Greetings,
Carol Hardy asked me to forward this message about counting migrating
Red Knots.
Best,
Clyde Kessler
-----Original Message-----
From: Carol Hardy [mailto:carolhardy@xxxxxxxxx]=20
Sent: Friday, May 20, 2005 9:43 AM
To: Kessler, Clyde
Subject: Fw: Red knot counts needed
Hey there Clyde
I am no longer a member of VA-BIRD and was wondering if you could
forward
this request onto that listserve, if it hasn't already been passed on.
Thanks so much!
Carol Hardy, Ph.D.
Forest Wildlife Biologist
George Washington and Jefferson National Forests
5162 Valleypointe Parkway
Roanoke, VA 24019
540.265.5136
540.265.5145 (fax)
----- Forwarded by Carol Hardy/R8/USDAFS on 05/20/2005 09:41 AM -----
=20
Chris Eberly
<ceberly@DODPIF.O
RG>
To=20
Sent by: SEPART-L@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Neotropical
cc=20
migratory birds
in southeastern
Subject=20
United States Fwd: Red knot counts needed
discussion list
<SEPART-L@LISTSER
V.UARK.EDU>
=20
=20
05/20/2005 09:11
AM
=20
=20
Please respond to
Chris Eberly
<ceberly@DODPIF.O
RG>
=20
=20
Please pass this along to anyone who may be able to assist. If you were
ever thinking about a trip to Delaware Bay to witness the phenomenon of
horseshoe crabs and shorebirds, time may be running out. Very compelling
data on the NJ DEP web links.
-------- Original Message --------
Dear Bird Conservationists:
Delaware Bay ornithologists are once again urgently requesting your
assistance with locating red knots along the Atlantic coast (Maine to
Florida and the west coast of Florida). We are asking for volunteers
to carry out ground surveys on:
Saturday or Sunday, May 21 or 22, 2005 (priority) Saturday or Sunday,
May 28 or 29, 2005 (if you have the time to perform an additional
survey or cannot make the previous survey dates). The survey protocol
(same as last year) and data sheet can be found at
http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/ensp/shorebird/shorebird_docs.htm.
Please direct survey specific (not general shorebird) questions to
amanda.dey@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.
A coalition of organizations including New Jersey Audubon Society, ABC,
Defenders of Wildlife, National Audubon, American Littoral Society,
Delaware Riverkeeper and Sierra Club have been working diligently for
nearly two decades to protect these magnificent shorebirds stopping over
on the Delaware Bay from extinction. The chief culprit is the
overharvest of horseshoe crabs. For more information on how you can
help please e-mail me at eric.stiles@xxxxxxxxxxxxx.
On a very personal note, I am taking my 4-year old daughter to the
Delaware Bay to see what might be the last of the Red Knots rufa
subspecies. I grew up as a child seeing horseshoe crabs so dense that
you couldn't see the beach underneath. When shorebird flocks erupted in
flight, the sky was filled with these feathered schooling flocks. I
worked as an endangered species biologist on the Bayshore from 1993-2001
and have returned every year since. A recent visit this weekend to the
Delaware Bay was heart wrenching - the birds are largely gone and the
horseshoe crabs were far and few between. Please stay tuned for more
information on BCA regarding how you can help!!
February 2005 aerial surveys of red knot in South America showed the red
knot rufa subspecies wintering population has declined by nearly 50
percent to a historic low count of 17,000. This alarming decline is
consistent with the Baker et al (2004) study's demographic model
predicting the subspecies will be at or near extinction by 2010. A brief
but detailed report of our research findings to date is available at
http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/ensp/shorebird/shorebird_docs.htm
Last year many generously gave their time to help survey red knots
along the Atlantic coast. While very large numbers of red knots were
not observed, your work helped us understand that some portion of the
red knot population is likely developing an alternate migration
strategy - stopping in southern states and working their way up the
coast in smaller flocks. The result of your survey efforts have been
mapped and can be viewed at
http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/ensp/shorebird/shorebird_docs.htm ;.
This migration shift is almost certainly due to the decline of the
horseshoe crab egg resource on the Delaware Bay which has,
unfortunately, continued into 2005.
We sincerely appreciate your help and encourage you to send this
e-mail along to other folks who might be able to help carry out red
knot surveys.
Sincerely,
Eric Stiles, Vice President for Conservation and Stewardship
New Jersey Audubon Society
__________________
PO Box 693
11 Hardscrabble Road
Bernardsville, New Jersey 07924
Phone: 908.766.5787 ext 13 Fax: 908.766.7775
Website: www.njaudubon.org/conservation
Conserving New Jersey's Natural Heritage Since 1897
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