Saturday, Dec. 12 Trips & Reservations – Delmarva Birding Weekends

MORNING FIELD TRIPS

Cape Henlopen State Park (DRIVING/HIKING)
8:00 – 11:30 am
Cost: $25/person
Meeting Location: Seaside Nature Nature in Cape Henlopen State Park

Please note: There are no entry fees for Delaware State Parks after Nov. 30. For more information, please visit Delaware State Parks Passes, Tags & Fees.

The largest state park in Delaware has much to offer birders in December. 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 are sure to see 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 Eider, Great Cormorant, Lesser Black-backed Gull, and other winter gulls.

Newport Farms Waterfowl Wonderland (DRIVING/HIKING)
8:00 – 11:00 am
Cost: $25/peron
Meeting Location: the cul-de-sac at the end of Hayes Landing Road near Berlin, MD

The 2,200-acre Newport Farm reveals spectacular waterfowl watching replete with a remote 70-acre freshwater pond next to the vast forests and marshes of Newport Bay. For this reason, this trip enjoys one of the highest species counts during our weekends. Bird lovers on this one-of-a-kind trip will enjoy short walks totaling less than a mile. The bucolic scene provides a breathtaking backdrop to one of Maryland’s most-renowned Bald Eagle spectacles. We’ll search for multiple duck species in the water, fast-flying falcons in the skies, and we may get lucky with American White Pelicans on the pond! After the tour, enjoy a leisurely lunch in Berlin before our afternoon field trip begins at 1:30 pm in Heron Park.

AFTERNOON FIELD TRIPS

Winter Birds of Bombay Hook NWR (DRIVING/HIKING)
2:00 – 5:00 pm
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.

Berlin & Ocean City: Heron Park, the OC Inlet & Sunset Park (DRIVING/HIKING)
1:30 – 4:30 pm
Cost: $25/peron
Meeting Location: Heron Park in Berlin, MD (located directly across the street from Burley Oak Brewing)

We’ll meet at Heron Park (formerly known as Berlin Falls Park) in historic Berlin, MD to scope the open ponds for Northern Shoveler, Ring-necked Ducks, Ruddy Ducks and Pied-billed Grebes. We’ll also search the forested edges for songbirds such as Red-breasted Nuthatch and Yellow-rumped Warbler. We’ll then caravan to the Ocean City Inlet to scope the rocks on both the north and south jetties for shorebirds, scoters and Brant, and scan the skies and ocean water for seabirds. We will walk a short distance to Sunset Park to search for lingering migrant songbirds, and hopefully catch a stunning autumn sunset over the bay!

Meeting Locations

Please note:

Food and drink are not included in the trip cost.
No cancellations are accepted after December 2, 2020, unless diagnosed or quarantined with COVID-19.
Trips will go rain or shine.
If the trip is canceled due to dangerous conditions, a full refund will be provided. We will notify you via email of trip cancelation before noon on Friday, Dec. 11.

Banner photo, left to right: Northern Harrier, Canvasback and Northern Shoveler. Photos courtesy of Frode Jacobsen.