Category: Fieldwork reports

Saturday 24 May

Our final week on the shores of Delaware Bay began slowly with a relaxed morning of resighting on Slaughter Beach before a 10:00 hrs team went to set a net on Point North. How very leisurely! A Skiff team got into position offshore, ready for action. It was Memorial Day, and so there was a crowd of visitors watching from the Nature Centre deck. Ryan and Cathy chatted to them about the Project and explained what was going on as the catch unfolded. Unfortunately, cable connection problems and then too many birds in the catching area caused a bit of a delay. Once the net was tested successfully, Chantal was sent to shuffle down the rock wall, pushing many of the Semipalmated Sandpiper out of the catching area. With a safe number of birds catchable, the net was fired and the Skiff team raced to shore to join the firing team to cover the catch and begin extraction. The total catch was 397 birds, consisting of two Red Knot, 18 Ruddy Turnstone, 152 Short-billed Dowitcher, 141 Semipalmated Sandpiper and 84 Dunlin. After ferrying the birds to Swains Beach, we processed under shade, and with extra help from several Project volunteers we were finished in good time to fit in some more resighting in the Harbor during the afternoon. We have made an incredible effort on flagging Dowitcher this season, just the start to a new project that we needed. In the afternoon, Lys made a great tagine for dinner.