Friday, Jan. 26 BirdINNg Trips & Reservations
MORNING TRIPS
Birds of Bombay Hook NWR (DRIVING/HIKING)
Time: 8:00 – 11:30 am
Cost: $25/person
Meeting Location: Bombay Hook NWR Visitor Center, 2591 Whitehall Neck Road, Smyrna, DE 19977-2912. GPS coordinates: 39.259514, -75.473799
Delaware’s most famous birding hot spot, Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge near Dover, 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.
Bays, Ponds & Beaches: Tower Road, Silver Lake & Gordon’s Pond (DRIVING/HIKING)
Time: 8:00 – 11:00 am
Cost: $30/person
Meeting Location: bayside beach parking area on Tower Road, just south of Dewey Beach, DE. GPS coordinates: 38.674928, -75.073242
Please note: There is no daily entry fee charged at Delaware State Parks during December, January and February.
This fun winter field trip will include short drives, hikes and stops at some of the best birding hotspots in the Rehoboth Beach/Dewey Beach area. We’ll meet at the bayside beach parking area on Tower Road to scope Rehoboth Bay for waterfowl and shorebirds. From Tower Road, we’ll drive ~two miles to our next stop at Silver Lake, a tranquil oasis in Rehoboth Beach known for its diverse duck population. From Silver Lake, we’ll drive ~three miles to end our avian adventure with a ~1.6 mile round-trip hike to the Gordon’s Pond overlook at the southern end of Cape Henlopen State Park.
Participants will drive their own vehicles. Total driving distance is ~five miles and total hiking for the morning is under two miles. For a Google Map of our birding stops and the Gordon’s Pond hike, please click here.
AFTERNOON BOAT TRIP
Scoters & Seals (LEWES BOAT TOUR)
Time: 2:00 – 4:00 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 two 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 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 January 26 is 3:20 pm.
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.
Slightly Mighty IPA: A lo-cal IPA that is slight in calories and carbs with mighty hop flavor. Brewed with a touch of monk fruit that delivers body and complexity but adds zero calories or carbs, Slightly Mighty has all the flavor & tropical aromas of a world class IPA.
SeaQuench Ale: The #1 selling sour in the U.S., SeaQuench Ale is our session sour brewed with black limes, lime juice, and sea salt for a bright, citrusy flavor and thirst-quenching finish.
Please note:
- No cancellations are accepted after January 15, 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.