A Second Storm Rider

Another migrating red knot has been tracked flying through a hurricane.

On Aug. 15, the shorebird known by its leg band code LN5 beelined south across the Atlantic and into Erin as the storm grew into a hurricane near the Lesser Antilles.

LN5's flying slowed to as low as 20 mph compared to a 38 mph-average before plunging into Erin, according to Fletcher Smith, a senior wildlife biologist with DNR's Wildlife Conservation Section.

But the red knot made it through the storm's strongest side, and apparently just in time. Erin exploded into a category 5 hurricane the next day.

LN5 landed in Suriname the evening of Aug. 16, completing a five-day, non-stop Arctic-to-South America flight of more than 3,800 miles. At last check the bird was in Coppenamemonding, a Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network site on the coast of the South American country.

Processing LN5 in May on the South Carolina coast (S.C. DNR)

Like last year's tale of *H7 ("Red Knot Reveals Species' Pluck, Peril"), this storm survivor is part of a multipartner project tracking red knot populations that stopover in South Carolina and Georgia. In the process, the project is mapping the amazing and perilous migrations these threatened birds make twice a year.

As of Monday, LN5 was still transmitting location data from Coppenamemonding reserve in Suriname.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

• Give shorebirds space: When at the beach, walk around red knots and other shorebirds to help ensure their feeding and resting is uninterrupted. Observe beach birds only from a distance, avoid posted sites and leave dogs at home (or keep them leashed when visiting a beach where they're allowed).
• Learn more: Sign up for email updates and explore South Carolina DNR's red knot tracking website and efforts such as the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network to conserve critical habitat.
• Tell others about the amazing migrations of red knots and the need to conserve the places and resources they depend on.
• Support wildlife conservation: In Georgia, options include buying and renewing DNR license plates, plus donating directly and online. In South Carolina, ways vary from volunteering and reporting banded birds to providing financial support for the state's Coastal Bird Conservation Program.

Top photo: Red knot LN5 meets Erin over the Atlantic