Morning Waterfowl Walk at C&D Wildlife Area Canal Pond with Will Krohn

Mute Swan by Will Krohn

Find abundant & diverse waterfowl at Canal Pond!

Canal Pond is arguably one of the best locations in New Castle County for waterfowl abundance and diversity in the winter. This hotspot, located off of Cox Neck Rd. about 1 mile west of Delaware City, regularly hosts large numbers of Mute Swan, Gadwall, American Coot, and many other species of waterfowl. Less frequent species seen there include Redhead, Common Goldeneye, and rare geese. The phragmites and scrubby habitat along the edge of the pond is also typically full of uncommon winter songbirds like Gray Catbird and Swamp Sparrow. We will meet at 9 AM. Over the course of an hour, we will walk approximately 2/3 of a mile over gently sloping trails and grass, and there may be some mud. If you have one, it is recommended to bring a spotting scope, although there will be opportunities to share scopes if you do not have one. There is no restroom available on-site. If participants are interested and conditions allow, we can also visit other nearby “hotspots” such as the Augustine Wildlife Area. 

We will meet in front of the gate to Canal Pond. To get there, paste 39.562708, -75.612913 into your smartphone’s mapping application, or, coming from Delaware City, follow Cox Neck Rd. west for 1 mile and turn left onto a gravel road. There are no signs for the pond at the turn-in. If you have any questions about this trip, please contact the leader, Will ([email protected]) for more information. In the unlikely event that the pond is completely frozen over, the event will be rescheduled. 

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