NEWS FROM THE DELAWARE DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL
April 30, 2008
Vol. 38, No. 193
For more information contact Dawn Webb, Manager, DNREC’s Dupont Nature Center, 302-422-1329 or Melanie Rapp, Public Affairs, 302-739-9902.
Migrating Shorebirds Descend on the Shores of the Delaware Bay
Visit DNREC’s DuPont Nature Center to View This Amazing Display
Each May and June an amazing display of nature unfolds on the shores of the Delaware Bay. Hundreds of thousands of shorebirds converge on this ecologically significant region to feast on the eggs of the horseshoe crab.
As many as 30 species of shorebirds and up to a million birds may visit the Delaware Bay between May 1 and June 10. The Delaware Bay is a major stop for shorebirds traveling from their wintering grounds in South America to the breeding grounds in the Canadian Arctic. Shorebirds, like the Red Knot, Ruddy Turnstone, Semipalmated Sandpiper and Dunlin, have made non-stop flights of up to 5,000 miles and arrive weary and low in weight. The birds’ arrival perfectly coincides with egg laying of the horseshoe crab. The shorebirds come to rest and gorge themselves on the protein-packed eggs, so they can continue their long journeys to the Arctic tundra.
DNREC’s DuPont Center at Mispillion Harbor Reserve is the perfect location to view the horseshoe crab – shorebird phenomenon. The distinctive red-roofed center includes an observation deck with telescopes to view the harbor, bay and shoreline. Large outdoor tanks hold live, adult horseshoe crabs allowing visitors to see and touch one of the longest-surviving creatures on earth. Inside the center, visitors can view shorebirds and horseshoe crabs along the shoreline more than 100 yards away, courtesy of a remote camera and a 42-inch plasma viewing screen.
The center is filled with exhibits devoted to Delaware Bay's natural history and ecology. Bird identification panels help bird watchers spot any of the more than 30 species of shorebirds that visit the bay each spring. "Fly the Delaware Bay' is an interactive exhibit sponsored by the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary that provides visitors with a tour of the estuary from a shorebird's point of view.
Other exhibits describe research projects and efforts to protect crucial feeding areas and nesting habitats for the Red Knot and other shorebirds. A prominent display is dedicated to the horseshoe crab – its anatomy, biomedical uses and importance to the local fishermen.
An internet access station is available as an additional resource for educational information. Another exhibit features the history of he town of Slaughter Beach and the active role of townspeople to protect horseshoe crabs and the migrating shorebirds that depend on their eggs for survival.
Operated by DNREC’s Division of Fish and Wildlife, the center is currently open from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, closed Monday. The nature center grounds will remain open each day from dawn until sundown. The best time to view feeding shorebirds is during low tide at the Mispillion Inlet. For more information contact Dawn Webb, center manager at 302-422-1329.
