More and more people of all ages and from all over the country are dusting off their field glasses and breaking out the birding books as they join others who enjoy the art of bird watching. Delaware is home to many natural wildlife areas, state parks and birding hot spots. To promote these attractions, the Delaware Tourism Office recently planned a 3-day, statewide Nature & Birding Press trip.

Highlights of the trip included an opening reception at the Delaware Museum of Natural History, which houses a collection of about 4,000 bird species; a late night owl prowl at the Brandywine State Park; a trip to Fort Delaware on Pea Patch Island, one of the three largest heron rookeries on the east coast; a tour of Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge; a visit to the Milford Neck Wildlife area, including the newly opened DuPont Nature Center; and a kayak excursion along the Lewes-Rehoboth Canal.

For more birding hotspots, check out the Delaware Birding Trail or go to www.VisitDelaware.com.