Mid-May Horseshoe Crabs

Mid May, from the new moon to the full moon, is the time of year that several species of birds arrive along the Delaware bay to feed on the eggs of the Horseshoe Crabs. The crabs come to spawn on the beaches at the time of the high tides. The largest numbers of crabs arrive with those 2 moons but every night and day see crabs spawning. The Horseshoe Crab is necessary to the survival of the Red Knots, Ruddy Turnstones, Sanderlings and Dunlin. The Hoseshoe Crab was over harvested in years past and the numbers of those spawning have been down which leads to less eggs for the birds to feed on. Each year the scientists come to the Delaware Bay area to moniter the situation. I talked to one scientist who was staying in Reeds Beach, NJ and he told me that this year he had seen the greatest numbers of Horseshoe Crabs spawning than he had seen in the last 10 years. Despite its name, it is more closely related to spiders, ticks, and scorpions than to crabs. The eggs are are the little green balls in the pictures.