The Quest for Rest
Story by Christopher Widuch;
photographs by Paul Roberts
A
fter a long flight, most any weary traveler likes
a little downtime, a few hours or maybe a day
or so to catch up on sleep and acclimate oneself
to their new surroundings, especially when
crossing multiple time zones over long distances. Imagine a
four-thousand-mile flight, say from Brazil to Kiawah. Now
picture that trip without access to any form of entertainment,
cabin service, or in-flight snacks! That’s how shorebirds
manage; they fly from South America to the Arctic with
nothing more than their instincts and stamina.
The eastern seaboard is populated with many feathered
travelers, all looking to rest, feed, and fatten up for the next
leg of their journey. When they can go no further, they scope
out a resting zone, typically a beach they believe will support
their need for rest and relaxation. Food is their top priority.
Their long crossing requires the burning of lots of calories
which provide the necessary energy to fly such an enormous
distance. By the time they pick a resting spot, they are in need
of a cheeseburger, or the bird’s equivalent of such a hefty meal.
They will spend weeks, even months, feeding and dining
on all the delicacies the beach has to offer. By the time they
resume their trip, the average shorebird’s body weight will
have increased by as much as 50 percent. That’s a lot of eating.
Kiawah is a temporary home to dozens of shorebird
species, including red knots, other sandpipers, and various
plovers. These birds typically arrive in waves, hundreds or
thousands of them traveling together. They may stop on
the eastern coast of Florida, further north on the shores
of Georgia, on our own beautiful beach, or any of the
surrounding islands or coast. They seek out any place where
they will find an abundance of food. Kiawah has proven to be
a sustainable stop-over point because of our healthy beaches
and the smorgasbord of delicious delights often hidden from
human eyes.
Red knots probe the tidal flats for mollusks, insects, even
vegetation that may lie just below the surface. Wilson’s Plovers
run in short bursts, then pause, then run again. They peck at
the ground looking for their favorite treats: small crustaceans,
worms, and insects. They too enjoy the occasional small
mollusk (who doesn’t, really?), and fiddler crabs if they
can find them.
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Royal terns.
Wood storks.
Wilson’s plover.
Red knots.
Naturally Kiawah