Friday, March 3 BirdINNg Trips & Reservations

White-winged Scoter photo courtesy of Frode Jacobsen. Harbor and Gray Seals photo courtesy of Rita Modesti.

Registration will open soon! Field trip times and locations will change before registration opens. We time the boat trips with low tide, which is better for seal viewing.

MORNING TRIP

Birds of Bombay Hook NWR (DRIVING/HIKING)
8:00 – 11:00 am
Cost: $25/person
Meeting Location: Bombay Hook NWR Visitor Center

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.

AFTERNOON LAND-BASED TRIP

Mispillion Inlet to Fowler Beach (DRIVING/HIKING)
1:30 – 5:00 pm
Cost: $25/person
Meeting Location: Dupont Nature Center (2992 Lighthouse Rd, Milford, DE 19963)

The lower Delaware Bay shore offers some of the best winter birding in Delaware. This trip will begin at the Dupont Nature Center on Mispillion Inlet in search of waterfowl, gulls, raptors and other waterbirds. We will stop at a few Delaware Bay access sites in Slaughter Beach to scan the bay for loons, sea ducks and gulls. We will end the trip at Fowler Beach, the northern access to Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge where we will walk out to the beach in search of wintering shorebirds, Horned Lark, Snow Bunting and Lapland Longspur. As the sun sets at the end of the day we will scan the marsh for hunting Short-eared Owls.

AFTERNOON BOAT TRIP

Scoters, Seals & Slightly Mightys (LEWES BOAT TOUR)
3:00 – 5:00 pm
Cost: $70/person (includes tip for First Mate)
Meeting Location: Fisherman’s Wharf at 107 Anglers Road, Lewes, DE 19958

Harbor and Gray Seal photos courtesy of Sherry Abbott.

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 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 ice breakers. Restrooms are available on board, and coolers (with off-centered ales from Dogfish Head! see pairing suggestions below) are welcome!

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!

Red-throated Loon photo courtesy of Frode Jacobsen.

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 February 15, 2023.
  • Food and drink are not included in the cost for trips and tally rallies.
  • Trips will go rain or shine.
  • If the trip is canceled due to dangerous conditions, a full refund will be provided.