Delmarva Birding and Dogfish to host nature lovers Oct. 13-18

Delmarva Birding Weekends is partnering with Dogfish Head Craft Brewery to host the 2021 OktoBIRDfest x Dogfish Head birding extravaganza – a fusion of birds, boats, bikes and beer.

Like spring migration in late April, fall migration in mid-October offers high numbers of species for nature lovers to enjoy as warblers, herons and egrets trade places with waterfowl, hawks and eagles. Nature lovers can register for just one field trip or multiple trips each day of the six-day event at delmarvabirding.com.

Guided by local, fun-loving birders with decades-long experience, the walking tours, bike treks, boat trips and kayak paddles will accommodate visitors from the curious nature lover to fowl fanatics.

Wednesday, participants can combine history and nature during a Harriet Tubman boating or walking tour. On Thursday, Chincoteague Bay, Bombay Hook, the 2,200-acre private Newport Farms, and Fowler Beach will delight bird lovers.

Rounding out the week, Friday to Monday, are trips to Delaware Botanic Gardens, a Sunday trip on the Shorebird Explorer out of Ocean City, Md., a paddle around the Delaware Breakwater East End Lighthouse at Cape Henlopen, a jaunt around Prime Hook and numerous Delaware Bay boat cruises.

Dogfish Head founder and brewer Sam Calagione said the brewery’s nature-centric mind-set made this partnership an easy marriage. “Mother Nature is at the heart of everything we do at Dogfish, because without the natural agricultural ingredients with which we craft our recipes, our beers would not exist. That’s why we are continuously seeking new ways to protect and give back to the Earth, especially in our local community,” he said.

Dogfish Head’s Binoculager will return for this special week. First brewed for a winter birding weekend, Binoculager is a delicious amber lager made with toasted sunflower, flax and pumpkin seeds. This draft-only exclusive is available at Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats to enjoy with a burger or take home in a growler.

“The October weekend is spectacular,” said Scott Thomas, Southern Delaware Tourism director. “Imagine hiking a dunes trail at Cape Henlopen to be met with a peregrine falcon dive-bombing a flock of shorebirds. Or spend Sunday morning at Delaware Seashore State Park enjoying the beautiful yellow of fall warblers. That’s what the weekend is all about.”

Social events include tally rallies at Grain on the Rocks in Lewes, the Dogfish Head Tasting Room & Kitchen in Milton, Mispillion River Brewing in Milford and Irish Eyes Pub in Lewes, where participants can add to the species checklist and swap nature stories with new friends.

Special thanks go to the private property owners who allow access to their properties for this weekend.