OCTOBER 2026
OCTOBER 14 (Wednesday)
DORCHESTER COUNTY
Full-day birding trip to Dorchester County on MD’s Eastern Shore. Meet in Cambridge at the Visitor Center at Sailwind Park at 8:30 a.m. Carpooling from the meeting place is required. Birding locations include Egypt Rd, Blackwater NWR, and Hurlock WWTP. We will be targeting lingering shorebirds, late migrants, and early arriving waterfowl plus any rarities reported in the area. Limit: 12. Sunscreen, insect repellent, and sturdy walking shoes suggested. Bring your own lunch, snacks, water, etc. We will plan to eat lunch in the field. LEADER: Jim Green at jkgbirdman53@gmail.com.
OCTOBER 17 (Saturday)
THIS TRIP IS FULL. WAITLIST AVAILABLE.
DAYSPRING SILENT RETREAT CENTER, GERMANTOWN, MD.
Join us for a first-ever MBC bird walk at this beautiful 210-acre private property, which includes meadows, mature woods, two ponds, streams, and a large lake. MBC leaders Lauren Carey, Deb Hanley, and Leo Dilling were previously permitted to tour the property and will lead the trip. The walk will be on well-maintained grassy paths, so water-resistant footwear is recommended. Meet at 8 am. in front of the farmhouse at 11301 Neelsville School Road, Germantown, MD, or see this link for more details: https://
OCTOBER 18 (Sunday)
LITTLE BENNETT RP FOR BEGINNERS
Come join us to look for fall migrants and resident birds. Various species of sparrows, warblers, woodpeckers & raptors are typical here. All are welcome on this trip, but we especially encourage those new to birding to join us. Starting at 7:30 a.m., we’ll first spend time at the big meadow at Wilson Mill Trail & then some of the woodland trails. Limit: 10. For more information and directions, contact the LEADER: Paul Orsinger paulorsinger@gmail.com
OCTOBER 21 (Wednesday)
OCTOBER MEETING
Stacy Hill presents “Bird Conservation Efforts.”
With the landmark research that quantified the loss of 3 billion birds across North America in the last 50 years, we as conservationists need to prepare for further declines and the possible need for future reintroduction programs. The Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute has dedicated its new Bird House to migratory birds of North America, having had landmark successes
in breeding 16 species of songbirds and 7 species of waterfowl. Managing the reproduction of these birds requires careful observations and quickly pivoting to address challenges as they arise. Stacy Hill, assistant curator, will share a behind-the scenes look at the husbandry research and planning needed for these conservation milestones. She completed her master’s thesis on the endangered Red Siskin with the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in 2018, contracted with the Migratory Bird Center for a year, and then came to the Bird House in 2019.
OCTOBER 22 (Thursday)
THIS TRIP IS FULL. WAITLIST AVAILABLE.
BLOCKHOUSE POINT CONSERVATION PARK
Join us for a late fall morning half-day walk at this historic conservation park off River Road with woods, a stream, clearings, and a Potomac River overlook. We will meet at 8 a.m. hoping to see year-round residents as well as wintering species like Ruby-crowned and Golden-crowned Kinglets, Brown Creeper, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, and Winter Wren. No facilities available. Limit 10. LEADER: James Fleming at jameshhfleming@gmail.com.
OCTOBER 31 (Saturday)
REDGATE PARK
Come explore this park on a former golf course. The area offers multiple habitats, including a small marsh, wooded areas, and lots of meadow areas for potential winter sparrows. In its first 10 months as a park, birders identified 147 species. Some parts have steep hills. Meet at 8 a.m. in the parking lot. Limit: 12. LEADER: Anne Mytych at amytych@yahoo.com.
OCTOBER 31 (Saturday)
ROCK CREEK’S NORTH BRANCH STREAM VALLEY
Discover upper Rock Creek’s watershed with a variety of habitats. We will start along open fields and marshy areas next to Bowie Mill Park with the opportunity to see a variety of sparrows, hawks, fall migrants, and turkeys if we’re lucky. Previous lists included 8 species of sparrows including Fox, White-crowned, Swamp, and Savannah Sparrows. Depending on the weather, we’ll opt to explore a section of the stream valley for woodpeckers and other resident woodland species. Meet at 8 a.m. at Bowie Mill Park (https://tinyurl.com/yswz6v95) next to Sequoyah Elementary School. Limit: 16. LEADER: Jo Cox at jobird11@gmail.com. Kathy Reitz will co-lead.
NOVEMBER 2026
NOVEMBER 2 (Monday)
ROYCE HANSON CONSERVATION PARK POP-UP
No reservations needed! Enjoy some fall birding at one of Montgomery’s newer parks, targeting sparrows and lingering fall migrants along both field and forest edge habitat. Meet at 7:30 a.m. in the parking lot at 21820 Club Hollow Road in Poolesville, MD. LEADER: Andy Martin at martinap2@verizon.net. Note: We return to standard time on Sunday, November 1.
NOVEMBER 3 (Tuesday)
LOIS Y. GREEN CONSERVATION PARK
Morning walk through the woods. We’ll be looking for overwintering songbirds, waterfowl, and raptors. Meet at 8 a.m. in the parking lot at 8711 Snouffer School Road, Gaithersburg, Md. Limit: 12. LEADER: Mark England at englandmark@comcast.net.
NOVEMBER 11 (Wednesday)
REDGATE PARK: SEEKING SPARROWS
If you are just starting to sort out the sparrows, join us for our annual Veterans Day walk. We’ll work on ID-ing familiar species such as Song and White-throated Sparrow, while looking for less common ones like White-crowned and Swamp. This trip is geared to beginners, but all are welcome. Meet at 8 a.m. Limit: 12. LEADER: Jo Cox at jobird11@gmail.com. Kathy Reitz will co-lead.
NOVEMBER 12 (Thursday)
DORCHESTER COUNTY
Full-day birding trip to Dorchester County on MD’s Eastern Shore. Meet in Cambridge at the visitor center at Sailwind Park at 8:30am. Carpooling from the meeting location is required. Birding locations include Egypt Rd, Blackwater NWR, and many more. Target birds include waterfowl, sparrows, year-round residents like Brown-headed Nuthatch, etc. If there are rarities reported in the area, we will look for them. Limit: 12. Sunscreen, insect repellent, and sturdy walking shoes suggested. Bring your own lunch, snacks, and water. We will plan to eat in the field. LEADER: Jim Green at Jkgbirdman53@gmail.com.
NOVEMBER 14 (Saturday)
THIS TRIP IS FULL. WAITLIST AVAILABLE.
LAKE ARTEMESIA
Join us at 8 a.m. on Saturday, November 14, for a late fall trip to Lake Artemesia. Half a dozen species of ducks are possible, as well as other waterbirds. Wintering land birds such as Hermit Thrush and sparrows are present. Easy walking on a paved path. Limit: 10. LEADER: Rob Hilton at rob.hilton.2010@gmail.com. Lisa Shannon will co-lead.
NOVEMBER 18 (Wednesday)
NOVEMBER MEETING
Gabriel Foley presents “Health and Conservations Insights from the BBA3.”
More than 200 bird species breed in the Maryland-DC region. The Maryland & DC Breeding Bird Atlas 3 (BBA3) was a community science project that documented the distribution of the region’s breeding birds from 2020-2024. Over 2,000 volunteers contributed to this dataset, building the most precise, comprehensive dataset of breeding birds ever compiled for our region. Gabriel Foley, who coordinated this project, will discuss what these data tell us about the health of our birds, and some of the unexpected discoveries made along the way, including in Montgomery County, and how BBA3 results are used to help inform conservation decision-making regionally and beyond.
NOVEMBER 21 (Saturday)
POP-UP TRIP: GUNNERS LAKE
No reservations needed! Meet at 8am to see the waterfowl and other lakeside birds arriving for winter. Gunners Lake’s small size allows for excellent views from every angle and the path is flat and paved, making this a great trip for new and experienced birders alike. Park along Wisteria Drive and we’ll meet on the corner of the lake near Sky Blue Drive. Contact group leader Lauren Carey at ljcarey011@gmail.com with any questions.
DECEMBER 2026
DECEMBER 6 (Sunday)
BLACKWATER NWR
Full day (to dusk). Early waterfowl and lingering migrants plus late afternoon marsh watch. Brown-headed Nuthatch possible. Bring lunch and drinks. Limit: 12. LEADER: Leo Dilling at LeoDilling@hotmail.com.
DECEMBER 12 (Saturday)
LOIS Y. GREEN CONSERVATION PARK
Morning walk through fields and woodland edges. We’ll be looking for sparrows, waterfowl, and raptors. Trails are well maintained with some hills. Meet at 8 a.m. in the parking lot at 8711 Snouffer School Road, Gaithersburg, Md. Limit: 12. LEADER: Leo Dilling at LeoDilling@hotmail.com.
DECEMBER 15 (Tuesday)
BLUE MASH NATURE TRAIL
Join us for a morning at one of Montgomery County’s top Hotspots. We’ll be looking for raptors and overwintering sparrows and waterfowl. The path can be muddy and overgrown, so waterproof boots are recommended. Meet at 8 a.m. in the Zion Road parking lot. Limit: 10. LEADER: Lauren Carey at ljcarey011@gmail.com.