[va-richmond-general] Cape May Shorebirds
- From: Naseem Reza <nreza@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "va-richmond-general@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <va-richmond-general@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 3 Jun 2009 23:09:30 -0400
http://picasaweb.google.com/vabirder/CapeMayNJBirds#
A trip to Cape May, NJ fulfilled our dream to see the Red Knots in breeding
plumage. The Red Knots that fly 6000 miles non-stop from Brazil to the
Delaware Bay to feast on the green eggs of the Horseshoe Crab, belong to the
rufa subspecies. Their numbers have declined dramatically from over a
100,000 just a few years ago to this year's estimated 13,000. One of the
primary causes of this decline is the indiscriminate harvesting of the
Horseshoe Crab for bait, by eel and conch commercial fishermen. Recently,
New Jersey instituted a complete ban on the harvesting of these crabs and
other states have also put in some restrictions. So there is hope that the
rufa sub-species of Red Knot will continue its tradition of stopping in the
Delaware Bay to feed and rest on its way to its Arctic breeding ground.
Other than the Red Knots there were plenty of shorebirds in Cape May
including Ruddy Turnstone, Semi-palmated Sandpiper and Laughing Gull.
Highlight birds were an Iceland Gull and a couple of Purple Sandpipers in
breeding plumage.
A few pictures of Cape May birds can be seen at the link above.
Lou and Naseem Reza
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