Sunday, March 7 BirdINNg Trips & Registration

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

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

REGISTRATION IS OPEN! Each field trip is sold separately through an individual PayPal button.

MORNING TRIPS

Newport Farms Winter Wonderland (DRIVING/HIKING)
8:00 – 11:00 am
Cost: $25/person
Meeting Location: Cul-de-sac at eastern end of Hayes Landing Road

THIS FIELD TRIP IS SOLD OUT. Please email dmvbirds@gmail.com if you wish to be placed on the wait list.

The 2,200-acre Newport Farm reveals spectacular winter birding replete with a remote duck-filled 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 the Weekend. Bird lovers on this one-of-a-kind trip will enjoy short walks totalling less than a mile. The bucolic scene provides a breathtaking backdrop to one of Maryland’s most-renowned winter Bald Eagle and waterfowl spectacles. East Coast winter rarities like American White Pelicans and Golden Eagles may surprise, along with the occasional river otter.

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

Please note: This trip costs a little more than others due to a required permit fee. Cost does not include the entry fee for Cape Henlopen State Park, which is in effect in March. 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.

Cape Henlopen State Park and Lewes have much to offer birders in early 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. 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 Redpoll, and Razorbill. We’ll begin by watching the bird feeders at the Seaside Nature Center, and then we’ll caravan to The Point and the Cape Henlopen fishing pier. We’ll exit the park and drive to Lewes Beach and the Roosevelt Inlet for more beach and bay birding.

12:30 PM BOAT TRIP

Scoters, Seals & Slightly Mightys (LEWES BOAT TOUR)
12:30 – 2:30 pm
Cost: $65/person (includes tip for First Mate)
Meeting Location: Fisherman’s Wharf in Lewes, DE

PLEASE NOTE: Under current COVID-19 restrictions, capacity on the boat is limited to maintain social distancing. The heated indoor cabin will be closed, and we will be outside for the entire two-hour trip. Please dress for a true Arctic experience! Click this link for more information.

THIS BOAT TRIP IS SOLD OUT. Registered guests may cancel prior to the event. Please email dmvbirds@gmail.com if you wish to be placed on the wait list.

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 V. 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!

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.

AFTERNOON BOAT TRIP

Scoters, Seals & Slightly Mightys (LEWES BOAT TOUR)
3:00 – 5:00 pm
Cost: $65/person (includes tip for First Mate)
Meeting Location: Fisherman’s Wharf in Lewes, DE

PLEASE NOTE: Under current COVID-19 restrictions, capacity on the boat is limited to maintain social distancing. The heated indoor cabin will be closed, and we will be outside for the entire two-hour trip. Please dress for a true Arctic experience! Click this link for more information.

This is the replacement tour for the canceled boat trip from Friday, March 5, 3:00 – 5:00 pm. If seats open up due to refunds, we will try to fill them. Please email dmvbirds@gmail.com to be placed on the wait list.

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 V. 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!

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.

TALLY RALLY

Lewes Tally Rally at Irish Eyes, sponsored by Dogfish Head
5:00 – 6:00 pm
Cost: free
Meeting Location: Irish Eyes in Lewes, DE

Please note: the Tally Rally is free to attend, but you must RSVP at dmvbirds@gmail.com due to space limitations and covid-19 restrictions. Guests are responsible for their own food and drink purchases.

The Lewes Delmarva Dogfish BirdINNg Weekend is more than a great opportunity to see unique local birds…it is also a time to meet unique local birders! Birders will enjoy great food and craft beer at Irish Eyes in beautiful Lewes, DE. See what birds have been seen on the Friday field trips, and learn about local birding hotspots from our DBW guides. Join us to swap birding stories and add to the DBW checklist for the weekend. There is no fee for attending the tally rally, but food and drinks will be available for purchase.

Irish Eyes will have these Dogfish Head specials for birders:

  • Buy a pint of Dogfish Head’s Campfire Amplifier or Sun-day-feels, and keep the pint glass!
  • $1 off Dogfish Head cans (Slightly Mighty, SeaQuench or Namaste)

Please note:

  • 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.

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