Retired Trekkers - Delaware, Bombay Hook

Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge is, without a doubt, one of my favorite parks along the East Coast of the United States. It's a prime destination for birdwatchers and wildlife photographers. Located along the coast of Delaware Bay, not far from Dover, it's one of the mid-Atlantic region's most significant remaining expanses of tidal salt marsh. The refuge consists of marshland, freshwater ponds, and forests.

It's also a major stop on the Atlantic Flyway, which generally begins in Greenland, then follows Canada's Atlantic coast, and continues south along the Atlantic coast of the United States, eventually reaching the tropical regions of South America and the Caribbean. Each year, migratory birds travel this path in search of food, to reach their breeding grounds (spring), or to travel to warmer climates (fall). Highway in the Sky is an excellent blog by the National Wildlife Federation on migration routes and stops along the Atlantic Flyway.

The refuge features excellent trails for both vehicles and hikers. Vehicle trails are much more popular in the summer because of mosquitoes and flies. Many photographers shoot from their car windows to avoid those flying pests.

Summer sunrise over the salt marshes of Bombay Hook. ©Tom Dorsz

Download the Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge Auto Tour map

• Entrance Fees are reasonable, and there are some fee-free days

• Address: 2591 Whitehall Neck Road, Smyrna, DE, 19977-2912

• Phone: (302) 653-9345

• Bombay Hook National Park Service website

• Day/Hours: Year Round, 1/2 hour before sunrise to 1/2 hour after sunset daily

• Visitor center is open weekdays 8:00-4:00 & seasonally on weekends

• Bicycling is permitted on the wildlife drive only

• No camping or overnight stays

• There are hotels and campgrounds in nearby Dover, Delaware

• No Unmanned Aircraft Systems (Drones)

• No fishing or crabbing from wildlife drive

• Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge Auto Tour

The refuge features excellent trails for both vehicles and hikers. Vehicle trails are much more popular in the summer because of mosquitoes and flies. Many photographers shoot from their car windows to avoid those flying pests.

My first stop is the visitors' center. The restroom is open even when the center is closed, which is important for seniors and young kids! Then I follow the signs. Many vehicle trails are one-way. The gravel roads provide excellent access to all water areas and pools. My next stop is Shearness Pool, one of the largest ponds with ample places to pull off and take in the incredible sights. Depending on the time of year, it can be extremely busy with people and birds.

Wildlife can be seen year-round, but fall and spring are the best times to see migratory birds. Waterfowl populations peak from October 1 to November 30, with over 150,000 ducks and geese in the refuge. Snow geese arrive in late November, reaching peak numbers in late February and early March before migrating north. Spring also sees significant bird activity, with March being the second peak for waterfowl. In April, early shorebird migrants arrive, and shorebirds peak in May with the arrival of horseshoe crabs laying eggs along the bay shore and mud flats. These eggs provide the shorebirds with the needed energy to complete their northward migration. Wading birds like herons and egrets peak in summer. Mammals such as whitetail deer and red foxes can be seen year-round, especially early morning and evening.

I won't cover all the stops along the auto tour; I'll focus on the main ones, which the others feed off, and where I spent most of my time. The other trails required a bit of a walk and had a lot of mosquitoes and flies. They're best hiked in the colder months. Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge Auto Tour

___________________________________________________

Shearness Pool

This pool is a popular spot for birdwatching and wildlife viewing, as many bird species spend the night here. Many take flight in waves at sunrise, creating quite a noisy scene. One of the great features of the trails is that you can remain in your vehicle and use one of the many pull-off areas to observe the bustling wildlife. There's no need to get out and be swarmed by insects, unless you’re a birder or photographer like me.

A group of Least Sandpipers begins to wake up on submerged logs along the banks of Shearness Pool in late July. Photo ©Tom Dorsz

A team of pintail ducks on the move in Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge in March. The ducks are stopping here on their spring journey north. Photo ©Tom Dorsz

Common Mergansers take off from a pond in Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge in March. This is a stopping point on their spring travels north. An interesting fact from -whatbird.com - "A group of ducks has many collective nouns, including a "brace", "flush", "paddling", "raft", and "team" of ducks." Photo ©Tom Dorsz

Birds can put on a comedy show. A juvenile white ibis treads carefully down the branch while its mate squawks warnings. The snowy egret watches in amusement. Photo ©Tom Dorsz

Oops, walking around with all the limbs sticking out is treacherous. The other Ibis and snowy egret look on in sympathy. That curved beak sure came in handy here. Photo ©Tom Dorsz

A Northern Harrier, or Marsh Hawk, glides over the fields between Shearness Pool and Big Bear Swamp Pool. With a flat, owl-like face and a hooked bill, these raptors fly low over open habitats like marshes and grasslands. They hunt by circling an area to listen for sounds and watch for movement before diving in to catch their prey.
Photo ©Tom Dorsz

A group of Turkey Vultures keeps watch from a thicket in March. An interesting fact about Turkey Vultures is that their stomach acid is highly acidic, allowing them to digest nearly anything. This unique adaptation enables them to consume carcasses infected with anthrax, tuberculosis, and rabies without getting sick. Photo ©Tom Dorsz

___________________________________________________

Big Bear Swamp Pool

Trees surround Big Bear Swamp Pool to the south and west, while salt marshes border the north and east. The area is abundant with birdlife, often supporting numerous shorebirds, ducks, wading birds, and eagles. It's a large pond featuring mud flats and fallen logs that provide resting spots for many birds. During my visit, I also encountered a family of red-tailed foxes casually walking along the road, seemingly unfazed and slightly annoyed by my presence.

As I approached the pool, I saw an eagle in the trees. Talk about a great spot to watch the neighboring pond and marsh. This was my second attempt to capture it on video. On my first attempt, it flew away just as I opened my car door. On my second try, I turned off the engine, quietly exited, and closed the door behind me. I retrieved my camera and tripod from the back seat. It put up with me this time.

I didn't realize another eagle was hidden among the leaves on a branch until it took off, squawking its irritation at me.

As shown in the video, eagles often poop before flying. They do this to reduce weight and make it easier to take off. It's a common behavior and a good indicator that an eagle is about to fly.

An American Bald Eagle holds a chunk of wood for her nest. I took this photo in March. Eagles continually add to their nests, but major remodeling happens during breeding season. The nest is near Bear Swamp Pool and is pretty inaccessible. Photo ©Tom Dorsz

A one-year-old juvenile bald eagle is seen near Bear Swamp Pool in March. Immature eagles have mostly dark heads and tails, with mottled brown wings and bodies. They reach adult plumage in about five years. Photo ©Tom Dorsz

Great white egrets and snowy egrets feast on fish that have died during a fish kill, which occurs when a large number of fish die, usually due to low dissolved oxygen levels in the water. In this instance, the low oxygen levels were caused by drought, which raises water temperatures. When oxygen levels drop too low, fish effectively suffocate. Photo ©Tom Dorsz

Sometimes you just have to look to see the beauty in the ugly. Here are four types of birds. From left to right: juvenile white ibis, great white heron looking like a feathered hat, snowy egret, and black-necked stilts all feeding in the mud. Photo ©Tom Dorsz

To stay informed about fish kills and other potential cautions at Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge, you can check the following:
• Their official Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/bombayhookwildliferefuge
• Call their office. They'll provide a message if they're not open. (302) 653-9345
• Their website does not provide any news updates or warnings.
While most fish kills caused by low oxygen or natural causes are not directly harmful, certain algae blooms can produce toxins that endanger humans, animals, and other wildlife if they enter the water.

The fox family was napping around 9 a.m. on an August morning. They seemed comfortable on the warm pavement and were annoyed when vehicles passed by and disturbed them. Photo ©Tom Dorsz

Here, many bird species are in the shrinking Big Bear Swamp Pool in August. They will begin their southward migration soon; some will leave in late August, and others will migrate slowly and steadily through October. Great Egrets and Snowy Egrets summering here are fully migratory. These eastern populations migrate to their wintering grounds, which include the Gulf Coast and the eastern Caribbean islands. Some of these birds have been known to fly along the ocean. For instance, birds banded in Eastern North America have been discovered in Haiti, Cuba, the Bahamas, and Trinidad. ©Tom Dorsz

A gathering of great white and snowy egrets. ©Tom Dorsz

Finis Pool

Finis Pool has the freshest water in the refuge, as it is fed by Finis Branch, which serves as the primary source of fresh water for all the ponds in the area. If the stream levels drop, the ponds will also be affected. If you're lucky, you may observe beavers, muskrats, and occasionally river otters. Depending on the time of day, you might also spot eagles, ospreys, barred owls, green-backed herons, little blue herons, and kingfishers.

A great blue heron walks along the shore of Finis Pool. In the video, you can see how long it can stretch its neck. A great feature when it's reaching out to pluck a fish from the water. Photo ©Tom Dorsz

An American Bald Eagle sits on a log at Finis Pool. The dense undergrowth behind it helps wildlife on the shore by warning them of anything approaching from the woods. Photo ©Tom Dorsz

___________________________________________________

Leaving the Refuge

For most of the year, leaving the refuge offers a peaceful drive with farms surrounding you. Except in winter when the snow geese arrive. They flock to the marshlands, estuaries, and farm fields, creating a noisy swarming spectacle.

I've visited this park many times and always run into something new. It's so well laid out, easy to maneuver through, and most of all, a wonderful place to enjoy what is fast disappearing, stops along the Atlantic Flyway.

Additional history: Bombay Hook was established on March 16, 1937, to primarily protect critical habitat for migratory waterfowl. The refuge was purchased using federal duck stamp funds, which were generated from the sale of stamps to hunters. In the late 1930s, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) played a significant role in developing the refuge. A segregated CCC camp was established where enrollees worked on projects such as clearing wood swamps, building a causeway, and creating freshwater impoundments. Their hard work is what we enjoy today.

The late winter gathering of snow geese is an incredible sight to see and hear. I've seen large flocks before, but this one tops my list! Photo ©Tom Dorsz

I took this photo in late January just outside the refuge. The snow geese descended on this farm to feed on the many grains, corn, and seeds near the silos and farm buildings. Photo ©Tom Dorsz

___________________________________________________

The links provided below are affiliate links, including those from Amazon. This website earns a commission on qualifying purchases made through these links. I only share products or services that I genuinely believe are helpful based on my own experience. Your support through these affiliate links helps keep this site running, so thank you!

___________________________________________________

Birding binoculars are a good way to see different birds. They are great for identification and learning about the different bird species.

I found that insect repellent wristbands are a great way to keep bugs at bay, especially mosquitoes and horseflies. I wore them on my wrist and attached them to the visor of my baseball cap for added protection.

___________________________________________________

You may also like