VA Birders,
This was on the Maryland Listserv but it applies to Virginia perhaps
even more than Maryland. Please help these folks figure out what's
happening with the Red Knots by posting your sightings to them.
Sue
Please help us track the spring migration of red knots.
Recent data from Delaware Bay and Tierra del Fuego suggest that in 2003 red
knots, and possibly ruddy turnstones, altered their typical migration
pattern. Because of the nearly-complete failure of horseshoe crab spawning
in May 2003, a large proportion of red knots did not stop on the Delaware
Bay or stayed for a shorter period. If this trend continues in 2004, we
would expect to see knots at other stopover sites, particularly in
mid-Atlantic, New England states. However, because we have not observed
this phenomenon in the recent past, we are requesting assistance from
observers along the entire east coast of the US and James Bay, Canada
Observers can assist our efforts by reporting any and all red knot
sightings, particularly during May and early June. Estimates of flock
size and composition are appreciated as well as color-band combinations
from marked red knots. Please also provide a detailed description of the
sighting location. Please note that in 2003 we began using a lime green
flag with engraved alpha-numeric characters (2 characters for 2003,
3 characters for 2004).
Please report any sightings of individuals and flocks of red knots to:
Mike Shanahan mikejs96@xxxxxxx
OR
Mandy Dey Amanda.dey@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.
We sincerely appreciate your assistance.
Mike Shanahan Amanda Dey
Assistant Biologist Senior Biologist
Endangered and Nongame Species Program
New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife
Tuckahoe Wildlife Management Area
2201 County Route 231
Woodbine, NJ 08270
609-628-2103
609-628-2734 (Fax)
--
Susan A. Heath
George Mason University
Environmental Science Department
Fairfax, VA
Secretary, Virginia Avian Records Committee
Keeper, Virginia Comp List at www.obscure-reference.com/~sheath
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