Winter is without a doubt a boater’s least favorite season. But don’t despair; you don’t have to resign yourself to months spent inside in front of the television just yet. There are ways to spend time outdoors and by the lovely Chesapeake Bay without stepping foot on a boat. This month, we’re going to discuss one of them: birding/birdwatching.
During and post-Covid, birdwatching became, dare I say, a cool hobby, especially among millennials and younger generations. But just how did this “sport” come to be? To answer that question, we first must rewind a bit to when an interest in birds often meant hunting, killing, and collecting them.
According to the Smithsonian, ornithology during the 1800s was practiced by having a specimen to examine, keep, and refer back to. So, birds were shot, skinned, and kept tidily inside a cabinet drawer. In 1898, one such ornithologist, Edmund Selous, came to the conclusion that you could learn a great deal simply by observing birds. He said, “Now that I have watched birds closely, the killing of them seems to me as something monstrous and horrible.” The Smithsonian goes on to say that Selous “made empathy for birds respectable and, in doing so, changed the world.” Birdwatching has become one of the most popular pastimes around the globe. Thankfully, anyone can do it—you don’t need fancy gadgets or a ton of knowledge. You can simply start with the birds in your backyard and go from there. When you’re ready to venture out, put these five locations on your to-do list.
Point Lookout State Park
Currently this park is the number one eBird hotspot (in regards to number of species logged) in Maryland, with a species list of 306 birds. Located in Scotland, MD, on a peaceful peninsula between the Chesapeake Bay and the Potomac River in St. Mary’s County, the park was once the location of a camp which imprisoned as many as 52,264 Confederate soldiers during the Civil War. Today, it features beaches, a nature center, a lighthouse, campground, and more. In the spring and fall this peninsula becomes a popular resting place for migrating birds. It is also a great spot to scan the water for ducks and seabirds. Bald eagles are often seen yearround, ospreys are a common sight, except in the winter, and varied shorebird species are present, especially in the summer. Recent sightings this fall, according to eBird, include ring-billed gulls, black scoters, double-crested cormorants, horned grebes, and hooded mergansers. Currently the campground, Nature Center and Civil War Museum, lighthouse, and fishing pier are closed for repairs. Stay tuned to the Maryland DNR website for updates (dnr.maryland.gov).
Sandy Point State Park
Currently at number two on the eBird Maryland hotspot list, at 306 species, this 786-acre park is located along the northwestern shore of the Chesapeake Bay near Annapolis, MD. It features a marina, a one-mile sandy beach, pavilions, spectacular views of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, and over 200 acres of forest to explore. Most birding takes place from fall through spring, as this is a very popular beach spot during the summer months. The park is known for waterfowl, loons, grebes, shorebirds, gulls, and terns, though unusual seabirds and other rarities sometimes make appearances here. Recent eBird sightings include Gadwalls, buffleheads, ruddy ducks, and red-bellied woodpeckers. Note that the South Beach area grounds are currently closed for construction until summer 2025. Stay tuned for updates at dnr.maryland.gov.
Assateague Island National Seashore
Another very popular summer beach spot, Assateague Island National Seashore is a protected area on a long barrier island off the coast of Maryland and Virginia. More than half of its 48,000 acres is comprised of near-shore and estuarine waters, and the interplay between these waters and the barrier island affects nearly every aspect of life in this dynamic coastal environment. While you can bird here in all seasons, fall through spring is a great time to avoid the summer crowds. According to the National Audubon Society, winter highlights include flocks of brant, plus scoters and northern gannet. The summer months often see brown pelicans, wading birds, osprey, clapper rail, and nesting piping plover, plus an abundance of other shorebirds in the spring through summer. Peregrine falcons peak in early October, and starting in late September, the trees are filled with warblers and other songbirds during the fall migration. Visit nps.gov/asis/index.htm for more information on the park, including maps for nature trails.
Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge
Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, located 12 miles south of Cambridge, MD, was established in 1933 as a refuge for migratory birds. Habitats of the refuge include rich tidal marsh, mixed hardwood and loblolly pine forests, managed freshwater wetlands, and croplands. It serves as an important resting and feeding area for migrating and wintering waterfowl and is one of the chief wintering areas for Canada geese using the Atlantic Flyway. The refuge supports one of the highest concentrations of nesting bald eagles on the Atlantic coast. The National Audubon Society lists snow goose, Canada goose, tundra swan, American black duck, mallard, and northern pintail among the most common species. The wetlands and marsh also host many shorebirds in spring and fall. Nesting birds include the least bittern, osprey, king rail, clapper rail, Virginia rail, brown-headed nuthatch (in loblolly pines), wood thrush, prothonotary warbler, seaside sparrow, and grasshopper sparrow. The golden eagle is rare in winter, but seen regularly, as is the peregrine falcon from fall through spring.
With over 20,000 acres open for public recreation, visitors can experience the refuge year-round in a variety of ways. More than five miles of hiking trails and 17 miles of paddling trails provide many opportunities to view wildlife in their native habitats. If you prefer to travel by car, take the 3.6-mile Wildlife Drive, which is also suitable for hiking and cycling. Visit fws.gov/refuge/blackwater for more information.
North Point State Park
Edgemere, MD, in Baltimore County is home to the 1310-acre North Point State Park. This location was once the site of the Bay Shore Amusement Park, a popular destination for summer visitors from 1906 to 1947. Visitors can see the original trolley station, which is now used as a covered picnicking area, and the restored fountain that is still in operation today. The Defenders Trail, which was used by soldiers during the War of 1812, also passes through the park. Today, North Point has scenic views overlooking the Chesapeake Bay, a water accessible area, two fishing piers, and hiking trails that lead you around the park and through protected wildlands.
One of the most popular trails leads to the Black Marsh, a relatively undisturbed tidal freshwater/brackish wetland, uncommon in the northern part of the Chesapeake Bay. The rare and elusive least bittern has been found breeding in the marshes along with Virginia rails. Bald eagles are a frequent sight throughout the summer, while autumn and winter bring a diversity of dabbling ducks to the marsh. The lush marsh contains a variety of wetland grasses, marsh-loving shrubs, and flowers like the unusual rattlesnake-master and the attractive tickseed sunflower. The land side of the marsh is surrounded by a mature forest.
North Point State Park is currently in the top 20 Maryland eBird hotspots, with 267 species logged. Recent eBird sightings logged include buffleheads, ruddy ducks, least sandpipers, and snow buntings. Visit the park website at dnr.maryland.gov for more details and trail maps. Currently the end of the North Point State Park Crystal Pier (approximately the last 100 feet) is closed due to storm damage.
While there are so many more birding hotspots on the Bay, we’ve chosen to focus on these five that we know and love. For more locations, as well as details on birds logged at each site, search ‘eBird hotspots Maryland’ or visit ebird.org.
Birding at Dredged Material Placement Sites
The Maryland Port Administration (MPA), Dredged Material Management Program (DMMP) is responsible for finding adequate long-term placement capacity for all of the nearly five million cubic yards of sediment that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dredges annually from the shipping channels that link the Port of Baltimore to the Atlantic Ocean and beyond.
The DMMP has placement sites throughout the Chesapeake Bay. And while there is a noticeable decline in bird populations throughout the US, in large part due to habitat loss, at MPA’s sites, birds are finding homes and important migratory waystations. MPA restores and maintains important bird-friendly ecosystems by restoring wetlands, uplands, and remote island habitats with dredged material. In fact, four of the top 10 birding sites in the state of Maryland (out of 2455 total birding sites) are MPA dredged material placement sites.
Sites with birding opportunities include Hart-Miller Island (currently the number three eBird hotspot in Maryland, with over 308 species reported), Masonville Cove (over 255 species; the nation’s first Urban Wildlife Refuge), the Paul S. Sarbanes Ecosystem Restoration Project at Poplar Island (over 245 species), and (coming in 2025) the Swan Creek Nature Trail at Cox Creek (over 280 species). Cox Creek and Poplar Island are only open for guided birding tours. To learn more, visit maryland-dmmp.com/community/birding.
Birding Apps
The next time you go birding, try out these two nifty apps to help you determine the birds you locate and log your observations.
eBird: A free, easy way to report the birds you find anywhere in the world. eBird is a global online database of bird records used by hundreds of thousands of birders around the world. This free resource helps you keep track of your birding activity, while making your data openly available for scientific research, education, and conservation. Simply select when and where you went birding and enter the birds you encounter (works offline). Also discover hundreds of thousands of eBird Hotspots by region, distance from you, or when they were last visited. Search for recent reports of nearby species and find new birds to plan your next birding outing.
Merlin Bird ID: A free global bird guide. Using the Bird ID Wizard, answer three simple questions about a bird you are trying to identify, and Merlin will give you a list of possible matches. Sound ID listens to the birds around you and shows real-time suggestions for who’s singing. Compare your recording to the songs and calls in Merlin to confirm what you heard. You can also snap a photo of a bird and Photo ID will offer a short list of possible matches. Both Song and Photo ID work completely offline.
By Kaylie Jasinski, Photos By Nick Huber