Horseshoe crab during the spawning season
Delaware Bay is one of the most important spawning grounds for the Atlantic horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus). I therefore visited the region several times in the spring of 2001 when I lived in Baltimore, Maryland, looking for this ancient species. I drove to the Cape May Peninsula, New Jersey, to look for the living fossils and other wildlife, and observed many individuals toward the end of their egg-laying season in May, 2001. Worldwide there are four species of Horseshoe crabs.
Cape May is also known to be a good birding location, another reason to visit the area. Cape May is situated about 2.5 hours drive from Baltimore.
Back towards the sea
Sunray Beach Preserve. Nice place to spot spawning Horseshoe crabs
Spawning horseshoe crabs partly submerged in the beach sand
Aftermath carnige
Many individuals turned onto their backs by waves die because they often cannot right themselves
Underside view
Some have heavy load of attached seashells. Can be full of barnacles and other seashells. This one is decaying
The spawning season is primetime for the shorebirds which feeds off the eggs. Here Laughing gulls (Leucophaeus atricilla)
Shorebird feeding frency. Shorebirds gather in large quantities to feed off the horseshoe crab eggs
Feeding frency
Here at least two species of sandpipers. White-rumped sandpiper (Calidris fuscicollis) (the two together) and Semipalmated sandpiper (Calidris pusilla)
Laughing gull
Greater yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca) behind two Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos).
More sandpipers
Cape May marshes
Tricolored heron (Egretta tricolor)