Saturday, March 15

Black Scoter photo courtesy of Frode Jacobsen. Harbor and Gray Seals photo courtesy of Rita Modesti.

MORNING TRIPS

Cape Henlopen State Park (DRIVING/HIKING)
Time: 8:00 – 11:00 am
Cost: $30/person
Meeting Location: Fishing Pier parking lot at Cape Henlopen State Park. GPS coordinates: 38.785857, -75.101570

Please note: There is no daily entry fee charged at Delaware State Parks during December, January and February.

The largest state park in Delaware has much to offer birders in mid-winter. Located where the Delaware Bay meets the Atlantic, the park contains pitch pine forest, forested wetland, tidal marsh, dunes and beach habitats that support a wide array of bird life. Participants on this trip will search for Brown-headed Nuthatch, Snow Bunting, loons, scoters and other bay and sea ducks. Less common or rare birds that may be encountered include “Ipswich” Savannah Sparrow, Common Redpoll, Razorbill, Common Eider, Great Cormorant, Lesser Black-backed, Iceland, Black-headed and Little Gull.

Birds of Prime Hook NWR (DRIVING/HIKING)
Time: 8:00 – 11:00 am
Cost: $30/person
Meeting Location: Prime Hook NWR Visitor Center, 11978 Turkle Pond Rd, Milton, DE 19968. GPS coordinates: 38.830404, -75.248497

Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge near Milton, Delaware, offers a cornucopia of birding opportunities – from saltmarsh and bay beach to freshwater ponds and rich, deciduous woodlands. We’ll sample each of the main habitat types looking for winter shorebirds and waterfowl. Scan the fields on your drive into the refuge for large flocks of Snow Geese! The trip will involve some easy walking and car caravans between major stops. Meet at the Prime Hook NWR Visitor Center on Turkle Pond Road.

AFTERNOON BOAT TRIP

Scoters & Seals (LEWES BOAT TOUR)
Time: 2:30 – 5:00 pm
Cost: $72/person (includes tip for First Mate)
Meeting Location: Fisherman’s Wharf 107 Anglers Rd, Lewes, DE 19958. GPS Coordinates: 38.776829, -75.137510

Join us for a 2.5-hour cruise of the waters around the mouth of the Delaware Bay aboard the Thelma Dale IV. The boat features a heated cabin, benches along the lower deck rail, and a top deck for open-air viewing. We will visit the two stone breakwaters and the ice breakers in search of common and rare waterfowl and seabirds including gulls, cormorants, gannets, loons, scoters, eiders and with luck a Harlequin Duck or Razorbill. We also have a good chance of seeing Harbor and Gray Seals that regularly haul out on the rocks. Restrooms are available on board, and coolers (with off-centered ales from Dogfish Head) are welcome!

We are coordinating the boat trip with low tide, which will offer better views of the seals hauled out on the lower breakwater rocks. Low tide for Lewes on February 1 is 4:41 pm. Sunset is 5:22 pm.

If dangerous weather causes boat trips to be canceled on Friday and/or Saturday, we’ll schedule a makeup trip on Sunday, Feb. 2, from 2:30 – 5:00 pm. Those unable to join us on Sunday will be provided with full refunds.

Harbor and Gray Seal photos courtesy of Sherry Abbott.

TALLY RALLY & FIRESIDE CHAT

Dogfish INN (SOCIAL)
Time: 5:00 – 6:30 pm
Speaker: Wayne Klockner, Executive Director of the American Birding Association
Cost: free, but RSVP is required at dmvbirds@gmail.com
Meeting Location: The Cottage at the Dogfish INN, located at 105 Savannah Road, Lewes, DE 19958. GPS Coordinates: 38.775121, -75.137909

The Winter Delmarva Dogfish BirdINNg Weekend is more than a great opportunity to see unique local birds…it is also a time to meet unique local birders! Birders will enjoy complimentary samples of Dogfish Head craft ales and good company at the Dogfish INN, located just a short walk over the bridge from Fisherman’s Wharf. See what birds have been tallied on the Friday and Saturday field trips, and learn about local birding hotspots from our DBW guides. Join us to swap birding stories and add to the DBW checklist for the weekend.

Wayne Klockner, executive director of the American Birding Association (ABA)

Immediately following the Tally Rally, we will be joined by our friend Wayne Klockner for a fireside chat! Wayne is the executive director of the American Birding Association (ABA), the non-profit organization that provides leadership to birders by increasing their knowledge, skills, and enjoyment of birding. ABA is the only organization in North America that specifically caters to recreational birders. Prior to joining the ABA, Wayne enjoyed a 38-year career with The Nature Conservancy managing conservation programs in Maryland, Delaware, New York, Indonesia, and Massachusetts. Before his time with TNC, Wayne worked as a field biologist for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources surveying natural areas and assessing the impacts of development on coastal wetlands. Wayne, a resident of Ocean City, MD, has been a lifelong birder; the Dark-eyed Junco was his spark bird back in New Jersey, his home state.

If you plan to attend the Tally Rally, please RSVP by emailing dmvbirds@gmail.com with your name and the number in your party.

Please note:

  • The Dogfish INN parking lot is for guests only, but there is a public parking lot conveniently located across the street. If you registered for the 2:30 – 5:00 pm boat trip, you can leave your vehicle in the parking lot at Fisherman’s Wharf and walk across the canal bridge (~4 minutes) to the Dogfish INN.
  • Birders will enjoy complimentary samples of Dogfish Head craft ales. Other refreshments will not be served during the fireside chat, but you are welcome to bring snacks.

What goes better together than birds and beers? Here are Dogfish Head’s off-centered ale pairing recommendations for the Winter Delmarva Dogfish BirdINNg Weekend! Please drink responsibly.

60-minute IPA: Brewed using a boatload of intense Northwest hops, we boil this continually hopped IPA for a full 60 minutes, adding more than 60 hop additions continuously to create a bold and timeless flavor. Continually hopped to deliver a pungently, citrusy, grassy hop flavor without being crushingly bitter, 60 Minute IPA is a surprisingly sessionable IPA for the craft enthusiast.

Citrus Squall: Citrus Squall is the perfect storm of a double golden ale and a paloma cocktail brewed with grapefruit juice, blue agave nectar, lime peels and a touch of sea salt, bringing strong gusts of citrusy hop and grapefruit aromas, counterbalanced by a downpouring of bright and tart grapefruit flavor and a blue agave nectar sweetness. 

SeaQuench Ale: Objectively the most refreshing beer we’ve ever brewed, SeaQuench Ale is a session sour mash-up of a crisp Kölsch, a salty Gose and a tart Berliner Weiss brewed in sequence with black limes, sour lime juice and sea salt. The result? A citrusy-tart union that has captured the attention and hearts of beer, wine and margarita drinkers alike!

Avian Influenza Alert:

Recently, H5 avian influenza has been detected in sick and dead Snow Geese on Delmarva. We will be hosting field trips in areas where avian influenza may be present. If you maintain a backyard flock of chickens or work in the poultry industry, you may want to take precautions to minimize the spread of avian influenza. For more information about protecting yourself and your birds from avian influenza, please visit the CDC website.

If you encounter a sick or dead bird, please call these numbers and visit these websites for reporting information:

Please note:

  • No cancellations are accepted after January 15, 2025. For a further explanation of our refund policy, please click here.
  • Trips will go rain or shine, unless torrential rains prevent us from viewing wildlife.
  • If the trip is canceled due to dangerous conditions, we will notify you via email. Please note that the email will be sent to all participants BCC, so you may need to check your email spam folder. A full refund will be provided within 15 days.