Bombay Hook in Autumn

Bird and Wildlife Photography at Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge


Exploring the Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge Park in Delaware

Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge is situated on the Delaware Bay, a short drive Northeast from Dover. Covering over 16,000 acres, it hosts an immense variety of wildlife. It is best known for the varied species of birds, including some migratory and coastal species. The refuge has several walking trails that are fairly short and easy to navigate. You can also drive an auto tour that promises to provide excellent views of both the marshland and the wildlife. For an excellent guide on the auto tour, visit: https://www.friendsofbombayhook.org/about-refuge/tour/.

Sunrise behind reeds at Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge
The December sun rises behind reeds at the Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge in Delaware.

Over 300 species of birds have been documented at Bombay Hook on eBird (https://ebird.org/hotspot/L126637) and it is common to see birds of prey like Bald Eagles, Northern Harriers, and Sharp-shinned Hawks. Great Blue Herons are abundant year-round as well as many species of ducks and other waterfowl.

Great Blue Heron at Sunrise
Taken at Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge on a cool autumn morning, this great blue heron sat in this spot for a couple of hours. He was perfectly content warming himself as the time ticked by.

Landscape photography opportunities are not quite as abundant as wildlife, however there are still ample opportunities to get some pretty stunning shots. Several of the hiking trails lead out to observation towers that can provide elevation over much of the flat landscape. Even if you stay to the auto route, as we usually do, you can still find some pretty amazing shots along the way, such as the image below.

Bombay Hook in Autumn
Spectacular colors on display during Autumn at Bombay Hook.

During the winter months, the colors are muted with many of the trees barren of leaves. This does give the opportunity to challenge yourself to find ways to make your photographs interesting. Below, we were lucky enough to view a Northern Harrier just above the marsh reeds, which gave a complimentary horizontal texture to the bird’s suspended verticality.

Northern Harrier Hunting

Surrounded by marshland and tidal mudflats, there are several ponds and larger standing bodies of water to watch for your favorite birds. Often, this is a great opportunity to catch some interesting reflection shots if you can find a calm day to visit.

A Quiet Egret
An egret stands in the cool marshy waters of Bombay Hook National Park, awaiting its morning catch.

On the walking trails and the auto tour route, there are ample opportunities to find birds and wildlife that are not waterfowl. Often hidden in thickets or flying about quickly, smaller birds and wildlife are abundant. We always try to find a species we’ve not captured before when we go to Bombay Hook, and the below photograph was one such example. You have to stay prepared and be quick and luckily we were ready for the yellow-rumped warbler below!

Yellow-rumped Warbler
Caught a glimpse of a yellow-rumped warbler at Bombay Hook

Lastly, take a few moments to view the slide show below for additional photographs taken at Bombay Hook. You can pause the slideshow by clicking the icon in the upper right of each photograph.

  • The Ponderous Fox
  • Sand Crane at Bombay Hook National Wildelife Refuge
  • Sand Cranes in Flight at Bombay Hook National Wildelife Refuge
  • Adult and Juvenile Bald Eagle at Bombay Hook National Wildelife Refuge
  • Great Blue Heron at Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge
  • Hooded Mangaser
  • Cleared for Takeoff
  • Northern Harrier Hunting
  • Greater Yellowlegs Wading
  • Norhtern Mockingbird at Bombay Hook National Wildelife Refuge
  • Great Blue Heron Gone Fishing
  • Sunrise at Bombay Hook National WIldlife Refuge

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