Another beautiful morning on our beloved island. Still no evidence of any nesting activity, however, we were privileged to witness another endangered species enjoying the beach on its migratory journey northward. They presented a different appearance than our resident shorebirds, more plump with a terracotta-red chest. Our resident savant, Jingle, helped us identify them as Red Knots.
Red Knots breed in the central Canadian Arctic and have one of the longest migrations of any bird, more than 9000 miles. They rely heavily on stopping sites to refuel their bodies - nutritious horseshoe crab eggs are the desired food source.
Red Knots are endangered and threatened by over harvesting of horseshoe crabs, climate change, and coastal development.
How lucky we were to observe these beauties this morning!
Photos by Jingle and Kim
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