Friends of Patuxent

08/23/2026

Fall Migration Season Is Here!

The USGS Bird Banding Lab's Fall Migration Station open the nets next week! Operating since the 1980s, this long-running station monitors migratory bird species that stop-over in a managed powerline right-of-way at Patuxent Research Refuge — a corridor of scrubby, early-successional habitat that's a magnet for migrating birds.

One species the team is especially excited to see this season: the Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. These tiny, energetic birds are insectivores, meaning insects and spiders make up the bulk of their diet, and the shrubby, brushy habitat along the right-of-way offers exactly the kind of insect-rich foraging grounds they need to fuel up during migration.

Decades of banding data from stations like this one help scientists track population trends, migration timing, and habitat use, information that's vital for bird conservation across the country.

Stay tuned for updates as the nets open!

All banding is being conducted under a federally authorized Bird Banding Permit issued by the U.S. Geological Survey’s Bird Banding Laboratory.

📸: Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. Credit: Tony Celis-Murillo, USGS Public Domain.

08/23/2026

Lights out please

The fall bird migration is in progress! Last night, there were an impressive 242 million estimated birds that started their journey south. They were flying mostly due south at about 30 mph, around 2,000 feet above the ground. The winds will be ideal for a more moderate night of migration tonight in the Great Lakes region, and there will likely be another push of birds late in the work week behind another cold front. September is the peak month for the fall bird migration, so these are just the "early birds." The Baltimore Oriole is one of many bird types starting to end their summer stay.

08/21/2026

About 150-230M birds are predicted to migrate across the U.S. each night this weekend!

Lights at night can be very disorienting to birds during their long fall migration. To help prevent deadly bird collisions, turn off or dim unnecessary lights!

Graphic: CornellLab, BirdCast

08/10/2026

Breathing in Nature: Concert in the Wild at Dusk ✨

Join us on Saturday, August 15, 2026, for a serene outdoor flute performance by Carrie Rose at the Patuxent Research Refuge's North Tract, right beside the tranquil Merganser Pond. This event is sponsored by the Friends Group and is part of the Refuge's 90th Anniversary celebrations.

Please note: Registration is required for entry. Visitors who are not on the approved registration list will be turned away at the gate.

🎟️Mandatory & Free Registration:
https://www.fws.gov/event/flute-concert-breathing-nature

Date & Time:
- Saturday, August 15, 2026
- Concert: 7:00–8:00 PM
- Arrival window: 6:15–6:30 PM (Gate at 230 Bald Eagle Dr, Laurel, MD)

🌧 Rain Date: Saturday, August 22, 2026

What to Bring:
- Your own chair
- A flashlight or headlamp
- Bug spray

08/08/2026

Monarchs continue breeding as we move through August. If they make it to adulthood, these eggs will likely be monarchs that take on the fall migration to Mexico or the California coast!

Under typical conditions, monarchs take at least three weeks to develop to adulthood. Monarchs that emerge after about mid-August enter reproductive diapause, meaning they do not reproduce. Instead, they take off and head for their overwintering grounds.

Across the first week of the Monarch Blitz, we've received reports from across North America. This map shows sightings of monarch eggs from Aug. 1 to Aug. 7.

Keep your sightings of monarch eggs, larvae, and adults coming. The Monarch Blitz runs through the end of the day Sunday!

08/06/2026

PSA

💼 Job Announcement: Invasive Fishes Program Biologist

This position will carry out assigned duties under the direction of the Invasive Fishes Program manager that pertain to the management of invasive fishes across Maryland’s tidal waters and freshwater habitats. Duties will include, but are not limited to, planning, coordinating, leading, and participating in research and monitoring efforts for Northern snakehead, blue catfish, flathead catfish, and other invasive fishes; planning and coordinating a beneficial use project at Conowingo Dam; developing, coordinating, organizing, and participating in events with the public that promote the removals of invasive fishes; assisting with report and document preparation; and administrative, organizational, and other duties in support of the Invasive Fishes Program.

Learn more about this position and apply: https://mddnr.info/3Rsw2bB