Sandy Hook Bird Observatory’s 13th annual Bombay Hook Weekend

Join Sandy Hook Bird Observatory’s 13th annual Bombay Hook Weekend August 15-17, 2008!
Anchored in Dover, Delaware this trip explores one of the east coast’s top shorebirding sites over three days. This trip offers an excellent opportunity to study a wide variety of shorebirds, herons, and terns. Mixed species flocks of shorebirds—often at close range, provide participants with a chance to learn subtleties of sandpiper identification.

Bombay Hook received its name from the corruption of the Dutch “Bompies Hoeck” meaning “little tree point.” Today, the National Wildlife Refuge encompasses 15,978 acres. The refuge has one of the largest expanses of nearly unaltered salt marsh in the mid-Atlantic and over 1,100 acres of freshwater impoundments. We’ll compliment our tour with visits to other noteworthy sites that may include Little Creek WMA, Port Mahon, and Woodland Beach WMA, dependent on recent conditions.

Although no two years are the same, this trip usually records 20+ species of shorebirds, large numbers of long-legged waders, and other surprises. Species we should encounter include Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, American Avocet, Black-necked Stilt, Stilt Sandpiper, Caspian and Black Terns. The area is a magnet for rare birds as well, with past trips recording goodies like White Ibis, White-faced Ibis, Hudsonian Godwit, Curlew Sandpiper, Red-necked Phalarope, Black-headed Gull, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, and Sedge Wren.

For further information or to register, please contact Sandy Hook Bird Observatory at 732-872-2500 or shbo@njaudubon.org . Participants may register for one, two, or all three days. Fee varies accordingly: see www.njaudubon/Centers/shbo for prices. A list of Dover hotels is provided to registrants.