An analysis found in part that officials were contacting outside counsel with questions and requests and estimated that cost the city nearly $50,000 over 12 months

Over the years, we spent time on The Green following the plight of the Red Knot — a threatened migratory bird that stops along the Delaware Bay to refuel on horseshoe crab eggs — as they travel from South America where they stay in the winter, to breeding areas in the Arctic.A new study indicates the Delaware side of the Delaware Bay is seeing fewer Red Knots in recent years despite local officials reporting an uptick in Red Knots at Mispillion Harbor this past year.This week, contributor Jon Hurdle dug into these new numbers to try and sort out what they tell about these birds and Delaware’s efforts to protect their migratory habitat.