Friday, Oct. 17

Red-shouldered Hawk, photo courtesy of Dr. Frode Jacobsen. Biking and birding at Cape Henlopen State Park.

Registration is open! All reservations will be confirmed via email. No cancellations after September 27, 2025. Trips are subject to weather cancellations.

Please note: On Friday, Oct. 17, we have morning and afternoon field trips in Delaware and Maryland. Please note the driving time between morning and afternoon meeting locations before your select your field trips.

MORNING FIELD TRIPS

Indian River Inlet & Burton Island (DRIVING/HIKING) 
Time: 8:00 – 11:00 am
Cost: $30/person
Guides: Chris Bennett & Anthony Gonzon
Meeting Location: South Side of the Indian River Inlet, DE, meet near Big Chill Beach Club, 27099 Coastal Highway, Bethany Beach, DE 19930. GPS coordinates: 38.606742, -75.061808

Please note: Cost does not include entry fee for Delaware Seashore State Park. Access is granted with a Delaware State Parks Annual Pass, or with a day-use fee of $5/vehicle with DE tags or $10/vehicle with out-of-state tags. For more information, please visit Delaware State Parks Passes, Tags & Fees.

The Delaware seashore between Indian River Inlet and Dewey Beach offers some of Delaware’s best coastal birding. Indian River Inlet provides habitat for shorebirds on the jetties and beaches. Seabirds can be found migrating off the coast. Your guides will lead you from the inlet to the Indian River Marina and Burton Island to search for migrant songbirds. Birding stops at Savages Ditch and Towers Bayside may be included after the marina.

Blue-winged Teal, photo courtesy of Dr. Frode Jacobsen.

Chincoteague Bay Birding & Oyster Tasting (DRIVING/HIKING)
Time: 8:30 am – 12:30 pm
Cost: $40/person
Guides: Russ Kovach & Jim Rapp
Meeting Location: the Baywater Landing Marina, located at 3908 Bayside Rd, Snow Hill, MD 21863. GPS coordinates: 38.132476, -75.299204

Please note: Cost includes six shucked local oysters from Baywater Seafood. You may purchase additional oysters if you wish. We’ll also have complimentary samples of Dogfish Head craft ales!

The coastal bays of Maryland provide habitat for autumn birds and briny bivalves! We’ll watch the birds and eat the oysters during this morning adventure along the landings of Chincoteague Bay. This field trip involves driving between locations and short, easy walks. Total driving distance between sites is less than 8 miles.

We’ll meet at the Baywater Landing Marina east of Snow Hill, MD, before departing on a two-stop caravan tour for birding along the landings. At Baywater Landing, we’ll scan the skies and salt marsh for gulls, terns, herons and songbirds. We’ll then drive to Figgs Landing, where we will scope the shallow ponds for ducks and shorebirds. From Figgs Landing, we will drive a short distance to Truitt’s Landing, where we will explore the marshes for sparrows and shorebirds.

We’ll return to Baywater Landing around 11:30 am, where our friends at Baywater Seafood will introduce us to their operation. We’ll enjoy our oyster tasting while they explain the connection to their business and clean coastal water. We’ll plan to depart Baywater Landing around 12:30 pm.

Special beer tasting with Dogfish Head! During our oyster tasting, our friend Sophia Smecker from Dogfish Head will join us to share samples of SeaQuench Ale and Grateful Dead Juicy Pale Ale:

  • The cousin to Dogfish Head’s grapefruit-infused Citrus Squall, SeaQuench Ale is an imperial golden ale brewed with pineapples and mangoes to transport your taste buds to a tropical paradise. At 9% ABV, Tropical Squall has the bright sweetness of ripe pineapple paired with the rich, lush flavor of mango, delivering a wave of tropical taste that’s both vibrant and refreshing. Pull up a beach chair and enjoy!
  • Dogfish Head couldn’t resist teaming back up with this legendary band to continue their long, strange trip together with a brand-NEW beer, Grateful Dead Juicy Pale Ale! Clocking in at 5.3% ABV, this pale ale is brewed with Kernza® grains, granola and heaps of good karma for a refreshing, light-bodied beer that will leave you with nothin’ left to do but smile, smile, smile. The addition of El Dorado and Azacca hops brings waves of tropical pineapple, mango, and passion fruit notes for a vibrant tapestry of alluring aromas and flavors that just keeps truckin’ sip after refreshing sip.

AFTERNOON TRIPS

Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge (DRIVING/HIKING)
Time: 1:30 – 4:30 pm
Cost: $30/person
Guides: Chris Bennett & Anthony Gonzon
Meeting Location: the new Prime Hook NWR Visitor Center, located on Turkle Pond Rd, Milton, DE 19968. Please note that the new Visitor Center recently opened, and it is located on the left shortly after you enter the refuge. Use these GPS coordinates: 38.814729, -75.254365

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.

In the event of a federal government shutdown, National Wildlife Refuges operated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will generally be closed to the public. As of midnight on October 1, 2025, parts of the U.S. government have shut down, triggering these closures. 

Update on Sunday, Oct. 12: The trails at Prime Hook NWR are open for visitation. The visitor center and public restrooms are not open at this time. If you are joining this field trip, you may want to visit a restroom prior to your visit.

Get ready for an unforgettable Friday afternoon of birding Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge! The Delaware Bayshore is a birder’s paradise, boasting some of the most diverse birding opportunities on Delmarva. We’ll explore the fields and forests for songbirds and raptors, and for search marshes and shallow waters for egrets, shorebirds, and waterfowl. We’ll enjoy some easy walking and travel between our prime viewing locations in a car caravan.

Sunset Seabird Safari (BOAT TRIP)
Time: 3:30 – 5:30 pm
Cost: $60/person
Guides: Russ Kovach & Jim Rapp
Meeting Location: the pickup location is the West Ocean City Boat Ramp, located on Sunset Avenue. There is no specific street address for the boat ramp. For reference, the boat ramp is located on Sunset Avenue 1/4-mile before you reach The Shark on the Harbor restaurant, which is located at 12924 Sunset Ave, Ocean City, MD 21842. Use these GPS coordinates: 38.3275, -75.10681

Update (posted 6:00 am on Oct. 17): This trip is sold out.

Marbled Godwit, photo courtesy of Dr. Frode Jacobsen.

We’re teaming up with the OC Bay Hopper to go birding by boat in Maryland’s coastal bays. We’ll depart from the Ocean City commercial harbor and cruise north to check the mud flats just north of the Route 50 bridge for American Oystercatchers and Brown Pelicans. We’ll then head south to investigate the bayside docks in Ocean City from M.R. Duck’s to the Ocean City inlet (there are often good birds hiding out there!), then we’ll cruise by the Assateague jetty to search for shorebirds in the rocks. From there, we’ll continue south to explore the bayside of Assateague Island towards Castaways campground, then back to the harbor before the sun sets at 6:19 pm.

Please note:

  • No cancellations are accepted after September 27, 2025. For an explanation of our refund policy, please click here.
  • Food and drink are not included in the cost for trips and tally rallies.
  • Trips will go rain or shine, unless conditions are predicted to be dangerous.
  • If the trip is canceled due to dangerous conditions, you will be notified via email and a full refund will be provided.