From DVOC's
Delaware Valley Birds: "Beaches, impoundments, mudflats, and
marshes. Large concentrations on shores of lower Delaware Bay in May"
Habitat
Coastal sandy beaches and mudflats Status
and Distribution
Threatened. Locally common spring migrant (May-June); scarce winter
resident. Southbound migrants seen from early July through fall
Range
Breeds across the Canadian Arctic to Northern Alaska
Best locations
Large concentrations gather along the Delaware Bay shore in spring where
they feed on horseshoe crab eggs. In New Jersey….Reeds Beach and
Cooks Beach. In Delaware….Mispillion Harbour and Pickering Beach
Best time to see them
From third week in May through first week of June.
History / Records
It is estimated that at least 80% of North America’s breeding
population use the Delaware Bay as a major stop over point to feed during
northbound/spring migration. Once numerous with 50,000+ a common sight
along the Delaware Bay, their numbers have been drastically reduced
in the late twentieth century due to over harvesting of Horseshoe Crabs.
In Pennsylvania most records are from the lower Susquehanna River during
migration with a few scattered eastern records.
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