Shorebirds feast on horseshoe crab eggs at Delaware Bay beaches in Cape May County (via NJ.com)

A flock of researchers gathered on the fringe of Reeds Beach and waited, binoculars in hand. Hundreds of horseshoe crabs had plodded ashore early in the morning, making a slow-motion frontal assault before burrowing into the sand to lay their eggs. Delaware’s smooth beaches and benign waves make…