The powerful storm of 23 May that wiped over the Cape, destroyed most piping ponds nests in Sandy Neck Beach Park in Barnstable.
“We lost about three -quarters of our nests to that Noorder,” said Nina Coleman, Sandy Neck Park Manager, on June 4. “That morning was quite big.”
To prevent the removal of the remaining nests and newly released chicks, the city has everything but a mile from the beach closed for campers and off-road vehicles about a mile east of the access road that leads to the beach. Sandy Neck is a barrier beach that extends about 7.5 miles along Cape Cod Bay.
Before the storm, the staff had identified around 43 active plover nests. Only 11 remained afterwards. Since then, the eggs in at least one of the surviving nests – Nest 27, which was high enough to prevent it – have started coming out.
Assistant Park Manager Ann Marie Luppino Scans for a Pleelkkolomnest along a part of closed beach in Sandy Neck Beach Park on Thursday 5 June in Barnstable.
“According to the state and the federal law, we have to close the beach when the nests begin to come out,” said Coleman.
There is a lot of space left for people who bring vehicles on the beach, Coleman said: “And people can certainly walk the rest of the beach on foot.”
Nest spaces occur “when there are large strokes from the north, especially when they coincide with a big tide” during the season, she said. That does not happen every year – the last time Coleman stands out, was more than ten years ago, when Sandy Neck lost every well -known nest.
Coleman spoke about the resilience of the little birds. During the two weeks since the storm, almost every mating has made what the nature conservation team calls a “B attempt” -that is, set up a second nest.
“If necessary, they can even go to a 'C' or a 'D' attempt,” she said.
Leaders are small, sand -colored Shorebirds who once almost extinct in Massachusetts. Although they are still mentioned as an endangered species on both the federal and massusetts -threatened species lists, they do a steady comeback thanks to conservation efforts, researchers say.
In 2024, the State registered a record of 1,196 Nest pairs – more than ever in the last 40 years, according to Masswildlife and the Massachusetts Audubon Society.
That growth marks an increase of more than 500% since 1986, when the Coastal Waterbird program started to monitor the species. Although it was only 1.5% on an annual basis from 2023, when the population saw an increase of 14.8% increase, experts say it is still useful, because it indicates that the population continues to increase.
Sandy Neck is one of the most important nesting spots of the spots in the state and on Cape COD, although the peninsula has a number of nesting places. On the other side of Barnstable, on Dowes Beach on Nantucket Sound, there are also signs of prospects.
“We now have chicks on the beach at Wichelringen, and we may have two more couples. We are not sure if they will be successful or not,” said Coleman, but general “Wichelringen are doing well”.
Plovers also find success in Dennis, where officials go to the utmost to protect the birds. The city closed the main parking lot of West Dennis Beach for a few days at the end of May, because the staff built a path to give shaded pleffic chicks access to the beach. Deals for pedestrians were also in force and visitors were forbidden to cross the sandy path. The city also encouraged people to “benefit from one of the other beaches of the city today.”
The city reopened a part of the main parking space on 4 June, but the West End will remain closed for the time being because “we still have an active spower -nests and expect to have more torch -chicks in the coming weeks”, the city announced on its website.
The staff of Natural Resources in Orleans keep an eye on away places on Nauset Beach South. For now, the beach remains open for over-sandy vehicles, because chicks have remained free from the OSV gang so far. However, officials advise on the city website that the chicks will probably be brought again, which will cause an immediate beach closure.
The success story of Massachusetts with Plovers is part of a larger trend of recovery from coastal birds. The least terns, American Oystercatchers and other species also show increased nest activity throughout the state.
Nevertheless, nature conservationists warn that challenges continue to exist, including rising seas, powerful storms and predation.
Strong, site management, science and public cooperation, such as at Sandy Neck, help the birds to recover.
As the nesting season continues until August, beach visitors are remembered to respect posted signs and closures. Every undisturbed nest counts for the small birds.
Heather McCarron writes about climate change, environment, energy, science and the natural world, in addition to news and functions in Barnstable and Brewster. Reach her at [email protected].
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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Piping Plover Chicks Fast beach closing at Sandy Neck in Barnstable
