travels etc. Recent presentations, for example, have taken us to Puerto Rico, Antarctica, Hawai’i, Panama and the Chesapeake Bay and have taught us a new way to identify Sparrows. Our meetings are recorded and afterwards are accessible at our YouTube Channel. Meetings take place at the Potomac Presbyterian Church, 10301 River Road, Potomac, MD. Doors open at 7:00 PM for socializing and refreshments. For those unable to attend in person, the meeting will be streamed live by Zoom. Zoom link will be sent to members via email 48 hours before the meeting.
Special meetings. The December holiday meeting features a quiz that tests our birding skills and sense of humor. In May, we host our Social at Woodend, the Chevy Chase home of Nature Forward. The setting is beautiful and the ambiance is warm and informal. We have dinner together, honor our member of the year and are treated to members’ best bird photos.
Participation in the citizen science of bird counts* The best-known counts are the Christmas Bird Counts but there are several other counts, some from your backyard or immediate neighborhood. We are currently also participating in Maryland’s third Breeding Bird Atlas (2020-2024).
Several media publications to keep members informed of all these activities and of environmental concerns touching birds and people: a quarterly newsletter, The Chat; at least two email newsletters per month; and this website. Presentations are recorded and posted on our Vimeo channel for later viewing. Finally, MBC and MOS have Facebook pages.
News and Events
CLUB MEETINGS
Please mark your calendars for the upcoming meetings:
October 16, 2024 (Wednesday): Lisa Burke and Anne Mytych present “Finding Birds, Getting Lost, and Winning the Prize in Southeast Arizona”
November 20, 2024 (Wednesday): Josephoine Cox presents “The C&O Canal Count and the Sugarloaf CBC”
Look for more details here just before each meeting!
OUR BIRDING ACTIVITIES
Please see our Calendar or Facebook pages for the latest on Meetings and Field Trips.
Access to WSSC adjacent land to Triadelphia Reservoir and T. Howard Duckett Reservoir: The Maryland Ornithological Society and its chapter members have permission to access WSSC adjacent land to Triadelphia Reservoir and T. Howard Duckett Reservoir from March 15, 2024 until November 20, 2024 according to the stipulations described here.
Youth Walks: The Montgomery Bird Club is initiating a separate program of guided bird walks for young people (with a parent of each youth). Please check our Calendar to look for these mentored walks.
MOS Volunteer Opportunity with Maryland Ornithological Society Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion ! Looking for new members as we embark on a 3 year strategic plan to help increase the diversity of MOS membership, build partnerships with other organizations, and expand our educational and outreach programs. For more information contact: Ross Geredien at [email protected] or 610-850-5035
Note on COVID19 precautions: MBC continues to recommend full vaccination and booster shots. Wear a mask if it makes you feel more comfortable. Also, please follow any current CDC recommendations for this or other respiratory illnesses.
BIRDS & THE ENVIRONMENT
Analysis – See how bird populations are declining in the United States, city by city – Washington Post. The article can be found here.
How Christian Cooper turned one of the worst days of his life into a megaphone for inclusion and the joy of birding. The article can be found here.
Rex Brasher – Artist. An article about Rex Brasher an artist who paints various birds. The article can be found here.
Bird Anatomy. Test your knowledge and learn more about bird anatomy in this fun interactive page from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
Peter Kaestner logs his 10,000th bird species seen in the wild. The article can be found here.
HOA’s and how to fight back – The Washington Post article can be found here.
News and Events
CLUB MEETINGS
Please mark your calendars for the upcoming meetings:
October 16, 2024 (Wednesday): Lisa Burke and Anne Mytych present “Finding Birds, Getting Lost, and Winning the Prize in Southeast Arizona”
November 20, 2024 (Wednesday): Josephoine Cox presents “The C&O Canal Count and the Sugarloaf CBC”
Look for more details here just before each meeting!
OUR BIRDING ACTIVITIES
Please see our Calendar or Facebook pages for the latest on Meetings and Field Trips.
Access to WSSC adjacent land to Triadelphia Reservoir and T. Howard Duckett Reservoir: The Maryland Ornithological Society and its chapter members have permission to access WSSC adjacent land to Triadelphia Reservoir and T. Howard Duckett Reservoir from March 15, 2024 until November 20, 2024 according to the stipulations described here.
Youth Walks: The Montgomery Bird Club is initiating a separate program of guided bird walks for young people (with a parent of each youth). Please check our Calendar to look for these mentored walks.
MOS Volunteer Opportunity with Maryland Ornithological Society Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion ! Looking for new members as we embark on a 3 year strategic plan to help increase the diversity of MOS membership, build partnerships with other organizations, and expand our educational and outreach programs. For more information contact: Ross Geredien at [email protected] or 610-850-5035
Note on COVID19 precautions: MBC continues to recommend full vaccination and booster shots. Wear a mask if it makes you feel more comfortable. Please follow any current CDC recommendations for this or other respiratory illnesses.
BIRDS & THE ENVIRONMENT
Analysis – See how bird populations are declining in the United States, city by city – Washington Post. The article can be found here.
How Christian Cooper turned one of the worst days of his life into a megaphone for inclusion and the joy of birding. The article can be found here.
Rex Brasher – Artist. An article about Rex Brasher an artist who paints various birds. The article can be found here.
Bird Anatomy. Test your knowledge and learn more about bird anatomy in this fun interactive page from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
Peter Kaestner logs his 10,000th bird species seen in the wild. The article can be found here.
HOA’s and how to fight back – The Washington Post article can be found here.
Who’s Who?
COMMITTEE CHAIRS
Field Trips: Linda Friedland
Membership: Moira Davenport
Conservation: Gail Mackiernan
NOMINATING COMMITTEE
Chair: David Roberts
Stella Tea
Carol Daugherty
Tara Clifton
WEBMASTER
Ed Vigezzi
STATE DIRECTORS
Lisa Wilcox Deyo
Francesca Grifo
Cheryl Hogue
Jim Ivett
Ed Vigezzi
CHAPTER DIRECTORS
Josephine Cox
Roy Howard
Brooke Levey
Luis Selva
NEWSLETTER
Editor: Stella Tea
Designer: Pam Oves