Delmarva Birding Week In Delaware’s Capital Region

DOVER, DE

Birders and paddlers are invited to explore nature at its peak during Delmarva Birding Week April 22-25 — now in its seventh year — sponsored by Delmarva Low Impact Tourism Experiences (DLITE).  Visitors to Delaware’s Capital Region can experience kayaking through the salt marshes of Woodland Beach, paddling the Mispillion River and a spring birding tour at Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge.

The following are details about the Kent County, Delaware birding weekend events:
Birds of Bombay Hook — Delaware’s most famous birding spot, Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge offers a cornucopia of birding opportunities from salt marsh and bay beach to freshwater ponds to woodlands.  Find migratory birds and local breeders such as wading birds, shorebirds, rails and colorful songbirds.  The trip will involve easy walking and car caravans between major stops.  After the tour, the group will gather at Sambo’s dockside seafood restaurant.  The program is Thursday, April 22 from 8 to 11 a.m. and the cost is $20 per person not including cost of lunch.  Bombay Hook NWF is located at 2591 Whitehall Neck Road near Smyrna.

DuPont Nature Center — Search for migratory shorebirds, wading birds and waterfowl along Slaughter Beach and learn about the connection between horseshoe crabs and shorebirds at the DuPont Nature Center.  Program is Thursday, April 22 from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. and the cost is $20 per person. The DuPont Nature Center is located at 2992 Lighthouse Road
near Milford.

Kayak Birding Along the Mispillion — Paddle the Mispillion River around the DuPont Nature Center and enjoy shorebirds, gulls and terns and observe the sights and sounds of the Delaware Bay.  Kayakers should take bug spray and water and utilize the State of Delaware access to Prime Hook.  The program is Saturday, April 24 from 1 a.m. to 11 a.m., and the cost is $25 per person.

Woodland Beach Paddle — Explore the salt marshes in pursuit of migratory birds that stop over at Woodland Beach.  Paddlers will travel through the marsh to find natural areas in which to anchor, relax and observe, or paddle and discover shorebirds, wading birds, gulls and terns.  Program is 9 to 11 a.m. at Woodland Beach, located on DE Route 6 (Woodland Beach Road) off of DE Route 9.  Cost is $25 per person.

Delmarva Birding Weekend celebrates the spring migration of thousands of shorebirds, waterfowl, raptors and warblers.  The weekend combines birding and boat trips, paddling treks and expeditions by foot in various locations throughout the Delmarva Peninsula. The birding weekend is sponsored and coordinated by DLITE, a coalition of businesses, nonprofit organizations, and local, state, and federal agencies dedicated to strengthening and promoting low-impact tourism on Delmarva.

The Delmarva Peninsula possesses an extensive variety of environments including tidal wetlands, cypress swamps, barrier islands, upland fields and primeval forests.  Field trips take place on the land and water that feed into the Delaware and Chesapeake Bays and the Atlantic Coastal Bays. 

For more information about Delmarva Birding Weekend trip availability, visit www.delmarvabirdingweekend.org.  For more information on lodging in Delaware’s Capital Region during Delmarva Birding Weekend, call Kent County Tourism at 800-233-5368 or www.visitdover.com.