Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge & Allee House - Smyrna, Delaware

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Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge & Allee House - Smyrna, Delaware

When nature decides to change seasons the migratory shorebirds show up at this refuge where they can enjoy the salt marshes, ponds, fields, and forests.  The 16,000 acres provide a wonderful habitat for these wonderful birds and other wildlife.  The Refuge is an important feeding stop on the Atlantic Flyway.

The Refuge was established in 1937 and now offers walking and auto tours, birdwatching, nature programs, and a visitor center to get all the latest information regarding the refuge.  There area twelve miles of auto tour roads within the refuge as well as hiking trails, observation towers, and spotting scopes along the route.  With all this available the visitors have an opportunity to get close to the birds and other wildlife.

The staff conducts programs about the unique horseshoe crab and shorebird connection each spring on Central Delaware’s bay beaches.

Included on the land of the Refuge is the Allee House which is one of the best preserved examples of an early brick farmhouse in Delaware.  Built in 1753 this house stands today as it did then.  The house is on the National Historic Register and features Flemish bond brickwork and fine interior wood paneling and has typical colonial furnishings.  The house is undergoing repairs so check to see if it is again open for touring.

Autumn and spring are busy times for the coastline as thousands of migratory waterfowl and shorebirds make their annual journey.  At the refuge there are 256 species of birds, 33 species of mammals, and 37 species of amphibians and reptiles for you to see.

October and November are the best months to view waterfowl such as Canada geese, snow geese and ducks of varied species.  Then, in April the shorebirds begin to return along the Delaware coast.  Their numbers peak in May to feast on horseshoe crab eggs.  Many birds fly 5,000 miles nonstop from South America to feast on tiny green horseshow crab eggs in the sand on the central Delaware beaches.  The birds double their weight before flying on to nest in the Arctic.

FYI – horseshoe crabs are not really crabs, but are related to spiders and scorpions.  This living fossil has changed little in 300 million years.   The horseshoe crab is also important to medical research whereas in the 50’s it was discovered that the horseshoe crab’s copper-blood contains a special clotting agent called lysate, which attaches to bacterial toxins.  During spawning, large female horseshoe crabs are bled, tagged, and returned unharmed to the water.  Today, every new drug that leaves a pharmaceutical company is first tested for purity with Limulus Amoebocyte Lysate.

In May, the refuge participates in National Birding Week festivities by hosting special programs and guided hikes, both on-site and at other nearby state wildlife areas and bay beaches.  For more information on this year’s birdwatching programs and events call Bombay Hook NWR Office at 302-653-6872 or 302-653-9345.

Location: 2591 Whitehall Neck Rd., Smyrna, Delaware 19977

Phone: 302-653-6872

Email: FW5RW BHNWR@fws.gov