NJ Delaware Bay Shorebird Stewards: Protectors and Educators

by: Larissa Smith, Senior Biologist

This shorebird season 43 stewards worked a total of 1,374 hours over a two week period from May 9th thru May 25th.  Stewards were posted at restricted access beaches in Cape May and  Cumberland Counties.  Stewards help to protect the migrating shorebirds that stop over on the Delaware Bay to feed on the horseshoe crab eggs.  They keep people off of the restricted beaches by educating them about the importance of letting the shorebirds feed undisturbed so that they can gain the weight needed to continue their journey north to their breeding ground’s.

The first week that stewards were on beaches things were slow, due to the cool weather and low water temperatures, the horseshoe crabs weren’t spawning in large numbers and the bulk of the shorebirds had yet to arrive.  By the second week the weather had warmed up and horseshoe crabs were spawning in good numbers just as the shorebirds were arriving.  The dedicated stewards were out in all kinds of weather and buggy conditions.  Over the past 25 years Shorebird Stewards have made a positive impact not only on the shorebirds but also on the attitudes of the public.

Thank you to the NJ Fish & Wildlife Conservation Police Officers and also the public who respect the shorebirds and beach restrictions

Larry Niles summarizes the shorebird season in his blog post; Thumbs Up – A Rube With A View

Enjoy some photos of the season through the eyes of the stewards. (click on the first photo for slideshow)