Spring birding in Baltimore
Photos and text by Jerry Jackson
- A Common yellowthroat forages in the undergrowth at Cromwell Valley Park in Baltimore County. (Jerry Jackson/Baltimore Sun)
- A Green heron eyes a meal in the Patterson Park boat lake Monday afternoon. (Jerry Jackson/Baltimore Sun)
- An Indigo bunting perches in a mulberry tree at dusk in Cromwell Valley Park. (Jerry Jackson/Baltimore Sun)
- A Least flycatcher perches in the reeds at Patterson Park Sunday. (Jerry Jackson/Baltimore Sun)
- A Least flycatcher darts through the reeds at Patterson Park Sunday. (Jerry Jackson/Baltimore Sun)
- A Red-winged blackbird claims his spot on the boardwalk at Patterson Park. (Jerry Jackson/Baltimore Sun)
- A curious Gray catbird pokes through a chain link fence in Druid Hill Park. (Jerry Jackson/Baltimore Sun)
- A Black-throated blue warbler hangs out in a cherry tree in a Towson back yard. (Jerry Jackson/Baltimore Sun)
- A Spotted sandpiper walks along the edge of the Boat Lake at Patterson Park. (Jerry Jackson/Baltimore Sun)
- An Eastern kingbird perches a Cylburn Arboretum Sunday afternoon. (Jerry Jackson/Baltimore Sun)
- A female Towhee takes a break from foraging on the ground at Patterson Park. (Jerry Jackson/Baltimore Sun)
- A Gray catbird comes in for a closer look at Patterson Park Sunday morning. (Jerry Jackson/Baltimore Sun)
- A Great blue heron is content to hang out in the shadows at Patterson Park’s boat lake. (Jerry Jackson/Baltimore Sun)
- A Green heron lurks in among the cattails at Patterson Park’s boat lake. (Jerry Jackson/Baltimore Sun)
- A Green heron lurks in among the cattails at Patterson Park’s boat lake. (Jerry Jackson/Baltimore Sun)
- A Rose-breasted grosbeak perches near a bird feeder in a in a Towson back yard. (Jerry Jackson/Baltimore Sun)
- A house finch pulls apart clover at Cylburn Arboretum. (Jerry Jackson/Baltimore Sun)
- A pair of Mallards fly over the boat lake at Patterson Park. (Jerry Jackson/Baltimore Sun)
- An Osprey soars overhead at Harbor Hospital in Baltimore Sunday afternoon. (Jerry Jackson/Baltimore Sun)
- A Red-winged blackbird claims his spot on the boardwalk at Patterson Park. (Jerry Jackson/Baltimore Sun)
- A female Red-winged blackbird perches on a cattail at Patterson Park. (Jerry Jackson/Baltimore Sun)
- An American robin gathers nesting material Sunday morning at Patterson Park. (Jerry Jackson/Baltimore Sun)
- A Spotted sandpiper walks along the water’s edge at Fort McHenry. (Jerry Jackson/Baltimore Sun)
- A Least flycatcher perches in the reeds at Patterson Park Sunday. (Jerry Jackson/Baltimore Sun)
- A Yellow-rumped warbler looks for food in Druid Hill Park on Sunday afternoon. (Jerry Jackson/Baltimore Sun)
- A Yellow-rumped warbler looks for food in Druid Hill Park on Sunday afternoon. (Jerry Jackson/Baltimore Sun)
- A Black-and-white warbler perches in a cherry tree in Towson. (Jerry Jackson/Baltimore Sun)
- A Chipping sparrow feeds on a dandelion at the Cylburn Arboretum. (Jerry Jackson/Baltimore Sun)
- A Yellow-crowned night heron sits on a nest in a sycamore tree above the Jones Falls. (Jerry Jackson/Baltimore Sun)
A few weeks after the Orioles defeated the Blue Jays on opening day at Camden Yards, real Baltimore orioles began to appear around town. According to ebird.org, there were sightings in Patterson Park and Druid Hill Park as early as April 23. Spring migration is well underway and Baltimore has several birding hotspots to catch a variety of species – both resident and migrating. Over the past week I visited some of my favorite places.
The boat lake at Patterson Park was a good place to start. From a bird’s perspective, the park must appear as an oasis of green in sea of East Baltimore rooftops. Over the course of an hour, I saw almost three-dozen species including three Green herons, a Great blue heron, a Least bittern, a Yellow warbler and a Spotted sandpiper. At Druid Hill Park, I saw Yellow-rumped warblers, Black-and-white warblers and a Baltimore oriole in the field behind the Mansion House. A quiet walk late in the day at Cromwell Valley Park in Baltimore County yielded a couple of colorful gems – an Indigo bunting and a Common yellowthroat.
For anyone new to birding, the Baltimore Bird Club (baltimorebirdclub.org) is an excellent resource. They organize walks in many local birding spots including Fort McHenry, Lake Roland and Cylburn Arboretum.