"the other side"

Two bird nerds split off and visited Rehoboth over the weekend. Tara and I went down with friends friday night after hockey practice, which meant we didn't get down there until 1:30am. Somehow we were both awake around 650am. So I dragged Tara with me to Cape Henlopen, Gordon Pond. We parked at a condo complex because the gate doesn't open until 8am. We didn't see a ton, but we got our first look, a very good look, at golden crowned kinglet, which surprisingly was a lifer. Good looking bird, of course no camera. 2 bald eagles flew by then later sat way off in some distant trees, I don't know how tara spotted them sitting out there, they were tiny specks to me. hardly any warblers, yellow-rumped and common yellow throat, a creeper, a flock of snowy egrets, osprey w/fish. There was a lot out in the pond that was not really visible with our binocs, could have used barb's scope!
Later we went to Cape Henlopen State Park, I was scouting locations for a sunday morning warbler hunt. We were at the nature center, so I asked the older gentleman behind the counter where they were seeing warblers, and he said, "oh, right here you can see birds, they all come to our feeders." hm, feeders and warblers. Later tara came over and told me that someone asked him what particular birds used a bird house that she wanted to purchase, to which the same gentleman replied, "small birds." ok, not the best source. So we went to the Cape Henlopen Hawk Watch platform for more info. Smaller platform than cape may, only a few people up there counting. I told them we usually go to Cape May, and they said, "oh, the other side....." They said they had the 2nd best day of the watch ever. We didn't stay long, but it seemed the birds they would see were way off in the distance, not flying over the platform like Cape May. The suggested birding spot was Thompson Island Preserve.
So, Sunday morning we got up and went there, right between Rehoboth and Dewey. Great trail, very scenic. Wasn't a great day for birds, windy and cloudy (yellow-rumps, black&white, creeper again, blue birds, black-throated blue). But the walk was fantastic, thru woods, then out to the marshes in Rehoboth Bay. We couldn't go very far, because the trail was very wet, needed boots, but it looked like it went far out. Someday we'll do it again, but will need better walking gear. Anyone looking for this place, good luck. There are no signs except when you start walking the trail. It's behind the Spring Lake Condo complex off of RT 1. Then you go around to the back side, and have to look for the trial head. We had to ask a local. But worth the walk if you have waterproof foot gear.
Anyway, that's the report from "the other side."