aba events

Camp Avocet: August 11th-17th, 2013

ABA Summer Young Birders Camp, at Cape Henlopen State Park, Delaware. For more info contact Bill Stewart at 800.850.2473 or e-mail at bstewart@aba.org

This new ABA camp will be based at stunning Cape Henlopen State Park in historic Lewes, Delaware, only minutes away from two major National Wildlife Refuges and a short ride from the northernmost cypress swamp in North America, brimming with Prothonotary and Worm-eating Warblers, Red-headed Woodpeckers and nightjars! Did you ask for shorebirds? Well, Camp Avocet will be stacked full of migrant such as dowitchers, Black-necked Stilt, Semipalmated, Western and Least Sandpipers, and of course American Avocets numbering in the hundreds.

Avocets on the Delaware Bayshore

Avocets on the Delaware Bayshore

Of course at this hotspot there’s always a chance of rarity! Due to the grand diversity of southern Delaware’s bird-rich habitats, over 150 species of birds will be seen and studied during this seven-day camp extravaganza. As an added bonus via the Cape May-Lewes Ferry, campers will have the opportunity to bird world-famous Cape May and visit Cape May Point, Higbee’s Beach and the Meadows in search of warblers, shorebirds, gulls, terns and more! Campers will be housed and fed in the modern Biden Environmental Center only moments away from the Atlantic Ocean and the Delaware Bay. The Piping Plovers, Black Skimmers, American Oystercatchers and Royal Terns accentuate the breath-taking sunset off of Cape Henlopen Point, surely providing memories that shall last a lifetime.

American Oystercatchers rest on the beach of the Delaware Bay

American Oystercatchers rest on the beach of the Delaware Bay

Camp Fee:  $1095.00 includes all lodging, meals, transportation during camp events and instructional sessions.  Does NOT include transportation to and from camp location. ABA Camps are open to all young birders aged 13 to 18.
Camp Registration Forms:
Camp Avocet Staff - Holly Merker, George Armistead, Bill Schmoker, Jeff Gordon, Leica Sport Optics Pro Staff member, along with guest instructor Tom Johnson and other regional birding experts.  Bill Stewart, Camp Director.

Scholarships available: The American Birding Association provides limited scholarships to help young people who are interested in birds to attend summer camps, workshops, training programs, conventions and other bird-related activities. The funds for our scholarships come primarily from donations from ABA members and donations from our sponsors.To apply, please visit - Young Birder Scholarships ~ Young Birders ~ American Birding Association
Black-necked Stilt with young.

Black-necked Stilt with young.

The Tricolored Heron was supposedly John James Audubon's favorite bird.

The Tricolored Heron was supposedly John James Audubon’s favorite bird.