Eastern Neck National

Wildlife Refuge, located

at the mouth of the

Chester River in Kent

County, Maryland, was

established in

December 1962. This

2,285-acre island refuge

is a major feeding and

resting place for

migratory and

wintering waterfowl on

Maryland’s famed

“Eastern Shore.” The

refuge is also home to

the endangered

Delmarva fox squirrel

and the threatened

southern bald eagle.

Settlers and

Packet Ships

Eastern Neck, strategically located

at the confluence of river and bay, has

a long and varied history. The island

was among the first settled areas in

the New World. Here Major Joseph

Wickes obtained a grant of 800 acres

in 1650 and built

“Wickliffe,” one

of the finest

mansions of the

time. Packet

ships that carried

goods and

passengers

across the

Chesapeake

Bay made

regular stops

at Bogle’s

Wharf on

the east

side of the

island from

colonial

days until

1924. Farming and waterfowl hunting

were the most important land uses

prior to the establishment of the

refuge. The island was known as one

of the best hunting grounds on the

bay and was a favorite with gunning

clubs.

Sunset, photo M.C. Kaehny

cover photo: Swans, Heather Davidson
Birds The fall and spring months are the

best times to view migratory song

birds with October through midMarch the best time for viewing the

thousands of migratory waterfowl

that winter in the Chesapeake Bay.

The refuge staff has documented

peaks of 40,000+ waterfowl on the

refuge and 33 different species have

been reported. The most common

Canvasback duck

Mammals The refuge is home to a variety of

mammals including white-tailed deer,

beaver, red fox, raccoon, muskrat,

opossum, woodchuck, eastern gray

squirrel and the endangered

Delmarva fox squirrel. The

abundance of wildlife offers high

quality wildlife observation

opportunities for the attentive visitor.

White-tailed deer

Wildlife The varied habitats on Eastern Neck,

including 1,000 acres of brackish tidal

marsh, 600 acres of cropland, 500

acres of forest, 100 acres of grassland

and 40 acres of open water

impoundments, provide a home for

a variety of wildlife species. Three

threatened and/or endangered

species, 243 species of birds, and a

variety of mammals, amphibians and

reptiles inhabit the island.

Diamondback terrapin

species include Canada geese

(20,000+), tundra swans (7,000+),

canvasbacks (15,000+), mallards,

widgeons, ruddy ducks, black ducks,

lesser scaups, buffleheads, pintails,

green- and blue-winged teal,

oldsquaw and scoters and other sea

ducks provides for an interesting

diversity of species.

Great blue and green-backed herons

and great and snowy egrets are

common sites in the marshes and

mud tidal flats of the refuge.

Numerous marsh and shore birds

including killdeer, greater and lesser

yellowlegs, least, spotted, and

semipalmated sandpipers and

woodcock arrive in the spring and

can be observed through the fall.

The refuge woodlands, hedgerows,

open fields, and other habitats

provide excellent opportunities to

observe woodpeckers, hawks,

falcons, vultures, flycatchers,

swallows, chickadees, wrens,

kinglets, eastern bluebirds, warblers,

finches and many other colorful

species. A bird list is available upon

request.

Great blue heron

Woodpecker

Waterfowl

Wood duck

Wildlife Calendar

January-April

May-August

SeptemberDecember

Waterfowl are abundant through the

month of March. Bald eagles are nest

building in January and laying eggs

through February. The eaglets begin

hatching in April. Great horned owls

begin nest building in January and

lay eggs through mid-April. Hatching

may begin in late February.

Woodcock may be seen performing

their courtship displays in February

and egg hatching begins in April.

Blue- and green-winged teal migrate

through the area in April, and

resident ducks begin incubating their

eggs.

Songbird northern migration peaks in

late April-early May. Woodcock chicks

and deer fawns are born and osprey

eggs begin to hatch in May. In June

young eagles and great horned owls

are learning to fly. Eagles and blue

birds fledge in July. In August

ospreys may start their migration

south while blue-winged teal, the

earliest waterfowl migrants, begin to

arrive from their northern breeding

grounds.

Songbird southern migration peaks

in late September-October. Waterfowl

numbers gradually increase and

great horned owls begin to establish

territories in October. Between the

last week in October and the second

week in November, depending on the

weather, tundra swans stage on the

refuge. Arriving by the thousands

from the Great Lakes area, it is

a spectacular sight. Waterfowl

populations peak in November. Bald

eagles establish territories and start

nest building in December.

Refuge

Management

Endangered

and/or

Threatened

Species

The refuge is one of seven

benchmark sites where remnant

populations of the endangered

Delmarva squirrel exist. This species

of squirrel that once occurred

throughout the Delmarva Peninsula

and into southeastern Pennsylvania

and southern New Jersey, now

persists naturally only in portions of

four counties on the Eastern Shore

of Maryland. Management activities

to enhance the refuge population of

this species include a nest box

program and live trapping survey,

reforestation, prescribed burning and

timber stand improvement to

maintain the preferred habitat of this

species.

Threatened southern bald eagles, our

national symbol, are also found on the

refuge and have nested and

successfully fledged eaglets every

year since 1986. Management

includes monitoring and providing

constant protection for these majestic

birds.

Management activities to enhance

refuge habitat for nesting and

migratory waterfowl include upland

and water level management

practices. A cooperative farming

program provides a variety of browse

and grain crops for wintering

waterfowl and planting native

grasses provides nesting cover.

Managing fresh water levels in

impoundments encourages the

production of moist soil plants, while

brackish marsh management

encourages the growth of native

marsh grasses. Water level

manipulation in five green tree

reservoirs, or winter flooded

woodlands, allows wood ducks, black

ducks and other species to forage for

mast and the invertebrates in the leaf

litter on the forest floor.

Delmarva Fox

Squirrel
Protect Your

Wildlife

Nearly six miles of roads and trails

are open to visitors most of the year.

Four wildlife trails and a handicapaccessible boardwalk and observation

tower are available for those wishing

to observe the varied habitats of the

refuge.

Note: Ticks, chiggers and mosquitoes

are abundant. The use of a repellent

is highly recommended.

Kent County operates the Ingleside

Recreation Area and Bogle’s Wharf

landing within the refuge. The

Ingleside Recreation Area, on the

northwest side of the refuge, has

facilities for crabbing and car-top

boat launching from April 1 to

September 30. Picnic tables are

available for use during these

months.

Bogle’s Wharf landing is located on

the east side of the refuge and offers

trailered boat launching facilities

(county permit required––not

available at the refuge office).

Additionally, fishing opportunities are

available at the refuge entrance from

the bridge that spans the Eastern

Neck Narrows.

Boating/Fishing

and Crabbing

Visitor

Opportunities

Hiking/Wildlife

Observation

Eastern Neck is one of over 500

refuges in the National Wildlife

Refuge System administered by the

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The

National Wildlife Refuge System is a

network of lands and waters

managed specifically for the

protection of wildlife and wildlife

habitat and represents the most

comprehensive wildlife management

program in the world. Units of the

system stretch across the United

States from Northern Alaska to the

Florida Keys and include small

islands in the Caribbean and South

Pacific. The character of the refuges

is as diverse as the nation itself.

The Service also manages national

fish hatcheries, and provides federal

leadership in habitat protection,

technical assistance, and the

conservation and protection of

migratory birds, certain marine

mammals and threatened and

endangered species.

In order to protect wildlife and

habitat, certain restrictions are in

effect on the refuge. Camping, offroad vehicles, fires and firearms

(except under permit during the

refuge hunting season) are

prohibited. Pets must be on a handheld leash. Other restrictions may

apply; contact the refuge manager

for further information.

U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service

Bloodroot