AA Bird Club LINKS

Anne Arundel County is a great location to enjoy birds. Its varied habitats allow birdwatchers to find many different species, and seasonal changes are very significant. The County's large amount of shoreline provides birding opportunities not available to some other nearby regions. While increasing development has diminished the amount of forests, fields, and accessible beach, knowledgeable birders can often find favorable areas where these habitats remain, and ready access to the Eastern Shore allows for day trips to less developed areas. The Anne Arundel Bird Club has maintained several types of records of local birds seen by its members, and as described below, we have made some of them available online.

Anne Arundel County Bird List: The Anne Arundel Bird Club has prepared a list of the bird species found in the County. Each bird is listed as "common," "uncommon," or "rare," in each of the four seasons, along with its habitat preference. This list is available as a WEBPAGE, or if you prefer, a ONE PAGE PDF format suitable for field use.

Christmas Bird Count Results. As part of a hemisphere-wide effort to track bird populations, each year around New Years Day the Anne Arundel Bird Club conducts a count of birds within a 15 mile (diameter) circle, centered roughly on Annapolis. Numbers of each of the roughly 100 species found each year are shown in this Excel spreadsheet, going back to 1997. Further data from the Anne Arundel and similar bird counts throughout North America are available on the Audubon Society's website.

Spring Bird Count Results. Spring migration is an exciting time for birdwatchers, and our area provides excellent opportunities to observe brilliantly plumaged birds arriving to nest locally and migrating towards more northerly breeding grounds. The Anne Arundel Bird Club has sponsored "Spring Counts," in which members report the numbers and species they see on one day in early-mid May. While not as intensively monitored as the Christmas Count, the Spring Count results show what experienced birders can find in Anne Arundel County at this time of year. Results going back to 2003 are shown in an Excel spreadsheet.

Fort Smallwood Spring Hawk Migration Counts. Fort Smallwood is an Anne Arundel County park located at the mouth of the Patapsco River, where it joins the Chesapeake Bay. Northward-migrating raptors hesitate to cross open water and tend to pause over this park, making it an outstanding East Coast spring hawk-watching site. Local birders have summarized results of their hawk-counts here.

Weather is always a factor for birding, so do your homework and check with weather.com or accuweather.com for forecasts.

Meyer Station: A private sanctuary with woodland and swamp along the Patuxent River. Stay on the main trails. Contact Mr. Russell (Buz) Meyer (301 261 6996) for permission to access this sanctuary. Located at the end of Meyer Station Road. (Map)

B&A Trail Park: Great bike path following the old B&A railroad right-of-way through woodsy suburbs. Stop your bike in areas of good habitat and check for birds.

Galesville Wharf: Galesville Wharf is located on the West River in a quaint, historic community. Scan the bay for all sorts of great birds.

Homeport Farm Park: The 25-acre Homeport Farms Park, located off of Solomon’s Island Road south of Annapolis, was conveyed to the County for use as a passive recreation park. The property will be managed for parkland, nature preservation and restoration, and of course... open space.

Downs Park: Located on the Chesapeake in Northern AA County. Good water views and woodland trails.

Mayo Beach Park: Located on the Chesapeake on the Mayo Penisula, this County park offers superb views of the bay, along with a sizeable beach, a marshy wetland area and woodland trails.

Oxbow Lake: Located in the community of Russert, on the Little Patuxent in Western AA County near Laurel.

Thomas Point: Small County park located at the tip of the Annapolis Peninsula surrounded by the Chesapeake. This is a good location for wintering waterfowl. Spotting scopes are useful. Parking is very limited so access has to be arranged beforehand. Call 410-222-1777 to make arrangement.

Greenbury Point: US Naval Academy property located at the mouth of the Severn River and Whitehall Creek, on the Chesapeake. Great water views, with many acres of scrub/field habitat under the radio towers (bobwhites!). Public access Thursdays 1-5pm and the first Saturday of the month, 8am-3pm. Do not go beyond the rifle range signs if they are up. (Websites: USNA, USFWS)

Patuxent Wildlife Refuge System: (North Tract) Large inland area with a variety of habitats--overgrown fields, woods, ponds, freshwater marshes, streams. Abandoned military area with miles of trails and roads; bicycling an option on some. Near the Baltimore-Washington Parkway and Rte 32. Entrance off Rte 198 near Ft. Meade. Stop at Visitor Contact Station for an Access Permit. Open 8am to 4pm except Federal holidays. Refuge staff/volunteers organize some birding tours. (Info: 410-674-3304)

Fort Smallwood Park (Hawk Watch): Located at end of Fort Smallwood Rd (Rte 173) at the mouth of the Patapsco River, overlooking the Chesapeake, in north AA County. Good beach, woodland and pond habitats. Excellent for migrant raptors, particularly in the spring. AABC members are active participants in a spring hawk watch in which raptors are counted daily; visitors are welcome to join them. Park entrance fee. Open 7am to dusk.

Sands Road Park: Enjoy Sparrows, migrating waterfowl, warblers, raptors, grassland species and perhaps event the odd owl every so often? Well, do make plans to visit this Southwestern Anne Arundel County park. While you're there, don't forget to stop off at Wootens Landing, which is just a short drive North of Sands Road Park. It's on the West side of Patuxent River Road.

Sandy Point State Park: Large park just north of the Bay Bridge, access from Rte 50 & 301. Excellent area for migrant raptors, warblers, shorebirds, waterfowl, and gulls. Contains wooded and marshy areas as well as beach, which can be crowded in summer. Boat launching area provides a good opportunity for kayak launching and birding along the shore south of the park, but check the weather forecasts carefully as you will be directly on the Chesapeake Bay. Entrance fee according to day and season. Seasonal hours.

Smithsonian Environmental Research Center: A global leader in the study of ecosystems in the coastal zone. A large tract of wooded land on the tidal Rhode River with trails and a kayak/canoe launching area. This research facility has allowed public access in the last few years. Excellent opportunity to observe marsh, estuarine and wooded habitats, especially from the water. Trail guides available on site and some guided tours are provided by the Smithsonian staff. Open 9am-4:30pm, Mon-Sat. No fee for access, $5 fee for boat launch. Check-in required!

Waterworks Park: Annapolis' hidden gem for birding and hiking. Permit required!

Naval Academy Dairy Farm: An agricultural and environmental gem in Western Anne Arundel County. Permit required!

Jug Bay Sanctuary: Over 1400 acres of tidal freshwater wetlands, forests, meadows and fields along the Patuxent River. County park located on the Patuxent River in Southern Anne Arundel County. Lots of freshwater tidal marsh and woodlands. Acres of wild rice attract many birds in the fall, including soras. Access to the Sanctuary is limited so check their website for details. The adjoining Glendening Nature Preserve is open to the public daily.

MDOSPREY: A LISTSERV for birders to reach out to other people throughout Maryland about bird sightings, news and events. An online community of birders all over the state and from anywhere else in the world who share an interest in birding in Maryland.

Severn Riverkeeper: Promote, preserve, and restore the environmental health of the Severn River.

South River Federation: Promote, preserve, and restore the environmental health of the South River.

West Rhode Riverkeeper: Focused on enforcement of environmental laws on the West and Rhode Rivers.

Maryland Department of the Environment: Protect and restore the quality of Maryland’s air, water, and land resources, while fostering smart growth, economic development, healthy and safe communities, and quality environmental education for the benefit of the environment, public health, and future generations.

Great Sites for information about Conservation, Birding and Citizen Science:

PROJECT WILDBIRD: A study on the food and feeder preferences of wild birds in the US and Canada. Read more HERE!