Hello, I’m a Ruddy Turnstone. Also known as “Engraved Light Green Flag #J5m”.
I was first found in 2009 in Mispillion Harbor, Delaware and I was migrating along with a lot of my friends.
There are thousands of us. Ruddy Turnstones, Sanderlings, Black Bellied Plovers, Western Sandpipers, Red Knots and many many others. We love to travel as far north as the northern arctic on the American Continent, and head as far south as Southern Argentina.
Our favorite stopping point mid-May is always the Delaware Bay. In fact, I love it so much, I’ve made sure that I’ve stopped there every year since. See the Horseshoe Crabs love to leave their eggs for us to dine on. It’s such a wonderful delicacy.
It’s a really long journey and a lot of hard work. But somehow we manage to survive year to year to make the sojourn across thousands of miles. My best friend “Moonbird” is a Red Knot that has traveled the equivalent to the moon and back one and half times since he was first found in 1995. Moonbird has defied all odds, far outliving the average lifespan of four to five years for a Red Knot. He’s 19 years old now and still going strong. The toughest little bird that I know.
Perhaps you’ll get a chance to find me again next year. Until then…happy flying!
Emily Carter Mitchell ~ Nature as Art 
Those are interesting looking crabs, never seen anything like this in person before đ
Aren’t they the craziest things ever? They are dinosaurs, as they were designed perfectly like the shark way back when and have never evolved.
Just like the crocs then huh? nature decided they were already the perfect design and left them be đ
You got it babe
Beautiful Captures – thanks for sharing the Horseshoe Crab – COOL đ
If I remember correctly, Horseshoe crabs are some of your favorites! Do you see them on the west coast?
Great photos, and I loved the way that you told the story of the two birds!
Thank you so much Jerry! I got creative for once. đ
Very cool and inspirational! That lil guy really is loving life to have technically lived 4X the normal Red Knot!!
Can you imagine? I’m exhausted just thinking of how hard this bird has worked to fly from one place to another.
Great post! Love all the photos. Moonbird causes quite the stir when he shows up each year. Here’s to another arrival next May!!
I was so thrilled to learn about him this year and that he was rediscovered. Who knows who else we’ll find next year.
Next year, I’m hoping to see them close up. Only managed a quick glance of one close up this spring!!
OH super easy to do on the Delaware Bay Shore. You’ll love it!
I’ll be dancing a jig when I see one of those beauties up close!
Wonderful Emily!!!! The little “Ruddy’s” are fun to watch as much to photograph!! SO common but yet so interesting!!
I love the Ruddy’s too ! I think they are so funky looking and love to capture them. Thanks Jim!
Nice to see live horseshoe crabs. Used to live in Southern Delaware and would go to Lewis and the beach would be covered with dead horseshoe crabs. Loved this post.
That is such an interesting that you saw that. Wonder if there may have been a red tide or something.