A Beautiful Sunrise And A Morning Hike At Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge

I awoke early Sunday morning  at my hotel in Dover, Delaware with the hope to see the sunrise at Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge. A thick fog prevented me from watching a sunrise the previous morning. After having my coffee I left the hotel and was glad to find the skies were clear.   I drove east in the morning twilight, toward the Delaware Bay and the rising sun.  It was about a 15 minute drive to the refuge.

It is always a magical experience to watching the changing  shades of blue, yellow and orange as the rising sun approaches the horizon.   Homer’s  description of the rosy fingered dawn, from thousands of years ago,  is still, I think the best way to describe this daily phenomenon observed by all of us who share this planet and awake early on a clear day. I enjoyed the beauty of the twilight and arrived at the Bombay Hook  refuge visitor center. This time I didn’t park and walk into the refuge but drove on the auto tour road to Shearness Pool.

I wasn’t alone, now only where there  a few other folks already there waiting for the sunrise, with the large flocks of great white egrets on the waters of the pond,

I also saw another red fox walking across the road. I have learned there is a large population of foxes in the refuge, another reason to visit this wonderful place.

The skies continued to brighten and the colors on the high clouds in the east changed as the sun approached the horizon,

and rose over the salt marshes and Delaware Bay a few miles to the east. The Delaware Bay was the reason for my visit, to explore the bay where the Lehigh and Schuylkill River, both with headwaters near my home in Luzerne County, eventually mingle with the Atlantic Ocean, 

It was a beautiful sunrise. Now, I had another decision to make. I had many hiking options available to me. I could have walked along one of the three fresh water impoundment ponds, Shearness, Raymond or Bear Swamp, or take the mile hike through a woodland on the Parson Point trail. It wouldn’t be a long hike like the almost ten mile hike I did on Saturday. I wanted to be out of my hotel and on the road by 9 a.m. I hoped to get in at least a 5 mile hike.

I decided to park near the Parson Point Trail and walked around the Bear Swamp Trail and then hike in the woodlands on  the Parson Point Trail when there was more light.

I walked through the woodland on the auto route trail in the early morning sunrise,and past the field where I watched the red fox on Saturday. I was hoping it would be out in the early morning sunshine but it wasn’t,

I did see a few Carolina wrens singing cheerfully in the morning sun,

and this eastern phoebe perched high on a tree branch.

I came to the Bear Swamp observation tower and and followed the trail to the woodlands to the tower.

Here I had a view of the fresh water pond and the salt water marshes and wetlands that  extended to the Delaware Bay about a mile to the east.

I  scared off a few wood ducks as I approached the tower next to the shore of the pond.

There were large flocks of semipalmated sandpipers feeding in the mud in the ponds, but I was surprised there weren’t more wading and shore birds. There were only a few great blue herons and egrets.

I left the observation tower and continued on the auto tour road. I saw this belted kingfisher perched in a tree looking for am early morning fish meal.

The early morning sun created a beautiful scene on the Bear Swamp Pool but I was again surprised not to see the large flocks of birds I had seen on the Shearness Pool on Friday evening and Saturday morning.

There were a few snowy and great white egrets  some distance away on the pond and a few great blue herons.

and some Canada geese but that was the extent of the birds on the waters of the pond.

I was a little disappointed but I enjoyed the beautiful scenery.

and the peace and quiet. Not single  car passed me on the auto tour road for about a half hour.

My hike was taking longer than I thought it would so, while I heard and saw some song birds along the road,  I didn’t have a lot of time to take photos, I did photograph this pretty bird which looks like a finch to me but my Merlin bird and and Google lens say it is a female blue grosbeak.

After about a mile, the wetlands and ponds of  the Bear Swamp Pool ended and the auto tour road took me through the woodlands I saw a lot of birds on Saturrday morning. 

Here I saw this great blue heron perched in a tree.

I was hoping to see another red fox but none made an appearance. It  was quiet along the auto road, except for a few cars that now drove past.

I  had hiked about 3 miles and I realized I wasn’t going to get to hike on the Parson Point Trail. I now walked quickly and was finishing my hike when I cam hto a small a small pond near my Jeep.  Here I saw some snowy egrets ,

a few mallard duck,

a mute swan,

and a couple of glossy ibises.  Here is a link to a gallery with some more photos of the birds I saw on  my early morning hike. Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge  Delaware. September 15 2024.

I had hiked four miles and didn’t see as much wildlife on my two previous hikes. but I enjoyed the beauty of the sunrise,the red fox  the salt marshes and impoundment ponds. And I learned more aout this uniquie habitat. I hope to return soon .Here is a link to a gallery with some more photos from my early morning hike at Bombay Hook. Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge Delaware. September 15 2024.

At sunrise, the blue sky paints herself with gold colors and joyfully dances to the music of a morning breeze.
Debasish Mridha