Photo by Vincent Iadevaia/Audubon Photography Awards
In this last-minute field trip we hunt for the American Woodcock, known for its nasal peent call and dazzling aerial displays. The woodcock is easiest to find at dusk in the springtime, when the male performs a marvelous display flight, or “sky dance.” Meet at Biscoe Gray Heritage Farm (2695 Grays Road, Prince Frederick, MD 20678), from 6 to 8 p.m., for a trip you won’t forget!
Parking: meet at the small parking lot by the barn, across the road from the dog park.
Maximum of 10 participants. RSVP to the following link to hold your spot:
Still from the film The Little Things That Run the World.
Watch a free screening of the documentary The Little Things That Run the World on March 27th at 6:00 PM in CE Room 101 on the La Plata Campus of the College of Southern Maryland.
This engaging film explores the vital role that insects play in sustaining ecosystems around the globe. From pollination to nutrient cycling, these often-overlooked species are essential to the health of our environment and our own survival.
Representatives from local and national conservation organizations — including Xerces Society, Wild Ones Chesapeake Bay, and the Southern Maryland Audubon Society — will share information and opportunities to get involved in insect and pollinator conservation efforts in our community.
Join SMAS at the North Beach boardwalk from 11 – 4!
Come celebrate the return of the Osprey at this family friendly festival, now in their sixth year of offering nature lovers a variety of activities guaranteed to tickle your talons.
The Maryland Osprey and Nature Festival was created by citizens of the Mid-Atlantic region to celebrate our charismatic Ospreys, to educate the public, and to foster coexistence and conservation awareness throughout the Chesapeake Bay region. Enjoy a live raptor show, meet local environmental groups, observe Osprey up close, and attend lectures and child-focused nature activities.
The Southern Maryland Audubon Society is a proud sponsor of this event. For additional information about the festival, see their website at marylandospreyfestival.org. There is an entry fee of $10 per person or $20 per family.
Join friends for informal walking and birding programs for all.
Before Old Man Winter blasts onto the scene, get out and enjoy nature with some birding friends. SMAS offers several options, including a stroll on November 8 at Mallows Bay-Potomac River National Marine Sanctuary with the group Walk Charles County. In late November and early December, we will be monitoring the newly arriving ducks at Mattawoman Creek. Keep an eye on the SMAS Group on Facebook for a late-breaking “flash” outing along the George Wilmot Trail in Indian Head. In previous years we have seen hundreds of ducks of many species! Finally, we welcome birders of all levels to join us on Christmas Bird Counts taking place in various counties on December 14, 21, 27, and January 4. Check out our Events calendar for more details.
Partnerships yield great results! But what is a bird sit?
Southern Maryland Audubon Society (SMAS) joined forces with the Maryland Bird Conservation Partnership (MBCP) for an unusual event at Chapman State Park on October 11. Pam Brumbley, a director on the SMAS board, led a bird walk to the Potomac River with eighteen participants. Lynne Wheeler, SMAS interim president, kicked off the walk with an introduction to the site’s unique ecology. That much is typical of a birding field trip! But here’s the unusual part: at the front porch of Mount Aventine, the park’s historic hilltop home, Margaret Poethig, a board member for the MBCP, led a bird sit.
What is a bird sit, you ask? There are many ways to do it! The general idea is, when folks sit still and remain quiet outdoors, birds usually resume their normal activity within ten minutes or so. In this way, bird sits offer opportunities to observe birds and their natural behavior. (During group walks, birds are sometimes startled and seek cover, or they are foraging high up in trees or far out in the water, requiring binoculars.) Bird sits can suit a greater range of birding skills and physical abilities than walks. You don’t need binoculars, and you can even do a bird sit solo at your home window or nearest park. In stillness, you can practice your listening and observation skills, becoming more attuned to the natural world. Depending on your purpose or the approach of a guide, bird sits can be contemplative and meditative too.
Lynne reported that the count on the October 11 bird sit was not as high as we tend to see on a walk—just 21 species—but she found joy in learning about birds with other enthusiasts and partnering with like-minded organizations. Special thanks also go to the Friends of Mount Aventine for helping to facilitate this event.
Meet Scott Harris at our monthly Zoom lecture, Nov. 5 at 7 p.m.
Join Scott as he shares his seventeen-month journey to find all 53 of the raptors that call the Lower 48 states home. In his presentation he shares his adventures, misadventures, successes, and failures—from minus 36-degree days to one over 100, from barely missing a bird to just arriving in time. If you are on our Osprey newsletter list, you will receive the Zoom link via email. You can join the mailing list by using the form at the bottom of this page.
We’ve packed the coming weeks with bird trips for all ages and abilities, workshops, nature talks, and craft tables at upcoming festivals, including the dedication of our Gateway Native Garden at Lexington Manor Passive Park on Sunday, Oct. 26. Check out our Events page for all the details. We’d love for you to join us!
Cow Path Tiger Beetle. Photo by U.S. Geological Survey
Meet ‘The Bug Guy’—Dr. Michael J. Raupp—at our monthly Zoom nature talk 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 1!
Check out wicked wasps, bodacious beetles, fierce flies, and other arthropod allies that provide vital functions and enhance the sustainability of our landscapes and gardens. Mike, entomology professor emeritus at the University of Maryland, will show us simple steps to enhance the abundance and contributions of beneficial insects and ways to conserve them in your garden.
If you are on our “Osprey” newsletter list, you will receive the Zoom link. You can sign up at the bottom of this home page @ www.somdaudubon.org.
Talk may qualify for continuing education hours for Master Naturalists and Master Gardeners.
Southern Maryland Audubon has named Matthew Neff of the Calvert Marine Museum as “2025 Conservationist of the Year” for his exceptional work as a researcher, educator, and leader in support of the Chesapeake Bay region.
Neff, who is the curator of estuarine biology at the Calvert Marine Museum in Solomons, MD, works tirelessly to educate the public on the flora and fauna of the Chesapeake Bay and conservation issues threatening the bay area.
He heads FrogWatch USA for Southern Maryland and the surrounding DMV, which is in its 13th season. FrogWatch is a citizen science program that tracks frog populations suffering from habitat loss, disease, and other threats.
“Matt forges that critical connection between people and wildlife —yes, including snakes— and the importance of protecting the habitat our wild creatures need to survive now and in the future,” said Robert Lukinic, conservation chair for Southern Maryland Audubon.
While Matt said he is “thrilled and honored to receive the award,” he still feels like he has much more he wants to do. He is currently working with Maryland Department of Natural Resources and local schools to install acoustic recorders to try to find some state endangered species such as the Eastern Narrow-mouthed Toad and Carpenter Frog.
Neff also manages a staff responsible for the care of over 500 individual animals representing 75 species found in the Chesapeake, including Eastern Hellbenders, Cownose Rays, and North American River Otters.
Prior to his work at the Calvert Marine Museum, Neff was a herpetology animal keeper at the Smithsonian National Zoological Park in Washington, implementing conservation programs to protect amphibians and reptiles.
The award, now in its 32nd year, was presented at Southern Maryland Audubon’s annual meeting and potluck picnic at Maxwell Hall in Hughesville, MD.
Fishing for catfish to feed a rescued eagle. Outstanding youth leadership. Building nest boxes for birds. Five of our members have been honored with “2025 President’s Awards” for their outstanding service to birds and conservation.
Aurora Huhman was recognized for her passionate support for birds, catching catfish to feed a rescued Bald Eagle at Nanjemoy Creek Environmental Education Center and writing state lawmakers to save parks and green spaces threatened by budget cuts.
Two of our young leaders were honored for their skills and dedication as the new generation of conservation leaders in Southern Maryland and wherever they may go in the future: our vice president Ben Springer and field trip chair Phin Rouland. Ben graduated from St. Mary’s College of Maryland last year and serves as a park ranger at Newtown Neck State Park.
Phin is a rising senior at the college working on a senior project helping farmers use bird-friendly practices in their harvests.
John and Shelly Posey were honored for their tireless bird conservation work erecting Screech Owl boxes and Bluebird nest boxes across Southern Maryland. John builds the boxes, baffles and poles from scratch in his workshop and they work as a team putting them up in even the most difficult locations.
Congratulations to each of our most deserving 2025 President’s Award winners!
