THIS TRIP IS FULL - WAITLIST ONLY. Explore in carpools this now-closed landfill adjacent to the Blue Mash Nature Trail. Mostly open terrain on a gravel road, including two pond views. Possible sparrows, raptors, and waterfowl. Shorebirds are possible if there are mudflats at the big pond. Leader will have scope for distant birds. We will meet at 8 a.m. Limit: 16. LEADER: Mark England at [email protected] or 240-308-4114.

THIS TRIP IS FULL. Mark England is planning to lead an owling trip at Black Hill Regional Park from 7-9:30 pm. Details not final, but if interested, please contact Mark at [email protected] to be put on the list. Limit of 12.

Early and mid-October can be quite productive in Wheaton Regional Park, which is often particularly good during fall migration. Warblers, vireos, thrushes, and sparrows are all possible. All are welcome, and beginners are particularly encouraged to join. We will begin at 7:30 a.m. and finish around 10 or when bird activity drops off. Limit: 10. LEADER: Rob Hilton at [email protected]. Lisa Shannon will co-lead.

Join us for a morning of fall marsh and woodland birding. Targets are warblers, sparrows, ducks, and other fall migrants. Beginner and young birders are encouraged to join, but all are welcome. Meet at 7:30 a.m. at the Hughes Hollow parking lot. Limit: 10. LEADER: Lauren Carey at [email protected].

Trip is focused on new birders and will last about two hours. No reservations are needed. We'll start at the Zion Rd parking lot at 7:30 a.m. Information on Blue Mash can be obtained at https://birdersguidemddc.org/site/blue-mash-nature-trail/. Trip leader: Dave Powell [email protected]

Explore in carpools this now-closed landfill adjacent to the Blue Mash Nature Trail. Mostly open terrain on a gravel road, including two pond views. Possible sparrows, raptors, and waterfowl. Shorebirds are possible if there are mudflats at the big pond. Leader will have scope for distant birds. We will meet at 8 a.m. Limit: 16. LEADER: Mark England at [email protected] or 240-308-4114.

The Maryland Ornithological Society (MOS) owns 10 sanctuaries, totaling almost 3,000 acres, spanning the state from Garrett County in the western part of the state, to Somerset County on the lower Eastern Shore. The sanctuaries represent a microcosm of the habitats for birds in Maryland and are open every day of the year at no charge. Carey Run and Irish Grove Sanctuaries provide an opportunity for overnight visits, but the other sanctuaries are seldom visited. Marcia will show maps and photos of all the sanctuaries, discuss the birds and habitats found there, and cover some of the challenges MOS faces in managing the properties.

Marcia Watson is a longtime member of the Maryland Ornithological Society. As a member of the MOS Sanctuary Committee, she keeps the committee records and works to foster awareness of the sanctuaries. Marcia also serves as editor of MOS’s online Birder’s Guide to Maryland and DC. She is retired from an academic career, and she and her husband Gene Scarpulla (editor of Maryland Birdlife) recently moved to a home adjacent to Loch Raven in Baltimore County.

Join us for this year’s annual walk in honor of former MBC presidents. We will especially remember those who are no longer with us. Longtime birders and new birders, new members and nonmembers—all are welcome. We will meet at 8 a.m. LEADER: Andy Martin at [email protected] or 301-529-2066.

7:45 to 10:30 a.m. Explore in carpools this now-closed landfill adjacent to the Blue Mash Nature Trail. Mostly open terrain on a gravel road, including two pond views. In addition to sparrows, raptors, and waterfowl, shorebirds are possible if there are mudflats at the big pond. We will meet at the entrance to the landfill at 7:45 a.m. All parties must enter and exit the landfill together, so latecomers/leaving early cannot be accommodated. This trip is best for youth ages 8 and up due to the frequency of getting in and out of the car. MENTORS: Mark England and Becky Cromwell. You can RSVP for them here: https://tinyurl.com/YMBCFall23. If you are interested in being a mentor on a walk, please reach out to us at [email protected]

THIS TRIP IS FULL.  Come explore this “new” 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: 10. LEADER: Anne Mytych at 240-506-0236 or [email protected].

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 and fall migrants and turkeys if we’re lucky. Previous lists included 8 species of sparrows including fox, white crowned, swamp and savannah sparrows. We had great views of meadowlarks and a raven flyover in 2022. Depending on the weather, we'll opt to explore a section of the stream valley for woodpeckers and other resident woodland species. Start at 8:00 AM at Bowie Mill Park https://www.montgomeryparks.org/parks-and-trails/bowie-mill-local-park/ next to Sequoyah Elementary School. Limit: 16. Reservations required. For reservations and more information contact the leader Kathy Reitz [email protected] Deborah Hanley will co-lead.