Hiking In, And Exploring The Beauty Of, Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge
As usual on my adventures, I was up before the sun in my hotel in Dover Delaware. I planned to watch the sunrise in Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge in Kent County Delaware. The weather forecast for the weekend was sunshine and clear skies. So, after a cup of coffee in my room, and getting one for the road, I was surprised, and a little disappointed to find a thick fog covering the area. It didn’t look like I was going to watch the sunrise. 
I drove 9 miles on the foggy rural roads to the visitor center parking lot.
It was foggy and still dark as I began my hike on the 12 mile auto tour route. I planned on hiking as much as I could to explore the vast salt marsh and observe it’s wildlife. However, there wasn’t much wildlife or bird activity to see the first part of my walk in the thick fog. I was surprised with the number of automobiles driving past as I walked on the foggy road. 
I followed the auto route and at the intersection where the road to Raymond Pool I saw something I hadn’t seen in over 40 years, wild American persimmons. The last time I saw a wild persimmon tree was in law school in Washington D.C. while canoeing on the Potomac River on a weekend. Unfortunately they were not ripe. I learned on my canoe trip that unripe persimmons are extremely astringent. My friends told me to bite into an unripe one and I learned my lesson how quickly they will pucker your lips and mouth. 
I continued on along the road in the thick fog, and found another interesting tree, an osage orange tree. These trees produce a lumpy fruit know as a hedge apple. It is not edible but the wood of this tree is the hardest in North America and these trees were prized be Native Americans for making bows. 
There were a lot of spider webs covered in the mist from the fog in the woods along the road. 
As the sun rose above the fog it lightened up the woodlands and fields but it was still difficult to get good photos of birds I was now hearing and seeing on my hike.
I did hear and see a few blue grosbeaks and did get some photos in the foggy conditions.
I also saw this Carolina wren singing in the branches of a tree along the trail,
and a few eastern towhees fluttering in the trees.
The fog began to dissipate as I continued my hike. It was still overcast when I came to the Boardwalk Trail which I followed into a wetland and salt marsh. Many cedar trees grew along the trail. 
Here I saw a lot of gray catbirds,
and this great blue heron perched in a tree. 
There were dozens of fiddler crab holes in the mud along the boardwalk but it was hard to photograph them as they quickly fled into the holes as I approached. I was finally able to get a photo of this one before it disappeared under the mud. 
The Boardwalk ended at the Leipsic River which meandered through the salt marshes at Bombay Hook.
I followed back to the road seeing a few sedge wrens in the reeds and
this osprey perched in a tree.
The auto tour road now took me to the first of the three fresh water impoundment ponds in the refuge, Raymond Pool. A dike was created to separate the fresh water pool from the salt water marshes. 
There were large flocks of, I believe, semipalmated sandpipers, or possibly, western sandpipers feeding in the mud in the Raymond Pool. There were many egrets and herons on on pool but to far to get any good photos. 
As I walked along the auto road,
a few double crested cormorants flew overhead,
as well as a few flocks of Canada geese.
I also saw this common yellow throat in the reeds along the road. 
I continued along the road and it took me back to the exit road and the large dead tree where I saw the bald eagles the previous afternoon.
There were now dozens of great white,
snowy egrets
and a few great blue herons perched in the tree. 
The clouds began to dissipate and there was some blue sky and sunshine as I approached the second freshwater pond, Shearness Pool.
Here there were hundreds of shore and wading birds on both the pools,
and in the salt water marshes toward the Delaware Bay. The many species of birds did not mind mingling with one another, as did these snowy egrets, great white egrets and a double breasted cormorant perched on a log. 
Hundreds of great white egrets, and a few mallard ducks,
and great blue herons, this one I caught catching a fish, waded in the waters of the pond. 
As I walked along the Shearness Pool many automobiles now drove by observing the many birds in the ponds and marshes the auto tour. 
There were a large area of fields beyond Shearness Pool and here, I saw a few female red-winged blackbirds, 
and a beautiful female bobolink. 
In another small pool I saw a small flock of glossy ibises wading in the water.
I was enjoying in the Bombay Hook refuge. It truly is a birder and nature lovers paradise. I now came to another wooded area. Here I had to make a decision. The Parson Point Trail, a 1 mile trail, would take me through the woodlands and possibly see some different species of birds. I wanted to hike the trail but I had already hiked 4 miles. I also wanted to visit the third fresh water impoundment pool, the Bear Swamp Pool which was over a mile further on the auto tour road. I knew I couldn’t do both, not now in my older years anymore. 
I decided to continue my hike on the auto tour road, and walked on through the woodlands along the road. 
It was a good decision, as I followed the road and came to a field I saw this red fox in a field. 
I always love seeing these beautiful critters, especially when they visit my backyard. However, I usually only see them in the evening and at night. It was a real treat to see this one in the daytime.
It seemed unaware of me as it was jumping around in the field. I believe it was chasing and eating grasshoppers. I watched it for about 15 minutes, and 
while I did a bald eagle soared overhead. I made the right decision continuing on the auto road and I was really enjoying my visit to Bombay Hook refuge. The fox eventually left the field and I continued along the auto tour road. Here is a link to a gallery on my website with some more photos of the fox. Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge fox September 14 2024.
The skies were mostly clear now and the late Summer sun warmed the morning air as I walked on the tour road. There was less automobile traffic on the road now. There were still many birds along the road including Carolina birds, gray catbirds and red-winged blackbirds and common yellow throats. . 
After walking past a trail to another observation trail and came to the Bear Swamp Pool the third impoundment pound in the Bombay Hook Refuge. 
It was now late afternoon and there weren’t a lot of wading birds in clear waters of the pool.
I did seem, believe , many semipalmated sandpipers,
a few great white egrets , 
a few mute swans and,
this great blue heron that flew overhead,
and landed on the pond, allowing me to capture many beautiful photos. Here is a link to a gallery on my website with some more photos of the great blue heron . Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge great blue heron September 14 2024.
On the other side of the road there were salt water marshes between the road and the Delaware Bay. In the shrubs and reeds some migrating songbirds, including this yellow warbler, 
and I believe a female, 
and juvenile blue grosbeaks. 
I enjoyed the beauty and solitude of the refuge, 
as I was the only one on the road. 
The auto tour road then took me past the Bear Swamp Pool and into another woodland. I was now glad when I was able to walk in the shade of the trees. I had walked over six miles and I did not have any water.
Here I saw more of the many goldenrod and bull thistle flowers that bloomed all along the road. Eastern tiger swallowtail butterflies were visiting the flowers. 
Evening primrose flowers, 
and black eyed Susan flowers also bloomed along the road. 
It was getting hot but I still saw a few more birds in the woodlands including an eastern phoebe. 
a few red-winged blackbirds, 
and an American goldfinch. Here is a link to a gallery on my website with some more photos of the birds I saw on my 9 mile hike. Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge birds September 14 2024.
It was now late morning and I had walked 7 miles, a little more than I had planned. I had wanted to visit the historic Alee House , built in the 1750’s and located in the refugee. However, I was getting thirsty and tired so I had to start start back. I saw a few more of the same birds and enjoyed the scenic beauty of the fresh wafer ponds and salt water marshes as I walked the last 2 miles of my 9 1/2 mile hike. But , as usual at the end of my long hikes my patience photograph birds and wildlife is not the same as the beginning of my hike, So, unless I see something exciting and unusual, which I didn’t, I don’t take many photos. Here is a link to a gallery on my website with some more photos from my 9 mile hike. Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge September 14 2024.
It was now past noon and I was thirsty, hungry and a little tired. I decided to find a place to eat, and there aren’t many, other than fast food restaurants. I found a nice place the Country Eatery in Dover and enjoyed a large glass of water, a few cups of coffee and a late breakfast. 
I returned to my hotel and spent the afternoon editing my photos and working on my blog. Around 5p.m. I was hungry again, and drove to the Woodland Beach, near the Bombay National Wildlife Refuge. I found a nice little roadhouse and restaurant , Boondocks. It was packed with locals, many of them feasting on local steamed blue crabs. I loved the place and
enjoyed a bowl of Maryland crab soup, it was delicious. 
I had a seafood entre called the Piglet. which included Dungeness crabs, scallops, shrimp , clams and an ear of local corn. It was also delicious and filling. I enjoyed the large crowd and family style atmosphere. 
I had walked almost 10 mile so I had room for a little dessert, a warm apple dumpling with some ice cream. I had planned to drive back to Bombay Hook and watch the sunset, but when I left the restaurant the sun had already set. I was disappointed but knew I would return and see, hopefully, many more sunsets at the wonderful Bombay Hook National Wildlife Resort. It is a truly magical place as is the surrounding countryside. I was looking forward to watching the sunrise there in the morning. 
Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better. — Albert Einstein
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