Take a brisk walk in Susquehanna State Park and enjoy the sounds of the songbirds
One of the jewels of Maryland’s biodiversity is the Susquehanna River drainage; not only does its water fill the Chesapeake Bay, but the extensive woodlands on its banks support some of our state’s most imperiled songbirds. A variety of species, from some requiring swampy bottomland forests to those living in hilltop canopy trees, thrive here and many of them face serious conservation threats. The globally threatened Cerulean Warbler will be a top target species on this trip, as will Prothonotary Warbler, Hooded Warbler, Veery, and Acadian Flycatcher. Acadian Flycatchers sing a short, explosive tee-chup or ker-chip frequently throughout the breeding season, particularly in the morning.
Get to know your Naturalist Guide:
Mike Hudson is an educator and biologist who was born and raised in southeast Baltimore City. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology, with a concentration in physiology and organismal science from Washington College. During college, he worked at Foreman’s Branch Bird Observatory, a migration banding station on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, while also teaching in the college’s writing center and general biology labs. Since then he has worked as a field biologist across the United States and as an educator at the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore. Mike works as an ornithologist with Birds of Urban Baltimore. He was also an editor of North American Birds, has taught at numerous bird camps, and is a sought-after speaker on topics of bird identification and natural history. https://www.birdsofurbanbaltimore.org/
Mike has spent much of his life in Baltimore and believes that access to the natural world is of critical importance for all communities. It is this belief that informs and compels his work with Birds of Urban Baltimore.
Mike splits his time between Baltimore’s Charles Village neighborhood and his partner’s home in Harrisburg, PA. He shares his home with a gecko, Chester, and a cat, Minnie.
What to wear/bring:
- Dress in warm layers with non-cotton articles of clothing, and hat and gloves, if needed.
- Bring your binoculars or telescope and magnifying glass or hand lens.
- Please wear sturdy closed-toe shoes or boots.
- Bring binoculars and any guidebooks you may own.
SPACES ARE LIMITED — The tour should take approximately three hours to complete.
CANCELLATION: Cancellations are allowed one week ahead of the program start. Refunds will not be given for cancellations made less than one week before the start of the program.
Please contact Jayne at JAsh@marylandnature.org with any questions.
