As always, the horseshoe crabs answered
the call of the Memorial Day full moon
When the full moon called over
the past weekend, the horseshoe
crabs answered along stretches of
the Delaware Bay beach.
The full moon coincided with a
strong spring tide and when it
dropped its way gently back down
the beach, hundreds of the pre-his-
toric creatures remained
marooned on the dry sand laid
smooth by the fide.
Cliff Diver, whose home over-
looks the Delaware Bay beach,
said years of observing have
taught him that the biggest run of
horseshoe crabs comes with the
full moon closest to Memorial
Day. "Happens year in and year
out that way," said Diver.
One female crab, marooned a
few days before, and dead, was
turned on her back. In the mois-
ture of her inner cavities, thou-
. sands of pale green eggs - the del-
icate green caviar prized so highly
by migrating shorebirds - glis-
tened in the noonday sun. The
eggs are a little larger than the
sprinkles people sometimes put on
their ice cream though not as
appetizing - at least to people.
Other horseshoe crabs, far from
dead, and far from abandoning
their age-old instinct of climbing
the sands to deposit and fertilize
eggs, dug their claws into the sand
and left a distinct trail looking like
that which might be left by a
child's toy tank. In the lead were
the females, larger by fifty percent
than the males. Close behind
came the males. Horseshoe crabs
are uniquely outfitted for the busi-
ness of procreation as are most
creatures. The female has fiat tabs
BAREF00TIN'
Dennis Forney
the size of quarters reaching from
the back of their shells on either
side of their threatening tails.
Nature's provided those tabs to
coincide precisely with the dis-
tinctly muscled front claws of the
males who get a grip and hold on
for the ride. When the female
finds a spot that suits her, she digs
a nest into the sand and begins
depositing eggs. The male, hang-
ing on for dear life - and to endear
life - then fertilizes the fresh new
eggs. With any luck, the female
will have timed the tide correctly
and chosen her site well so that
her freshly-fertilized eggs get car-
fled back into the sea before most
of them have geen gobbled up by
the red knots, the semi-palmated
sandpipers, and the turnstones.
Many of the crabs get turned
over on the beach by waves and
by their own action of pushing
with claws and getting the front
edge of their shells wedged in the
sand ahead. When they get
turned, they struggle for a while,
and then fold up to await a wave.
Man documents wildcat track
Jack Frazer, who lives east of Georgetown, found this foot-
print in the snow near a deer stand where he was hunting in
mid-January. "It was on the Rosella Day farm west of George-
town, on Rt. 18," said Frazer. "Right near the Layton Vaughn
Ditch." The pen knife is five inches long in the open position
as shown in this photograph. That makes the track about
four inches wide. Frazer placed the open knife above the
track to provide a sense of the size of the animal that made it.
"It had to be a cougar or a bobcat," said Frazer. "Another
man in that area told me he saw a big cat along Rt. 9 west of
Georgetown. That's basically the same are& And that's not a
dog track. It doesn't show the nails that a dog has. What it
does show is the pads that a cat has. A big cat." Frazer, in
addition to being a hunter, also carves wildlife figures includ-
ing decoys, songbirds and shorebirds Officials in New Castle
County have been tracking a cougar seen occasionally by res-
idents over the past few months and coastal dwellers report
sightings of wildcats oeeasionaily in the marshes and woods
along waterways - habitat favored by wildcats.
APE GAZETYE. Friday. June 7 - June 13, 1996 - 7
r
RIVERFRONT
Lovely 4 BR, 2 BA home directly on
Indian River. 2 car garage, full base-
ment, central A/C, central vac, and
country kitchen. $259,900. Call Ruby
Jones: 227-6200. H-144
158 S. SNOWMASS LOWEST PRICE IN
ASPEN MEADOWS COLONIAL SEAS
Preview this 2 BR, 2 BA doublewide Oceanfront 2 BR, I BA condo in
on Sunday, June 0th from 11 A.M. - 2 Dewey Beach. Possible owner
P.M. Call Melanie Fair: 227-6111 for financing. Good rental. $88,990. Call
more information. Irene Tillman: 227-6200. H-009
QUIET UVING IN "THE PINES"
5 BR, 2 BA colonial cottage on an
oversized corner lot Just 2 blocks to the
beachl Enjoy the convenience of
being near downtown Rehoboth.
$333,333. Call "Tom* Thomas: 227-
611 I. A-I09
BAYFRONT AT ITS BESTI
Spacious 3-4 BR year round home.
Oversized 2 car garage, family room
with fireplace insert, screeried
porches overlooking bay & wildlife
refuge, and morel $249,500.
Call linda Davis: 227-6200. H-083
CLOSE TO EVERYTHING
Year round getaway close to shop-
ping & beaches. Enjoy the large
screened porch of this 2 BR, I BA sin-
glewide located in a well main-
tained pool community. $15,000.
Call Bob Howard: 227-611 I. A-097
COME ONE, COME AUJ
Fabulous English Tudor 4-6 BR, 2.5 BA.
with endless posslbilltles. Amenities
abound In this marina community.
$149,900. Call Sharon Blastlc: 227-
6200. H-O37
"I'M RELAXING BY THE OWN THE GROUND YOU
POOL" WALK ONI
That's what you'll tell friends this sum- Mobile on foundation with stick built
mer when you move into this 3 BR addition under one roof. Woodstove
home in Red Mill Farms. In the winter, & beautiful sunroom. Excellent con-
try the hot tub on for sizel A must see dition & excellent price. $79,500.
and now only $180,000. Call Doug Call Pat Renault: 227-6200. H-106
Davis: 227-611 I. A-078
IDEAL LOCATION TO RAISE A RARE FIND LOVELY LAKE VIEWS
FAMILY Impeccable 3 BR, 2 BA ranch feafur- from this 2 BR condo in Spring Lake.
This beautiful and spacious 3 BR ing 2 car garage, country kitchen, Elegant fumishlngs and in excellent
home offers lovely landscaping with family room w/woodstove, sunroom, condition. A wonderful second
privacy and serenity. A great home large deck, and more. Close to Indi- home or year round getaway. PRICE
at a great price...$129,800. Call San- an River. $134,900, Call Bill Ferreri: REDUCED TO $I 15,0001 Call Audrey
dro Jefferson: 227-611 I. A-224 227-6200. H-ogB Prettyman: 227-611 I. A-057
LOOKING FOR NEW...HERE IT IS
3 BR one story on wooded lot featur-
ing central A/C, fireplace, cathedral
ceilings, tile floors, 2 car garage and
large dundeck. Quality construction
throughout. $148,500. Call Llnda
Book: 227-6200. H-092
i I ....... i I i i I
BREATHTAKING VIEWS
of the bay from the deck of this 2 BR,
2 BA condominium in Dewey Beach.
Just a short walk to the ocean and
everything else Dewey has to offer.
$149,000. Call Harry Wooding: 227-
611 I. A-162
PINE BAY
• Terrific Location
• Close to Beaches
& Shopping
• Quiet Bay Side Setting
• Affordable Prices
Call Shirley Bennett:
227-6200
II
