Birding in the Delaware Bay

A beach full of horseshoe crabs illuminated by the light of the full moon is a sight to behold. A spring visit to the Delaware Bay is perfectly timed to view the amazing spectacle of these crustaceans arriving ashore in large numbers to breed. Naturalist Matt Felperin leads a two-day adventure for nature lovers that explores the Delaware Bay and its environs, where the diverse life of a tidal marsh and the expanse of the bay come together.

Visit Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge, where the vast stretch of tidal impoundments is ideal for hosting a myriad of migratory shorebirds including Red Knots and a variety of terns, raptors, and songbirds. At the Dupont Nature Center, learn the connection between horseshoe crab breeding and shorebird migration and observe banding operations by cannon-netting. Stops at the shore communities of Broadkill Beach and Slaughter Beach offer excellent opportunities for viewing both crabs and birds, and an optional sunrise excursion to Bennett’s Pier Beach Road provides a chance to spy the near-endangered Saltmarsh Sparrow, a species of concern in decline due mainly to habitat loss and sea-level rise.

Know Before You Go

• Cost includes all meals (1 breakfast, 2 lunches, 1 dinner), hotel, transportation, services of a Smithsonian study leader and representative, entrance fees, taxes, and all gratuities.
• Overnight accommodations are are in Milford, Delaware.
• Tour departs by bus from the Mayflower Hotel, Connecticut Ave. & DeSales St. (DeSales Street side), with a pick-up stop at New Carrollton Metro at approximately 7:25 a.m.
• Single-room supplement $60 (factored into the Single Room Member and Single Room Non-Member pricing).
• Singles registering at the double-room rate are paired (on a nonsmoking basis) if possible, but must pay the single-room supplement otherwise.
• Detailed information is emailed to registrants about four weeks prior to departure.
• Participants are advised to purchase travel insurance for overnight and multi-day tours from a provider of your choice. Travel insurance provides additional coverage against unforeseen incidents that require last-minute cancellations.

General Information

• Registration for this tour will end by 2 p.m. ET on Tuesday, May 21, 2024.
• The tour departs by motorcoach from downtown Washington, DC with a designated secondary pick-up outside the city. Content delivered by the study leader on the way to the destination, after the secondary pick-up, is an integral part of the study tour experience. Meeting the group once the tour is en route is discouraged.
• Smithsonian Associates is a mask-friendly environment. Please feel free to bring and wear a mask at any time during a tour, both for your safety or the safety of others.
• For additional tour information:
• Study Tour Policies
• Refund/Cancellation Policy