Spring Mini-Delmarva Dogfish BirdINNg Weekend: Saturday, March 26

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

Join us for early spring birding in Lewes, Delaware!

The first SPRING mini-Delmarva Dogfish BirdINNg Weekend will be held Saturday, March 26, 2022. This is our first time enjoying great looks at the waterfowl, seabirds, shorebirds, raptors — and seals! — that are on full display in the mid-Atlantic during late March. We expect to see late winter birds, such as Great Cormorant, Purple Sandpiper, and waterfowl, as well as Harbor and Gray Seals. We should also find some early spring songbirds at Cape Henlopen State Park!

We are super excited to partner again with our friends at the Dogfish INN! Located in historic downtown Lewes alongside the canal and a short walk from Fisherman’s Wharf, the Dogfish Inn is the perfect basecamp for exploring all that coastal Delaware has to offer. Holding true to Dogfish Head fashion, you’ll find an offbeat approach to style, quality, and craft throughout each of their 16 rooms and their Super SWEET rental cottage located just up the street. Make the Dogfish INN your basecamp for early spring birding! To book your room, simply type ‘Delmarva Birding Weekend’ in the special requests section during online booking, or give them a jingle at 302-644-8292!

MORNING TRIP

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

Please note: Cost does not include entry fee for Cape Henlopen 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.

Meet your guides at the Seaside Nature Center at Cape Henlopen State Park for an overview of the morning’s itinerary. After watching the bird feeders at the Nature Center, we’ll caravan through Cape Henlopen State Park. This largest state park in Delaware has much to offer birders in late March. 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. This trip will include sea and bay watching, as well as a stop at the Cape Henlopen Hawk Watch to scan the sky and sea for migrants.

AFTERNOON BOAT TRIPS

Scoters, Seals & Slightly Mightys (LEWES BOAT TOUR)
12:30 – 2:30 pm and 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

Please note: During our March 5 boat trips, we saw more than 200 Harbor and Gray Seals along the outer breakwater wall and the icebreakers because it was low tide. On March 26, high tide is at 4:51 pm, so we will likely see fewer seals than we did on March 5. Some seals may have migrated further north by March 26, too.

12:30 – 2:30 pm Boat Trip
There are two spots open for this trip as of 12:15 pm on Friday, March 25.

3:00 – 5:00 pm Boat Trip
There are lots of spots open on this trip!

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 Delmarva Dogfish BirdINNg Weekends!

Long-tailed Duck photo courtesy of Susan Hale.

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 March 15, 2022, unless diagnosed or quarantined with COVID-19.
  • 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.

Delmarva Birding Weekends is offering tours with these COVID-19 guidelines in place.

PHOTO CREDITS: All bird photos courtesy of Frode Jacobsen. Seal photo courtesy of Rita Modesti. Birder photographs provided by the Delmarva Birding Weekends.