Let’s combine an afternoon of birding for migratory shorebirds with a late-night beach walk at high tide, where we’ll experience a horseshoe crab spawning so huge that people travel from around the world to view it.
The scene begins with male horseshoe crabs waiting along the water’s edge. As a female moves with the tide onto the beach, the male grabs her shell with his claws, hitching a ride on her shell. As she builds nests or leaves egg clusters along the beach, the male is pulled with her, fertilizing the eggs. Once the mating is complete, both head back to the water. Most of the action happens late into the evening, after 10 pm. Over multiple trips over multiple nights, one female can lay up to 88,000 eggs per year.
What is the fate of the majority of those eggs? They become a nutrient-dense meal for thousands of rufa red knots, a robin-sized shorebird that migrates from South America to the Arctic and back each year. Rufas time their stopover in Delaware Bay to coincide with the peak of spawning, feeding almost exclusively on horseshoe crab eggs as they build strength for the next leg of their migration.
Our beach adventure begins on May 26 with an afternoon low tide to view the red knots and other shorebirds at three stops: the DuPont Nature Center, Marvel Salt Marsh, and Slaughter Beach. We’ll take a dinner break in the town of Milford, then head back to Slaughter Beach for the evening high tide and a shoreline full of horseshoe crabs. This beach is known for having some of the highest counts of horseshoe crabs in the area, with over 60,000 in May 2022 and over 5,000 on the new and full moons in June 2022.
We will also meet on Zoom on May 22 from 7 to 8 pm. to learn about the horseshoe crab behavior and their important role in the bay ecosystem. Both the Zoom presentation and the horseshoe crab portion of the field trip will be led by Brad Stevens, Professor Emeritus, and Distinguished Research Scientist at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES). Dr. Stevens worked in Kodiak, Alaska, for over 20 years before coming to UMES, where he used scuba and underwater video to study fish, crabs, conch, and corals. The Zoom link will be in your confirmation email after registering.
Rob and Carol Blye of the Sussex Bird Club will lead the birding portion of our trip. Rob is a retired biologist with a degree in wildlife biology from Cornell University. He and Carol are avid recreational birders who organize field trips for the bird club.
- Our meeting location can be found in your registration confirmation email when payment is complete.
- Watch for additional details in a welcome email a few days before the date.
- Ages 10 and up.
- Heavy-duty flashlight with extra batteries. It may get wet.
- Dress according to the weather. Layers of clothing work best. Bring a sun hat and a cold weather hat for the night.
- Bring an extra set of clothes. You may get wet if you are anywhere near the shore.
- Wear sturdy closed-toe shoes that can get wet. No bare feet, no bare toes at the beach. Horseshoe crabs have sharp spines on their tails.
- Bring water, snacks, and whatever you need to stay warm and alert.
- Bring binoculars and a hand lens or loupe for birding or looking at details if you have them.
- Bring a scope if you have access to one
- Bring your guidebooks, if you have them.
- Bring a first aid kit for your personal use.
- No pets, please.
Registration
Levels:- NHSM Members: $35
- Non Members: $45
- Children over 10: $15