Red Knots in South Carolina
Story by Janet Thibault and Felicia Sanders ; photographs by Ed Konrad
Kiawah Island has long been known as a spot to find red knots in the early spring . Many species of shorebirds , including dunlin , ruddy turnstone , whimbrel , and sanderling , spend part of the year on Kiawah ’ s beaches , but the most common shorebird found at Kiawah is the red knot . During late winter and spring , thousands of these long-distance migratory shorebirds gather along the beaches of Seabrook and Kiawah and the inlet that divides these islands ( Captain Sam ’ s Inlet ). When they arrive , they have light gray winter plumage , but before they leave , they are in their breeding plumage colors of rufous , brown , black , and white .
In the summer , red knots head for the high Arctic to nest . They travel to the tundra above the Arctic Circle coming from distant wintering grounds including Brazil and Tierra del Fuego in South America as well as the Caribbean and the southeastern United States . Along the way , these shorebirds stop over to refuel and rest on their journey . Arctic-nesting shorebirds consistently concentrate in large numbers at sites along their migration routes , and two of these stopover sites for some red knots are Kiawah and Seabrook Islands .
The beach at Captain Sam ’ s Inlet can hold thousands of birds roosting in one dense flock , sometimes the largest on the Atlantic Coast . During February and March , the flock builds in size as more birds fly in from southern wintering areas . By late March , the flock of knots is 3,000 to 8,000 birds . Huddled together , shoulder-to-shoulder , red knots rest and preen their feathers when the tide is high . As the tide turns and the water recedes , the hungry birds wander to the waterline in search of food . These amazing migrants are in South Carolina to rest and feed and to prepare for their northward migration . They also feed to fuel the growth of breeding plumage after they molt their winter feathers .
Watching knots fly is extraordinary . If a predator — such as a peregrine falcon — disturbs a flock , in a millisecond the entire flock takes off , swarming in synch through the air . The flock splits apart and regroups in an aerial display that is breathtaking . As they speed by , you can hear the rush of air through their pointed wings . Because shorebirds are prey for raptors , the flock must be vigilant , and at any perceived threat , they bolt . That is why it is important to give flocks space and not disturb them . They are on a schedule ! The knots have a short amount of time to build energy reserves of fat that will fuel their trip to the Arctic where they find a mate , build a nest , lay eggs , and raise their chicks .
At Captain Sam ’ s Spit and along the front beaches of Kiawah and Seabrook Islands , the item on the menu is clams — tiny clams called Donax . Also known as coquinas , these saltwater clams live in the sand on beaches in high concentrations . As the tide retreats , swaths of Donax are exposed by wave action and the clams then re-burrow into the sand . The knots quickly gobble them up , shell and all , probing with their bills to reach the burrowing bivalves . As the water line recedes , you will see the knots moving along the shoreline continuously probing and swallowing and then peeling off to a new section of beach to feed on coquinas .
The knots are at Kiawah and Seabrook until another food source becomes available : horseshoe crab eggs . When one thinks of mass spawning of horseshoe crabs , Delaware Bay is in the forefront . Although Delaware Bay has one of the highest concentrations of horseshoe crabs , breeding also occurs in South Carolina .
38 Naturally Kiawah