LEWES, Del. - The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) announced that the oceanside beach at The Point in Cape Henlopen State Park will reopen to the public on Sunday, Sept. 1. However, the bayside beach will remain closed until Oct. 1 to protect migrating shorebirds heading south for the winter.
The Point has been closed annually since 1993 from March through late summer to safeguard threatened and endangered beach-nesting birds and migratory shorebirds, including piping plovers, oystercatchers, least terns and red knots, according to DNREC. This seasonal closure allows these species to nest, rest and feed in a disturbance-free environment.
During this year’s closure, eight piping plover chicks successfully fledged at The Point. While a minimum of 11 least tern chicks hatched, it remains unclear how many survived fledging. DNREC said piping plovers typically nest in isolation, allowing for protective fencing around their nests, whereas least terns, which nest in colonies, are more vulnerable to predation.
This year, The Point has been a vital habitat for 24 species of shorebirds, 10 species of terns—including the federally threatened roseate tern—and seven species of gulls, said DNREC.