Based on the below report from Delaware, Chris and I drove over Wednesday
expecting to see many Red Knots, some very close. We were quite
disappointed. In two days we saw maybe a total of 20 knots at Slaughter Beach,
Mispillion Light, Pickering Beach and Port Mahon.
Where did they all go? NJ? The Arctic? Colleen Holstein at the
Mispillion Visitors Center told us that the majority were not yet in Delaware, that
it was a very late migration. She did say that 1500 had been counted
Wednesday on the sand flats north of the visitors center that are inaccessible
and limited to researchers. This is apparently a low number for this time
of year.
When there are east winds, in particular, the waves get "high" for Delaware
Bay and turn over many horseshoe crabs. Some of these will turn
themselves over at the next high tide, but many bake to death when the sun is out or
get caught in crevices of the big rocks that have been placed along the
road at Port Mahon. A gentle suggestion: If every shorebird birder would
spend five minutes a day turning over these crabs, a large impact would be
made in crabs that can come back next year to breed. As everyone knows,
large numbers of breeding horseshoe crabs are critical to the survival of Red
Knots. Chris and I turned over hundreds during our two days in Delaware.
Crabs, not Knots.
OT: Bombay Hook was amazing yesterday for turtles along or on the refuge
roads.. We saw ten snappers, nine stinkpots, one box and one painted, all
presumably up on land to lay eggs.
Bob Mumford
Darnestown
In a message dated 5/21/2013 7:05:24 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
<neil.rothschild98...> writes:
Just in on the Delaware list...
-----Original Message-----
From: Delaware Birding [mailto:<de-birds...>] On Behalf Of Bill
Stewart
Sent: Tuesday, May 21, 2013 6:46 PM
To: <de-birds...>
Subject: [de-birds] Serious Shorebird Spectacle-Pickering Beach
Good Evening DE-birders,
I have had the good fortune to visit the DE Bayshore a number of times for
a
number of events over the past 12 days and today was certainly a day to
behold. In previous visits, shorebird numbers were less than expected but
horseshoe crabs and their eggs were in abundance. Starting the day today
at
6:40 AM in Slaughter Beach, 35 minutes after high tide, I could tell that
the wonder of our shorebird spectacle was about ready to unfold. From
Evans
Ave. as far as the eye could see, shorebirds, shorebirds, shorebirds.....on
wing going north and south, feeding and jockeying for position. What a
change from this weekend. As the tide started to abate, sand spits covered
with horseshoe crabs were emerging in the Mispillion Harbor and the
shorebirds were multiplying. In every collection of the thousands of
shorebirds, numerous Red Knot were in evidence. For those numbers and the
accuracies on the count, the fantastic Delaware Shorebird Project team can
reveal, as they were in evidence dropping off re-sighters throughout the
harbor. But to this shorebirder, strong numbers compared to just a few
days
ago.
So the subject line of this e-mail mentions Pickering
Beach............arriving there at 11:00ish and walking up through the
public access onto the beach held a sight I have often wished for over this
past decade or just flat missed in my timing. Everywhere I looked, whether
with naked eye, binoculars or scope, Red Knots were present........10 feet
away, 10 yards, 100 yards. The density of the horseshoe crabs was intense,
and the birds followed. I have no idea how many Red Knot were there and I
quickly decided I wasn't going to try to count them since no scope could
see
that distance but I was going to enjoy and feel extremely lucky to have
this
opportunity to be amazed that this part of their migration succeeded and
they still have a place to land and refuel.
After witnessing such a spectacle, I recalled earlier when leaving
Mispillion on RT. 36 and seeing the milepost sign on RT. 1 which said
'Dover
19 miles'. I am thinking that between that RT. 1 entrance and Pickering
Beach is about 23 miles. Can you imagine 23 miles of protected,
undisturbed
habitat along the Delaware Bayshore filled with migrating
shorebirds........no need to imagine, it's right there in all of it's glory
and global importance. Thank You Russell Peterson.
Go shorebirding,
Bill Stewart
-----Original Message-----
From: <mdbirding...> [mailto:<mdbirding...>] On
Behalf Of Philip Brody
Sent: Tuesday, May 21, 2013 5:37 PM
To: <mdbirding...>
Subject: [MDBirding] Shorebirds, Red Knots?
Any current information with regard to shorebirds at Slaughter Beach?, Port
Mahon Road, Mispillion Light? Also the Horseshoe Crab spawning?
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