Comments on: Watching the World’s Greatest Journey

By: Glenda Larke

Glenda Larke — Thu, 09 Mar 2006 16:20:00 +0000

That crab migration is of great importance to waders, which time their migration with the spawning as they eat the result – environmentalists are very worried that the the two events may get out of sync with the advent of global warming.

Would love to get there one day.

By: Mindy Tarquini

Mindy Tarquini — Thu, 23 Feb 2006 21:07:00 +0000

Lots of times the horseshoe crabs get flipped over. We flip them back before they fry in the sun. There is something in horseshoe crab’s blood that’s important for some special medicine, but I can’t remember what it is. But it’s very important. They only spawn in certain places. My little section of the Jersey shore is one of them. It’s sad because the local high school kids don’t always get it. They go there drinking at night and will smash the crabs. It upsets me when I see one smashed. It’s so wanton. The Jacques Cousteau preserve is watchdogged by Rutgers University and other environmental associations. On the other side of my little bit of paradise are the New Jersey Pinelands, one of 9 areas in the world considered so ecologically important that they are designated so by the UN. Place used to be so quiet and forgotten. Now lots of yuppies with SUV’s. The cappuchino places are sprouting.

Never been to Hungary. Used to travel a lot, not so much anymore. But a guy named Attila. Who could forget that?

By: Glenda Larke

Glenda Larke — Thu, 23 Feb 2006 20:19:00 +0000

I can remember once walking across the Hungarian steppes with a guy called Attila (now, how’s that for a GREAT line) in autumn, and watching the Red Admirals fly past. As they all seemed to be going in the same direction, one or so every couple of minutes, it was clear they were flying south on their way to Africa. I was enormously moved – those tiny things heading so far…

To see the monarchs on the move must be really something. And those horseshoe crabs spawning bring in the waders – sigh. One day, one day.

By: Mindy Tarquini

Mindy Tarquini — Tue, 21 Feb 2006 22:49:00 +0000

The monarch butterflies stop there also. Now THAT is an amazing site. And every spring the horseshoe crabs make landfall to mate. The place is a naturalist’s smorgasboard. I hope you get a chance sometime. It’s in a salt marsh, always something happening.

By: Glenda Larke

Glenda Larke — Tue, 21 Feb 2006 19:07:00 +0000

OOOoo, you lucky people! I am dying to go to some of those eastern US migratory watch points. I have a daughter living in Virginia, so I hope to make it one day.

Bernita, on one of the Philippine islands, people do just that, literally snatching buzzards as they fly into trees totally exhausted after the flight from Japan. To eat them! Can you imagine how tough they must be?

By: Bernita

Bernita — Tue, 21 Feb 2006 11:57:00 +0000

Me too.
We once lived under a flight path for Canadian geese. I sometimes felt if I went up on the roof, I could grap one.

By: Mindy Tarquini

Mindy Tarquini — Tue, 21 Feb 2006 11:43:00 +0000

Hello, Glenda. I’m wandering in from Agent Kristin’s. Just wanted to let you know I’m linking to you from my blog. We’ve a place on the edge of the Jacque Cousteau preserve in New Jersey. Migratory stop off point. Don’t get much chance to go there, but when I do, I mostly sit around and watch the show the birds put on for me.