1.5 miles S of Delaware City
Managed by: Private (birding from public roadsides)
Thousand Acre Marsh is an expanse of freshwater wetlands just south of the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal mouth. It is excellent for ducks, rails, bitterns, herons, and egrets. Start by scanning the Saint George's Creek Area, just south of Reedy Point Bridge. The mudflats to the west here can be excellent for shorebirds as well as terns and Glossy Ibis. Saint George's Creek itself, which winds through the tidal marsh east of Route 9, has King and Clapper rails and presumed hybrids of the two. The section of Dutch Neck Road just west of Reedy Point Bridge provides expansive views of the main wetlands area to the south. The bridge itself often has roosting or nesting Peregrine Falcons. Farther west on Dutch Neck Road, the Greer's Pond area is a great place to watch and listen for species like Wood Duck, Least Bittern, Virginia Rail, and Sora.
Directions for Thousand Acre Marsh:
From the intersection of Route 9 and Clinton Street in Delaware City, go south 2.2 miles, crossing Reedy Point Bridge, and turn right (W) onto South Reedy Point Road at the Saint George's Creek Area (39°32'42.04"N 75°34'47.76"W). Pull off on the road shoulder and scan the flats to the west and the creek to the east. From here, continue north on South Reedy Point Road 0.8 mile to Dutch Neck Road, and turn left (W). Scan the marsh to the south of Dutch Neck Road over the next 0.9 mile, then bear left slightly, arriving at Greer's Pond (39°33'7.77"N 75°36'7.55"W) on the right (N) in another 0.2 mile. Please note that unlike most sites on the Delaware Birding Trail, much of the land around Thousand Acre Marsh is private, not public.
Other Birding Sites in the Delaware River Coast Region:
- Fort duPont State Park
- Fort Delaware State Park
- Thousand Acre Marsh
