Today was peak season for Horseshoe Crabs. I had never seen so many as evidenced by the following photos taken at Fortescue, NJ on the Delaware Bay.
Horseshoe Crabs coming ashore to mate.
Horseshoe Crabs on a bank of Oyster Creek that empties into Delaware Bay. Note Great Blue Heron at upper left.
The Great Blue Heron did not seem to join in the egg feast that other birds were indulging in.
Great Blue Heron on a bank of Oyster Creek at Fortescue, NJ.
A quarter mile of the beach was covered with Horsehoe Crabs and the birds eating their eggs.
A lady who was monitoring the beach to make sure people did not go near the birds told me that Horseshoe Crabs were late this year, probably because of cooler weather and abundant rain. However, migratory birds like the Red Knot landed in New Jersey at their regular time and could not find enough eggs to eat! They rely on the eggs to fuel themselves for their 9,000 mi journey (15,000 km), and alarms are going up about their fate this year. They are way underweight at the mid point of their migration.
Red Knot standing among Semipalmated Sandpipers.
Semipalmated Sandpipers eating Horseshoe Crab eggs.
neihtn 
Wow, what a scene!
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Oh my goodness Mother Nature is throwing a massive party! Incredible to see.
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It is incredible to see these living fossils come to shore year after year!
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What an incredible sight, Hien, and amazing information about the timing of the Knots’ migration to coincide with the breeding of the crabs – hopefully it is not too late for the birds to put on some weight.
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I am hoping the birds will hang around and gain some weight. However, their internal clocks are always ticking and they could leave at their usual time, underfed and under powered for the rest of their migration.
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I loved this post, not only for the wonderful photos of the huge numbers of both crabs and shorebirds, but because it touches on how intertwined all of nature is. If the crabs are late to spawn, then the shorebirds don’t have enough to eat.
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You are right Jerry. I’ve been watching Horseshoe Crabs and Red Knots for four years, and this year the Red Knots look very svelte, nice for a fashion show but not good for flying another 4-5000 miles.
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WOW! I have never even seen one of these prehistoric creatures!
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Cindy, you will have to ravel to New Jersey in May to see them!
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