We joined the Red Knot project for our second year, this time arriving during the first day and continuing through to the last day. We were expecting to get on to more catches this year, but having recorded a decent percentage of the New Jersey resightings in 2017, we also needed to record flags and take total and ratio counts on the beaches.
We got out to Cooks beach, on the first catch, on the 14th. I banded/ringed with Clive Minton's team on Ruddy Turnstone while Chris banded/ringed Red Knots with Humphrey Sitters' group. It was a solid start to the 2018 efforts.
14th May Cooks South beach catch
Total - 109(7)
Red Knot - 77(7)
Ruddy Turnstone - 32 (0)
The following days we were deployed to resighting flags and time was spent at Norbury Creek, a particularly good beach last year. The birds were behaving very differently from 2017 due to an increased supply of eggs. Horseshoe crabs could be seen spawning along many of the waterlines and the birds feeding seemed less frantic. We took visual and photographic sightings around the high tides and tried to record as many flags and counts, as possible, over the following days.
We also had to find time to document our observations on the project spread sheet - while also dodging the rain and thunderstorms.
There was a little time for birding when tides were low and Heislerville, Belleplain and Coxhall Creek wildlife management area were all visited.
We also took a trip over to Delaware on the ferry to collect a newly delivered batch of flags. Here the beaches were similiar to New Jersey, although these remain open to the public during spring migration.
The count duties included observations to coincide with two aerial counts, during the first of which unexpectedly high numbers of birds were present.
On the 27th we were reading at Bay Cove, and had been there a couple of hours when the rest of the team arrived to check out the birds with a view to taking a catch of Ruddy Turnstone (RUTU). We remained and helped with setting up for the catch. The team had had three attempts, over the previous few days, without firing so everyone was keen to take a catch. It was necessary to reposition the net to avoid a negative result when the catch area filled with SESAs, not one of the three target species. Sufficient data from Red Knot (REKN), Ruddy Turnstone and Sanderling (SAND) are required each year to provide ongoing data for the students working on various PhDs linked to the long term wader study in Delaware Bay.
27th May - Bay Cove
Total - 209 (15)
Red Knot - 33 (1)
Ruddy Turnstone - 140 (12)
Sanderling - 36 (2)
The next day started at Pierce's Beach, but there were SESA problems again, along with other disturbance and the birds being especially flighty so the option was to resite as the tide dropped or to try another beach. Larry went for option two. This was perhaps not the easiest choice to take as the team redeployed to Fortescue some 40 miles North. It was also the day after Memorial Day weekend and the traffic was oh, so, slow.
When we got there the tide was high and a net was set to catch Red Knot as the tide dropped. Chris continued to flag read and I helped with the preparations. We were soon set and waited.
A smallish sample was taken, with a few retraps of birds ringed in the previous weeks providing good information on the weight gain of these individuals with myself continuing to band and Chris switching to take biometrics for Clive's team
28th May Fortescue
Total - 66 (5)
Red Knot - 51 (3)
Ruddy Turnstone - 15 (1)
Sanderling - 0 (1)
The next day we were back again at Fortescue and it was a slightly stressful day as the team were to be followed by two media teams from Canada and the US as well as being joined by other volunteers, not part of the usual team. The team were to meet at Fortescue, mid morning, but we went earlier to observe the birds' behaviour and record flags.
When the other cars arrived there were rather a lot of bodies milling about and eventually the request was made for all but designated catch team members to move off the beach.
There were also two people recording and another two taking stills. They were keen to get good shots and this sometimes conflicted with minimising disturbance to the birds.
Eventually the cameramen were low enough, or far enough away and a wet catch was swiftly taken. Chris and I were among the five tasked with getting to the far side of the net and moving it out of the water. All went very well. The catch was actually larger than reflected in the figures as 100+ SESA were extracted, then processed separately by David M of the NJ Audoubon Society.
29th May Fortescue
Total - 72 (5)
Red Knot - 57 (5)
Ruddy Turnstone - 15 (0)
The last catch of the season was scheduled for Villas Beach on the 30th to target Sanderling and Ruddy Turnstone. It was another wet catch on the falling tide and over 300 birds were caught. I worked with Humphrey again and Chris with Clive. One of our retraps had earlier been fitted with a nano-tag.
30th May Villas
Total - 266 (36)
Red Knot - 6 (6)
Ruddy Turnstone - 137 (17)
Sanderling - 123 (13)
Along with the more obvious activities associated with wader monitoring, there are various necessary chores and these are no less important when the equipment will be stored for a while . Once on the catches we had been responsible for cleaning the boxes (also the covers and lining mats), in which extracted birds are brought to the hessian keeping cages. We washed the boxes and laundered the covers and mats too, while others completed data input, cleaned and packed the cannons and checked the nets. We also found a little time for reading flags, and taking counts.
We got out to Cooks beach, on the first catch, on the 14th. I banded/ringed with Clive Minton's team on Ruddy Turnstone while Chris banded/ringed Red Knots with Humphrey Sitters' group. It was a solid start to the 2018 efforts.
Clive and Angela preparing to process Ruddy Turnstone
14th May Cooks South beach catch
Total - 109(7)
Red Knot - 77(7)
Ruddy Turnstone - 32 (0)
Red Knots and Sanderling at Norbury Creek. The dark blue flag indicates a
bird ringed in Brazil. However, flags of all colours, are often illegible, with
some batches of flags prone to losing the black lettering, and only being
readable from the imprint if seen at exactly the right angle and if close enough.
Red Knot with engraved orange flag (ringed at Tiera del Fuego)
Sanderling
Eggs dislodged from the sand form into dark deposits where they are left by the tide. North Reeds attracted plenty of Laughing Gulls but few waders this year. There was better feeding on other beaches.
Spawning at North Reeds Beach
We also had to find time to document our observations on the project spread sheet - while also dodging the rain and thunderstorms.
Recording was not resticted to birds and four crab markers were seen and reported.
There was a little time for birding when tides were low and Heislerville, Belleplain and Coxhall Creek wildlife management area were all visited.
Prothonatary Warbler, Belleplain Forest
We also took a trip over to Delaware on the ferry to collect a newly delivered batch of flags. Here the beaches were similiar to New Jersey, although these remain open to the public during spring migration.
Prime Hook Beach, Delaware
The count duties included observations to coincide with two aerial counts, during the first of which unexpectedly high numbers of birds were present.
The plane flew through, some 150ft from the ground along
the coast at high tide and monitored both side of Delaware Bay
Pierce's Beach towards Bay Cove after the fly past
Favoured roosting and feeding beaches this year were Pierce's, Bay Cove and Cooks. This year, somebirds were so well fed that they spent part of the feeding time loafing while Horseshoe crab eggs were readily available. However, data collected at ringing sessions showed that the average weight for birds processed was still below the optimal weight for departure on the next stage of their journey, even from the last couple of sessions by which time many birds were already moving on.
There were large numbers of Semi-palmated Sandpipers and they frequently
blocked our view of potentially flagged legs but we still managed to record flags on
over 40 Semi-palmated Sandpipers.
Canadian flagged Semi-Palmated Sandpiper (SESA) UX1
showing discolouration on the flag and additional colour ring.
Flag engraved dark blue KV9 from Brazil
In addition to the high tide count, a low tide count is also carried out to get a full picture
of birds utilising the bay. Birds at the low tide arial count at Pierce's Beach.
REKN with light green flag M8L. This colouration of flag is
currently in use at Delaware Bay. Additional symbols such as + and =
are also in use to increase the number of individualised flags available.
RUTU Flag engraved Dark Green JPM. Recaptures bearing these problematic rings
(they become unreadable once the indented white letters fill with dirt) are being
reflagged with light green flags printed with black.
Reading flags at Pierce's Beach
We also manage to pick up this first year American Herring Gull,
(BOA) ringed in 2017 in Maine as part of the roof top nesting study
at New England University.
And this Canada Goose's metal ring, from Massachusetts
also feeding on crab eggs.
Repositioning the net.
Some hours later, Larry Niles took up position further down the beach to monitor the birds on the beach and in the safety zone (an area close to the net that must be clear when the order to fire is given, ensuring that injuries do not occur as a result of net deployment) and to direct all involved in the operation.
Clive watches from a closer vantage point and on Larry's instruction, uses the jiggler, a string with
tied on pieces of plastic to move birds out of the safety zone. In this picture the keeping boxes are covered to keep the temperature down, members of the team keep down and still - while Clive engages in elicit jiggling.
We took a catch of 200+ birds and divided into four teams for processing. Chris worked with Humphrey's team and I joined Jeannine P and Steve G, two of the longest standing volunteers and both native to New Jersey. We were short handed and I both ringed and flagged all our birds. Jeannine is one of the designated measurers, intended to standardise the biometric data collected, taking wing, weight, bill and head and bill lengths while Steve scribed.
Jeannine and Steve finish processing our last RUTU
Sunset from the deck at the main house
.27th May - Bay Cove
Total - 209 (15)
Red Knot - 33 (1)
Ruddy Turnstone - 140 (12)
Sanderling - 36 (2)
Neil, Jack and Michael hoping to catch at Pierce's Beach.
So much is out of your control when trying to catch.
The next day started at Pierce's Beach, but there were SESA problems again, along with other disturbance and the birds being especially flighty so the option was to resite as the tide dropped or to try another beach. Larry went for option two. This was perhaps not the easiest choice to take as the team redeployed to Fortescue some 40 miles North. It was also the day after Memorial Day weekend and the traffic was oh, so, slow.
When we got there the tide was high and a net was set to catch Red Knot as the tide dropped. Chris continued to flag read and I helped with the preparations. We were soon set and waited.
A smallish sample was taken, with a few retraps of birds ringed in the previous weeks providing good information on the weight gain of these individuals with myself continuing to band and Chris switching to take biometrics for Clive's team
Female Red Knot
Anti bug equipment essential
Total - 66 (5)
Red Knot - 51 (3)
Ruddy Turnstone - 15 (1)
Sanderling - 0 (1)
The next day we were back again at Fortescue and it was a slightly stressful day as the team were to be followed by two media teams from Canada and the US as well as being joined by other volunteers, not part of the usual team. The team were to meet at Fortescue, mid morning, but we went earlier to observe the birds' behaviour and record flags.
When the other cars arrived there were rather a lot of bodies milling about and eventually the request was made for all but designated catch team members to move off the beach.
Setting the net
Preparing for the action
Larry makes the final preparations
There were also two people recording and another two taking stills. They were keen to get good shots and this sometimes conflicted with minimising disturbance to the birds.
The team waits,in the dunes, for the catch
Eventually the cameramen were low enough, or far enough away and a wet catch was swiftly taken. Chris and I were among the five tasked with getting to the far side of the net and moving it out of the water. All went very well. The catch was actually larger than reflected in the figures as 100+ SESA were extracted, then processed separately by David M of the NJ Audoubon Society.
Extra volunteers help with weighing and bagging feather samples for DNA analysis.
29th May Fortescue
Total - 72 (5)
Red Knot - 57 (5)
Ruddy Turnstone - 15 (0)
The last catch of the season was scheduled for Villas Beach on the 30th to target Sanderling and Ruddy Turnstone. It was another wet catch on the falling tide and over 300 birds were caught. I worked with Humphrey again and Chris with Clive. One of our retraps had earlier been fitted with a nano-tag.
Our team's last bird of the year.
The last catch ensured that enough birds of each Red Knot, Ruddy Turnstone and Sanderling had been captured to generate sufficient data for ongoing studies.
By now, flights of waders were being seen heading North across the bay, every evening. So, many of the waders were already on their way leaving many of the crab eggs untouched.
Horseshoe Crab eggs washed up on the tideline at Norbury's Creek.
Total - 266 (36)
Red Knot - 6 (6)
Ruddy Turnstone - 137 (17)
Sanderling - 123 (13)
Along with the more obvious activities associated with wader monitoring, there are various necessary chores and these are no less important when the equipment will be stored for a while . Once on the catches we had been responsible for cleaning the boxes (also the covers and lining mats), in which extracted birds are brought to the hessian keeping cages. We washed the boxes and laundered the covers and mats too, while others completed data input, cleaned and packed the cannons and checked the nets. We also found a little time for reading flags, and taking counts.
Keeping boxes outside 86.
We left the following day having recorded 1300+ flags and participated in five catches. Many thanks to all involved with organising and supporting such a wonderful long running project in the Delaware Bay, working for the benefit of migrating birds, Horseshoe crabs and the bay environment. The project is probably remains one of the best projects we have experienced for involvement from local community, employed and volunteer ornithologists, and experts from other fields, with visits from schools and government agencies. Volunteers this year came from Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the UK. And, we were again joined by two people from the Cree Nation on whose lands many of the birds will have by now arrived to breed. The James Bay area is now protected, from development, for wildlife.