Port Mahon

Sunset at Port Mahon
© The Nature Conservancy

Why You Should Visit
Sitting at the mouth of the Mahon River along the central shoreline of the Delaware Bay, the beaches, saltmarshes and tidal creeks of Port Mahon provide a unique mosaic of habitats. The preserve hosts a rich diversity of bird life. In the spring, millions of migratory birds stop to rest and refuel in Delaware Bayshores just as the world's largest population of horseshoe crabs begins spawning on the beaches. Horseshoe crab eggs provide the critical nutrition that shorebirds need to continue the journey to their arctic breeding grounds. The landscape of Port Mahon also provides a temporary or permanent home for numerous species of geese, duck, fish and amphibians.

Location
Kent County

Size
341 acres

How to Prepare for Your Visit
This preserve is open to public use along County Road 89. During the spring, a shorebird observation platform is located just off of CR 89 on Division of Fish and Wildlife property. In fall and winter, many ducks and other waterfowl can be observed from the road. There is no public access into the marsh. When visiting, please keep the following guidelines in mind:

Walk, jog, or rest on existing trails.
Observe nature, including the preserve's diverse plants, animals, and habitats.
Be aware of ticks, chiggers, mosquitoes, and poison ivy. We strongly recommend long sleeves, pants, socks, comfortable shoes, and insect repellent. Wearing light-colored clothing will make it much easier to spot and remove ticks.
Remove your trash (or someone else's, if you don't mind) from the preserve. Enjoy yourself.
Do not bring your pets. No pets are allowed on Nature Conservancy preserves in Delaware.
Do not smoke or start fires of any kind.
Do not ride bicycles or use any motorized vehicles.
Do not remove any plants, animals, or other naturally occurring features from the preserve.

Directions
From Dover:

Take Route 8 east to its end at Route 9.
Follow Route 9 south toward Little Creek.
Turn left on Port Mahon Road (County Route 89) and follow it to the end.
You will see the preserve sign on your left as you round a sharp left turn near a fishing bait shop.

What to See: Plants
The saltmarshes of Port Mahon are dominated by cordgrass and salt grass. In the higher areas of the preserve, marsh elder and groundsel bush create a shrubby habitat with a variety of diverse vegetation.

What to See: Animals
Port Mahon is a crucial resting and feeding stop for migrating red knots, ruddy turnstones, sandpipers, dowitchers, sanderlings, dunlins, plovers, gulls, yellowlegs and other species. A variety of geese and ducks also travel through Port Mahon in high concentrations, including Canada geese, snow geese, mallard, black duck, northern pintail and green-winged teal. The preserve provides important nesting, breeding and wintering habitat for short-eared owl, northern harrier, rough-legged hawk and five species of rails. Please print this bird list (.pdf, 85kb) to use when you visit our preserve.

Why the Conservancy Selected This Site
Port Mahon is a fundamental piece of a cooperative effort between the Conservancy's Delaware and New Jersey chapters to conserve the most significant elements of biodiversity associated with the habitats in and around the Delaware Bay. Port Mahon preserve lies within a large conservation area that also includes Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge and Little Creek State Wildlife Area. The Conservancy has owned and managed Port Mahon since 1990 when it was donated to the Conservancy by the Delmarva Power Company (now know as Conectiv). The Conservancy manages the preserve as a natural area, allowing controlled public use for birdwatching and nature study.

What the Conservancy Has Done/Is Doing
In addition to preserving and maintaining the natural habitats of Port Mahon's landscape, Conservancy scientists are actively monitoring the status of several species of concern. For example, a number of scientists have expressed concern that the population of horseshoe crabs is in decline. Combined with habitat destruction, this trend puts migratory shorebirds like the red knot at risk. The tiny red knot travels 10,000 miles each year from Tierra del Fuego at the southernmost tip of South America to the tundra of the Canadian Arctic. The entire species, however, relies on the Delaware Bayshores habitat and a good supply of horseshoe crab eggs during its for stopover during this long journey. Without vigilance and care for these components, species like the red knot could rapidly become critically threatened.