Bombay Hook, National Wildlife Refuge, near Dover, Delaware

We went to Bombay Hook hoping to see the Snow Geese (Chen caerulescens)  Size..28 inches or 71cm. 

Picture from All the Birds of North America, American Bird Conservancy's Field Guide 

The ranger told us he hadn't seen any yet this year and to let him know if we saw any.  Tom pointed up in the sky as  Bruce and I walked back to the van.  We looked up and there they were, twenty-five snow geese flying in a Vee.  Bruce ran back to tell the ranger.

One year we were here early in the morning and saw thousands flying up  in huge flocks up from the ponds where they had spent the night.  We were a few days too early this year.  The huge flocks had not yet arrived.  

 Tom took a few photos of what we did see...

American Avocets (Recurvirostra americana) 18 inches (46 cm)  in winter plumage...

and Great Blue Herons (Ardea herodias) 46 inches (117cm)...

 Tom spotted this one up in a tree.

We saw a wide variety of ducks, also.

We didn't see the snow geese on the ponds but the marshes and woods were beautiful.

We went out of the park for lunch and when we returned, all of us attempted a  walk on the trail to Parson Point.  The Green Briar crowding into the trail forced Tom on his scooter to turn back.  Bruce and I pressed on.

Parson Point is a mud flat.  The mud was firm enough to walk on but Tom's scooter would have sunk in it.

And then there was the last part of the trail barely wide enough for person to squeeze through.  This was beyond the Green Briar.

On the return trip, I stopped to see if I could still sit on a tree limb.  Notice the spreading roots.

There was a remnant of World War II along the trail.

The words are decipherable if you click on the photo.