Friday, April 26

ALL DAY FIELD TRIP

The Nature of Smith Island (BOATING/HIKING)
Time: 8:00 am – 4:00 pm
Cost: $195/person (includes all-day boat charter and lunch)
Guide: Terry Allen
Meeting Location: Crisfield City Dock, located near 1200 West Main Street, Crisfield, MD 21817. Our charter for the day will be the Capt. Jason II, one of the Smith Island ferries. GPS coordinates: 37.97793, -75.86333

Depart Crisfield, Maryland, for a daylong birding cruise aboard the Capt. Jason II to historic Smith Island in the heart of the Chesapeake Bay – home to Maryland’s Official State Dessert, the Smith Island Cake! View many species of shorebirds and egrets, along with Tri-colored Herons, Glossy Ibis, and Brown Pelicans. At midday, enjoy a walking tour and a hearty lunch that includes a crab cake sandwich, sides and a slice of Smith Island cake at the world-famous Drum Point Market (lunch is included in the trip cost; there are options for those with seafood allergy). The boat returns to Crisfield around 4:00 p.m.

Tri-Colored Heron, Brown Pelican and American Oystercatcher. Photos courtesy of Frode Jacobsen.

MORNING FIELD TRIPS

Redden State Forest (DRIVING/HIKING)
Time: 8:00 – 11:00 am
Cost: $30/person
Guides: Chris Bennett & Anthony Gonzon
Meeting Location: 18074 Redden Forest Drive Georgetown, DE 19947. Use GPS coordinates: 38.740507, -75.413394

Please note: Dress and prepare for muddy trails and ticks. If the ground is not saturated, please park in the grass area between the office parking & pond. Maintain a slow vehicle speed when entering and departing Redden State Forest.

The 12,000 acres of Redden State Forest near Georgetown, Delaware, offer some of the best habitat for breeding forest birds, including Red-headed Woodpecker, Summer Tanager, Yellow-throated, Hooded and Kentucky Warbler and Yellow-throated Vireo. The trip will involve some easy walking and car caravans between major stops. Red-headed Woodpecker; photo courtesy of Frode Jacobsen.

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

The Delaware Bay shoreline and its adjacent uplands offer the most diverse birding opportunities in southern Delaware. Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge near Milton, Delaware, is the perfect birding location for Friday morning. We’ll search for migrants and local breeders, including wading birds, shorebirds, rails, and colorful songbirds like Prairie and Prothonotary Warblers, and Scarlet Tanagers. 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.

Bay Club & Heron Park (HIKING/DRIVING)
Date: Friday, April 26
Time: 8:00 – 11:00 am
Cost: $30/person (proceeds to benefit the Lower Shore Land Trust)
Guides: Jared Parks, Frank Deuter & Jim Rapp
Meeting Location: 9122 Libertytown Road, Berlin, MD 21811. Meet at the entrance to the old Bay Club Golf Course.
GPS coordinates: 38.3351265,-75.2497424

Please note: Dress and prepare for hiking on trails that may be wet and muddy. Waterproof boots are recommended. Please prepare for ticks. Be sure to bring insect repellent. For information about preventing tickborne diseases, please click here.

White-eyed Vireo. Photo credit: Frode Jacobsen.

Join your guides Jared Parks and Frank Deuter of the Lower Shore Land Trust and Jim Rapp of Delmarva Birding as we explore Worcester County’s newest birding hotspot, the Bay Club just west of Berlin, MD. This former golf course is currently being restored to open meadows, wetlands and forest that are already teeming with songbirds! Management of the property for public access is just beginning, so the trail network is not fully installed. However, MD DNR is in the process of creating an extensive trail network from the cart paths of the old golf course to provide access for birders seeking warblers, sparrows, vireos and more.

Following our tour at the Bay Club, we’ll drive 2.5 miles to Berlin to scope the ponds at Heron Park for later wintering waterfowl and early arriving spring songbirds and wading birds.

AFTERNOON FIELD TRIP

Delaware Bay Seabirds (BOAT TOUR)
Time: 3:00 – 5:30 pm
Cost: $72/person (includes tip for crew of Thelma Dale V)
Guides: Chris Bennett, Anthony Gonzon, Russ Kovach & Jim Rapp
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 V. 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 waterfowl and seabirds including gulls, cormorants, gannets and loons. Although late in the season, we also have a chance of seeing Harbor and/or Gray Seals that haul out on the rocks (we saw them in April 2022). Bottlenose Dolphins are a possibility, too! Restrooms are available on board, and coolers (with off-centered ales from Dogfish Head 😀) are welcome.

We are coordinating the boat trips around low tide, which will offer better views if the seals are hauled out on the lower breakwater rocks. Low tide for Lewes on April 26 is 4:42 pm.

Great Cormorant and Gray Seals, photos courtesy of Barbara Clipper.

Please note:

  • No cancellations are accepted after April 10, 2024. 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.