Day Two

May 14th

Today we made our first catch. I did some photography along Reeds Beach Avenue up to as far as the creek in the morning. After an early lunch the Canon net was set at Reeds Beach (South) (N39 07 05.4: W74 53 29.3) and we made a successful catch of 141. This catch included only one Red Knot, but 78 Ruddy Turnstone (7 recaptures) and 62 Sanderling (4 recaptures). In fact it was really the second catch of the expedition because on the 10th a preliminary catch of 92 was made at Reeds Beach. This catch included 27 (9) Red Knot, 33(5) Ruddy Turnstone and 50(4) Sanderling.

Sanderling crowded together at high tide roost near the Green House

Red Knot feeding along strandline

Ruddy Turnstone and Red Knot

Mixed flocks of Ruddy Turnstone, Red Knot and Sanderling at the strandline

Eastern Cottontail Sylvilagus floridanus

Red-winged Blackbird in song

Boat-tailed Grackle

Horseshoe Crabs along the beach

Laughing Gulls

Reeds Beach

Setting the first net, waiting to fire and processing the catch

A Brazilian banded Ruddy Turnstone recapture