Next up, Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge.
BHNWR is a large federal wildlife refuge located in southern Delaware run by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. The 16,000 acre refuge was originally purchased in 1937 by proceeds from the federal Duck Stamp program as a way to preserve a large breeding and migratory area for waterfowl.
Most of the place is a great whacking tidal salt marsh, and while hunting is allowed and actively pursued by many at some times of the year, mostly the place is just crawling with birders. Because, well, the place is a birder's paradise. In the next few blog posts I will put up photos of some of the birds that we found there during the summer, as still have never had to pleasure of being there during migration.
For now, here is a panorama photo of the Shearness Pool, one of several large, shallow pools that you can view from the access road. Oh yeah, most of the birding here is done by car so no long hikes of doom! But there are a few short trails to observation towers if you really want to face the swarming hordes of mosquitoes and deer flies. Of note, you'll be fine once you climb up the tower and have mostly bug-free birding.
BHNWR is a large federal wildlife refuge located in southern Delaware run by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. The 16,000 acre refuge was originally purchased in 1937 by proceeds from the federal Duck Stamp program as a way to preserve a large breeding and migratory area for waterfowl.
Most of the place is a great whacking tidal salt marsh, and while hunting is allowed and actively pursued by many at some times of the year, mostly the place is just crawling with birders. Because, well, the place is a birder's paradise. In the next few blog posts I will put up photos of some of the birds that we found there during the summer, as still have never had to pleasure of being there during migration.
For now, here is a panorama photo of the Shearness Pool, one of several large, shallow pools that you can view from the access road. Oh yeah, most of the birding here is done by car so no long hikes of doom! But there are a few short trails to observation towers if you really want to face the swarming hordes of mosquitoes and deer flies. Of note, you'll be fine once you climb up the tower and have mostly bug-free birding.
View of the Shearness Pool from the observation tower
Okay, and one quick factoid. The name Bombay Hook has nothing to do with India or pirate captains. It is a perversion of an old Dutch name for the area "Boompjes Hoeck" meaning Little Tree Point.
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