UPDATED: Oceanside Beach at the Point at Cape Henlopen State Park Reopens September 1st
Piping Plover Fledgling at the Point Shoreline / Image courtesy DNREC
UPDATED – 08/27/24 – Katherine “Cat” Christie, DNREC Coastal Waterbird Biologist, tells the Talk of Delmarva that, “The Point hosted around seven breeding pairs of piping plovers this year, as well as two pairs of American oystercatchers, and a small colony of least terns. All three species had nests successfully hatch, and we confirmed the fledging of at least eight piping plover chicks throughout the season. We have not finalized our data for the season as we continue to survey the area for lingering fledglings and other birds passing through, but these numbers are similar to recent seasons. With the assistance of our plover beach closure volunteer crew, which has grown to more than 40 active volunteers this year, keeping the Point minimally disturbed has helped keep this area as a viable breeding habitat for these endangered birds.”
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The oceanside beach at The Point at Cape Henlopen State Park will be reopened on Sunday, September 1st, however the bayside beach remains closed for another month for use by shorebirds migrating south for the winter.
During this year’s closure, eight piping plover chicks successfully fledged from nests at The Point. At least 11 least tern chicks hatched, but observers were unable to observe how many successfully fledged. While piping plovers nest in isolation and their nests can be enclosed with protective fencing, least terns are colonial nesters and individual nests cannot be enclosed to protect them from predators.
So far in 2024, 24 species of shorebirds, 10 species of terns including the federally threatened roseate tern, and seven species of gull are among the species observed at The Point.
