Howard County Bird Club

Johns Hopkins APL Pond Detailed Information

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This small pond is 0.4 mile west of US 29 on Johns Hopkins Road. There is no public access and the grounds are patrolled. This pond has never been easy to see because it is ringed with crabapple trees. When a six foot metal security fence was erected around much of the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory campus, viewing became even more challenging. Traffic along Johns Hopkins Road increases each year not just from APL employees, but from the Maple Lawn development. There are no shoulders on the north side of the road so stopping to view the pond while driving west is not an option. Weekends and weekdays between midmorning and mid-afternoon, park in the credit union parking lot just east of the pond on Pond Road (Saturday morning is busy there) and scan the pond. On the south side of the road (opposite Pond Road) there is a small paved section that can hold two or three cars, although the view of the pond from that location is extremely limited. From that tiny parking area, use the sidewalk on the south side of the road to walk west in order to scope geese feeding on the hillside.

The pond is rimmed by large rocks and the grass is mowed to the water’s edge. Predictably, Canada Geese find this an attractive combination. A flock is usually present during some part of most late fall and winter days, either on the pond or grazing on the nearby hillside. Occasionally a Snow Goose, a Cackling Goose, or Ross’s Goose can be picked out of the flock. A varying number of Ring-billed Gulls may also be present; unfortunately, no unusual species have ever been detected with them. This pond has never been a major waterfowl magnet, but Lesser Scaup, Ring-necked Duck, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, and Hooded Merganser have all been logged. Great Egret and Yellow-crowned Night-Heron have also made cameo appearances in warmer weather. An occasional Great Blue Heron or Green Heron may be present along with a Belted Kingfisher. One of the county’s few Least Terns was seen here early one July morning.

It is worth a brief detour to scan this pond if you are in the vicinity, but it is rarely worth a special trip. Fortunately, the many Bird Club members employed at this facility keep a close eye on the birds here.