Happy Earth Day! Southern Maryland Audubon Society (SMAS) and JES Avanti Foundation are thrilled to announce that we helped our friends at Smallwood State Park purchase an Osprey nest cam!
The cam’s live feed captures real-time action at an Osprey nest on Mattawoman Creek in Marbury, Maryland. As of today’s public launch, the nest is occupied and already has three eggs!
A view of the Osprey and nest from the new Smallwood Park cam.
SMAS board member Elena Gilroy, a park ranger at Smallwood, worked tirelessly with the state and Terrain360, a contractor based in Richmond, Virginia, to bring our concept to fruition. This is the second nest camera SMAS has spearheaded in partnership with other nonprofits and government agencies. The first was the Bald Eagle nest cam at Port Tobacco River Park, a nature area overseen by Charles County Recreation and Parks. Two cams mean that we can view raptor nest activity in Southern Maryland from about December to July.
Please note that these are wild nests. Even though we are as hopeful as you are for a successful nesting season, we do not interfere with their natural cycle, which sometimes may include interactions with predators or natural disasters.
Join us via Zoom or FaceBook Live for an Osprey Festival on Saturday April 24, 2021, 10:00 am to 12:30 pm
Keynote speaker Greg Kearns, park naturalist at Patuxent River Park’s Jug Bay Natural Area, will discuss his 38 years of Osprey research in Ospreys of the Patuxent. Known for his dynamic speaking style, Mr. Kearns will discuss local Osprey and their biology, nest platforms and other efforts to increase Osprey numbers, tracking of Osprey migration, and his public banding program.
Our second speaker will be Reese F Lukei, Jr., volunteer research associate for the Center for Conservation Biology, College of William and Mary. He has banded over 1,000 Osprey since about 1982. Mr. Lukei will talk about the Ospreys of Hampton Roads, Virginia, including their habits, where to look for them, what they eat, and problems they encounter living in our environment. Lukei is also the co-founder of Osprey Watch, and he will share details about this community science project.
During this festival, the SMAS Raptor Conservation Committee will launch Osprey Watch and our partnership with the Center for Conservation Biology. Learn how you can get involved in monitoring Osprey nests in Southern Maryland!
Instead of in-person meetings, SMAS is hosting virtual events using Zoom. We will send invitations via email with a link for joining each online event. If you do not get our Osprey newsletter via email, you need to sign up first. Please scroll to the bottom of this page and submit your email address to subscribe. The SMAS Osprey Festival will also be available though FaceBook Live.
Hope & Chandler bring new sticks to restore their nest each year: “Nestorations!”
by Brenda Nairn-Davies
SQUEE! That’s eagle talk for “excitement” because it’s almost time to open our LIVE CHAT for the Bald Eagle nest cam! Hope and Chandler, our resident pair at Port Tobacco River Park (in Charles County, Maryland), have begun their new nesting season. We can now watch their nestorations and their sharing (or not) breakfish and listen to their discussions through live streaming. (See more video links & eagle vocab below.)
Here’s a rough timeline of activity based on the last three seasons. Tune in when you can! The eagles usually begin bonding in October with productive mating in late January to early February. Egg laying happens around the end of January and the beginning of February. With luck, we will have baby eaglets in mid-March!!! Those nestlings grow from 3 inches to 3 feet tall in just 3 short months. They will wingersize their way to become fledglings at 10 to 14 weeks old, then fledge in mid- to late June. Chandler and Hope have successfully raised two eaglets a year over the past three seasons. Also, for the last two seasons, Hope laid three eggs. We are anxious to see if this happens again and if all three eggs will hatch.
Hope and Chandler hold “discussions” beak to beak!
We are looking forward to another successful season with our Port Tobacco River Park family, but don’t blink! It ‘flies’ by quickly.
Want to chat? We will open up the chat room via YouTube very soon. First sessions will be on Wednesday, January 27 from 9:00 to 11:00 am and from 4:00 pm until sunset. Next chat opportunities will be on Friday, January 29 at the same times. Go to our YouTube live stream for the chat events at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPI9mWmmc7M.
Remember, the cam at Port Tobacco River Park shows a wild eagle nest in real time. Please know that there are scenarios that some viewers may find difficult to watch. Interactions with other wildlife, sibling rivalry, and weather can impact the eggs and/or eaglets. While we hope for a successful season, anything could happen.
Eagle Cam Vocabulary
Breakfish any meal brought into the nest, often fish!
Discussions beak-to-beak decision making (Hope wins 99% of the time)
Nestorations restoring the nest with new sticks. This activity often leads to “stick wars”— when one eagle places a stick in the nest, the other eagle will move it. (Hope again wins over Chandler)
Nestovers leftovers
Wingersize or Flappersize fledglings pumping up their wings to stregthen for first flight
Southern Maryland Audubon Society is forming a new group for young birders. Our goal is to provide a friendly, welcoming environment for 5th through 12th graders to get together, learn about birds, and build friendships.
Send an email to southernmarylandyouthbirders@gmail.com to join our list. Please include your name and age and describe your birding interest. We will let you know about upcoming activities, which are still in development. In the short term, while Covid-19 cases are increasing, we are planning online events. More info to come!
Monthly meetings of Southern Maryland Audubon Society (SMAS) have moved online!
This week we hosted Chris Eberly, executive director of Maryland Bird Conservation Partnership (MBCP). He told us about MBCP’s Farmland Raptor Program, which aims to increase the populations of Barn Owls and American Kestrels on agricultural lands. Using nest boxes and other strategies, local farmers can help these birds of prey; in turn, the birds help control pests, including mice, grasshoppers, and voles! Check out the recording at https://www.somdaudubon.org/our-work/program-archive/. The goal is to work with property owners to help bring back these struggling species. We will soon have brochures on the Farmland Raptor Program to give to farmers and landowners throughout the state of Maryland. This publication honors former SMAS President Michael Patterson and is printed with donations made in his name.
SMAS virtual meetings are recorded and stored at https://www.somdaudubon.org/our-work/program-archive/. You can watch all the programs from this season, including talks about opossums and Monarch butterflies. To find out about upcoming meetings, sign up for our newsletter at the bottom of this page. We send email invitations with the link to join online meetings using Zoom. The next public meeting is at 7:00 pm on Wednesday, November 4 with Dr. Amanda Gallinat. She will talk about climate change and autumn bird migration patterns. Please join us!
On August 17, 2020, the Maryland Bird Conservation Partnership announced a new scholarship to help Black and Latinx students! We are excited because, just as biodiversity strengthens ecosystems, our community and environmental conservation are stronger with greater diversity! Please share this opportunity with birders studying environmental or biological sciences. Using the links below you can learn more AND you can contribute to the scholarship fund! Here are snippets from the press release:
“Annual Scholarship for Black and Latinx Birders of Maryland & DC aims to increase the number of Black birders and Latinx birders studying in the fields of environmental science or the biological sciences. This brand new fund is unlike any other in the Maryland and DC area because it is for birders seeking higher education. (Birders are people who are passionate about bird watching.)
“An independent committee of Maryland and DC birders and bird conservationists was formed with the intention of developing a scholarship fund that would benefit Black and Latinx birders in any year of their undergraduate studies. The committee is now part of the Maryland Bird Conservation Partnership and is actively fundraising to increase the amount of each award. Two scholarships will be awarded each year. Scholarship awards range from a minimum of $2,500 to a maximum of $5,000, depending on funding for the current year. The intent of the committee is to establish this scholarship for decades to come in support of birders studying in the fields of environmental or biological sciences.”
Southern Maryland Audubon Society is thrilled to announce it has donated to this new scholarship fund! Please let your friends and family know that this resource is available for Black and Latinx college students.
We are thrilled to announce that the Town of La Plata has been designated the first Bird City Maryland! This program, run by the Maryland Bird Conservation Partnership (MBCP), aims to make communities healthier for people and birds. For the past year Southern Maryland Audubon Society (SMAS) has worked with the Town of La Plata staff to fulfill the program requirements. We also invited additional partners, the Port Tobacco River Conservancy and the Conservancy for Charles County, into the fold. That hard work has paid off! On February 10, 2020, MBCP issued their press release: the Town of La Plata became Maryland’s first official Bird City!
To celebrate, on Monday, February 24, the Town Council held a reception at the Town Hall. Over 50 bird and nature lovers from the community attended. We celebrated with a commemorative cake from Charles Street Bakery and enjoyed beautiful avian-themed artwork from Shop 53 Custom Tattoo and Art Studio.
Following the reception, the Town Council thanked the community partners for their guidance and support during the application process. “We are very excited to have the designation of being Maryland’s very first Bird City! One of the great benefits of being a Bird City is that it brings people together, builds community spirit, and makes our community a nicer place to live. Great things are happening in La Plata!” said Mayor James.
That night, the Council also recognized the Purple Martin as the official town bird! Purple Martins are a bird of the people. Throughout most of their range, martins are dependent on human-created nesting structures. Even outside of nesting season, purple martins commonly establish roost sites around people. La Plata has two Purple Martin house structures in the middle of town.
Purple Martins at home in downtown La Plata. Photo by Tiffany Farrell
Bird City Maryland Events
SMAS sponsors or supports many events for Bird City Maryland. Join us April 19, 2020 for a celebration at the La Plata Train Station at 1 p.m.** We will mark the return of our Purple Martins from their southern homes, meet our Purple Martin housekeepers, and recognize Arbor Day. Native plants are an important part of Bird City Maryland. Purple Martins, like 75% of bird species, eat insects; and insects rely on native plants. Come and get a free native shrub sapling!
One requirement for Bird City Maryland is to recognize World Migratory Bird Day. Join SMAS on April 25 at the Celebrate La Plata annual spring festival.** Check out our booth, which will highlight this year’s theme, Birds Connect Our World. (**Both of these events were cancelled due to COVID-19, and we hope to reschedule.)
On Sunday, October 13, 2019, SMAS celebrated World Migratory Bird Day with a booth and kids’ activities at the Town of La Plata Fall Festival. Despite the drizzle, a big crowd turned out for the action, which included a petting zoo, pumpkin decorating, face painting, a bounce house, and many other treats.
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At the SMAS booth, we told visitors about big losses in bird populations since 1970 (see 3billionbirds.org) and shared handouts describing 7 Simple Actions to Help Birds. Kids enjoyed our candy and coloring activities! This year’s theme for World Migratory Bird Day was “Be the Solution to Plastic Pollution.” To help reduce plastic in our waterways, our friends at Wild Birds Unlimited gave us reusable metal straws to give to all our booth visitors! Celebrating World Migratory Bird Day was one of many rigorous requirements that will ultimately help the Town of La Plata to become a Bird City Maryland.
Festivals are a great opportunity to reach more folks in our community, and attendees show a great, open spirit. Please come out and volunteer with us! We always need more bird lovers to work the booth!
The historic working vessel, Half Shell, hosted our cruise!
On Saturday, September 21, 2019, SMAS held its third annual Audubon Adventure Tour fundraiser. And – wow! – we launched our best event to date! We cruised the lower Patuxent River at sunset aboard the Half Shell, a historic and beautifully refurbished working vessel. Our celebration included food, drinks, and friends while we said “bonvoyage” to the last of our Osprey for the season.
Some of our fun supporters!Animated conversation with Lynne and Brenda!
The Half Shell docks at Solomons Island, directly outside the culinary school No Thyme to Cook, who provided our scrumptious appetizers. All 38 of us departed at 5 pm (ticket sales sold out!) and many decided to try our specialty drink, the Osprey – a Mimosa-inspired cocktail. Beer and wine were offered as well. The artfully displayed and tasty food flew quickly as the sun started its casual descent. Our captain gave an informative and entertaining talk about the area, and for the attendees who were not birders, we also talked about our society’s mascot, the Osprey, and welcomed our generous guests.
Julie, still looking for birds at sunset!
The two-hour cruise was filled with tons of fun, laughter, and binoculars. It was also the most successful fundraiser to date. Our goal to expand our Hog Island, Maine, scholarships was easily met. We raised more than $2300, thanks to sponsorships from Chaney Enterprises Foundation Fund and Wild Birds Unlimited, plus ticket sales from our supporters. Just like our Osprey migrate and return to our Maryland shores, we too will have to return and duplicate such a fabulous fundraising event! One More Round!
On July 13, 2019, Lynne and Tiffany manned a booth at the American Chestnut Land Trust’s summer event—Southern Maryland Nature Fest!
It was held at their lovely grounds on Double Oak Farm in Prince Frederick, Maryland. We talked with lots of visitors about native plants, bird songs & ID, and bird migration. Kids enjoyed our bird-themed tattoos! While we applied them, we talked about birds of all kinds. Parents loved our Audubon Adventures youth activity booklets, too.
The hay rides were popular, as were the gardens, music, and food truck.
The American Chestnut Land Trustoffers free access to 22 miles of trails, which encompass varied habitats ideal for birding! It’s worth exploring. Also, please come out and help SMAS with festivals! They are always exciting & engaging. We have more festival invitations than we have volunteers, and we would love to spread the word more widely.
