Piping plovers – a federally-listed threatened species and state-listed endangered species – have made a new nest at Gordons Pond in Cape Henlopen State Park, which will result in temporary closure of a portion of the beach for the nesting plovers’ protection. Photo by Shelagh Lynch

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control today announced that the first piping plover nest discovered at Gordons Pond in Cape Henlopen State Park since 2016 will result in the temporary closure of 800 feet of beach for protection of the new nest and any piping plover chicks that may hatch and fledge from it. The piping plover is listed as a state-endangered species in Delaware by the DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife in addition to its threatened status listing on the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) under the protection of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).

During the closure, which goes into effect Monday, June 26, DNREC will install fencing around the nest with the possibility of extending fence footage to accommodate movement by the piping plover parents and potential chicks within Cape Henlopen State Park. Though the first such closure for protection of piping plovers at Gordons Pond in seven years, the species has nested there on a number of occasions since they were ESA-listed in 1986. The protective fencing will extend to the high water mark on a portion of Cape Henlopen’s ocean beach while symbolic fencing – cautionary signage on fence posts tied off by twine – will be another deterrent at Gordons Pond to entering the nesting area in the dune, which is prohibited at all times.

Another stretch of beach at Cape Henlopen, The Point, is currently closed through Sept. 1 (Oct. 1 for The Point’s bayside beach), as it has been annually since 1993 for the benefit of threatened and endangered beach-nesting and migratory shorebird species to include red knots, piping plovers, American oystercatchers and least terns. The DNREC Divisions of Parks and Recreation, Fish and Wildlife, and Watershed Stewardship have worked together since 1990 on a management plan to help grow shorebird populations in Delaware – with USFWS oversight for protective measures on the shorebirds’ behalf.

During the protective period, drive-on surf fishing reservations for weekends and holidays will continue to be taken by the DNREC Division of Parks and Recreation, but surf fishing access will be slightly limited due to the closed beach area’s proximity to the newly-discovered piping plover nest. Drive-on surf fishing access will be permitted from Herring Point and Gordons Pond; however, anglers will not be able to access Gordons Pond from the Herring Point access, or vice versa. Driving through the closed piping plover area is prohibited during this time and could result in fines from Delaware Natural Resources Police Park Rangers or USFWS, or both, should the nest or the piping plovers be adversely impacted. Closure restrictions are to be enforced as long as the nest remains active, which, by USFWS calculations, could run well into August.

Since it was launched earlier this spring, the pilot surf fishing program’s peak daily reservation sales portal has combined Herring Point and Gordons Pond as a single reservable location. To accommodate restrictions on surf fishing vehicles during the temporary closure, the sales portal has been updated to offer separate reservation options for drive-on access to either Herring Point or Gordons Pond. Runners and other recreationalists are also prohibited from entering the restricted piping plover protection area during the closure at Cape Henlopen.

For more information about piping plovers and DNREC volunteer opportunities for monitoring the beach-nesting species, contact DNREC Avian Conservation Program Manager Sam Robinson at 302-735-8667, or email Samantha.Robinson@delaware.gov. For more information about surf fishing in Delaware, including surf fishing reservation availability and current beach accessibility at Delaware State Parks’ drive-on beaches, visit destateparks.com/SurfTagSales.

About DNREC
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control protects and manages the state’s natural resources, protects public health, provides outdoor recreational opportunities and educates Delawareans about the environment. The DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife conserves and manages Delaware’s fish and wildlife and their habitats, and provides fishing, hunting, wildlife viewing and boating access on nearly 68,000 acres of public land owned or managed by the Division of Fish and Wildlife. The DNREC Division of Parks and Recreation oversees more than 26,000 acres in 17 state parks and the Brandywine Zoo. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Instagram,  Twitter or LinkedIn.

Media Contacts: Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov; Nikki Lavoie, nikki.lavoie@delaware.gov

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Bayside Beach to Remain Closed for Shorebird Migration Through Oct. 1

The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control will reopen The Point at Cape Henlopen State Park, including a stretch of ocean beach and dunes, and a half-mile along the bay shoreline on Thursday, Sept. 1. The bayside beach will remain closed until Oct. 1 for use by shorebirds migrating south for the winter.

The area to reopen includes a stretch of ocean beach and dunes that was previously closed on March 1. Since 1993, The Point has closed annually each March for the benefit of threatened and endangered beach-nesters and migratory shorebirds, including red knot, piping plovers, oystercatchers, least terns and other species.

The DNREC Divisions of Parks and Recreation, Fish and Wildlife, and Watershed Stewardship have worked together since 1990 to implement a management plan to halt the decline of beach-nester and migratory shorebird populations.

For more information, contact Cape Henlopen State Park at 302-645-8983, or stop by the park office.

About DNREC
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control protects and manages the state’s natural resources, protects public health, provides outdoor recreational opportunities and educates Delawareans about the environment. The DNREC Division of Parks and Recreation oversees more than 26,000 acres in 17 state parks and the Brandywine Zoo. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.

Media contacts: Nikki Lavoie, nikki.lavoie@delaware.gov; Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov

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 Those caught trespassing in dune areas restricted to the public could face fines upward of $100 from the DNREC Natural Resource Police.

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control reminds residents and visitors that sledding, snowboarding and other recreational activities are not allowed on Delaware’s sand dunes.

Dunes contain fragile wildlife habitat and provide protection for the beaches and the communities they border.

In addition to asking the public to help protect the dunes, the DNREC Division of Parks and Recreation also advises that, except for at marked crossings, pedestrian traffic and recreation activities are prohibited on dunes in Cape Henlopen and Delaware Seashore state parks.

About DNREC

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control protects and manages the state’s natural resources, protects public health, provides outdoor recreational opportunities and educates Delawareans about the environment. The DNREC Division of Parks and Recreation oversees more than 26,000 acres in 17 state parks and the Brandywine Zoo. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.

Media Contacts: Shauna McVey, shauna.mcvey@delaware.gov or Nikki Lavoie, nikki.lavoie@delaware.gov.

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A banded piping plover male photographed in mid-July at Cape Henlopen State Park on Delaware’s Atlantic coast/DNREC photo.

DNREC Provides Updates on Other Beach-Nesting Bird Species

Beach-nesting piping plovers experienced poor nest productivity on their breeding grounds in Delaware during 2021, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control announced today in summarizing the rare shorebird species’ nesting success within the state.

Six pairs of piping plovers were recorded nesting at The Point at Cape Henlopen State Park with 18 more nesting pairs at Fowler Beach on Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge, making for a modern-day record total of 24 breeding pairs. Despite the record number of breeding pairs, piping plovers were less successful in producing only 19 fledglings, young birds that hatched and can fly in leaving their nest. Poor fledgling productivity is suspected to be the result of nest loss from a Memorial Day storm and higher-than-average predation at Fowler Beach.

Record piping plover productivity was documented in Delaware over the previous three years for the federally-listed threatened species and Delaware state-listed endangered species. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service established a goal of 1.5 fledglings per breeding pair in 1996 as part of the piping plover recovery plan, with Delaware’s nesting productivity exceeding that goal from 2018 to 2020. This year, the DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife recorded 19 fledglings, for a productivity rate of 0.8 fledglings per breeding pair. In 2020, 21 breeding pairs were documented, producing 47 fledglings for a productivity rate of 2.2 fledglings/pair.

Delaware’s piping plover recovery effort involves partnerships between DNREC’s Division of Fish and Wildlife and Division of Parks and Recreation, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services.

In other beach-nesting bird species nesting season updates, two pairs of American oystercatchers nested at The Point at Cape Henlopen State Park while one pair nested at Delaware Seashore State Park. Although the nest successfully hatched at Delaware Seashore State Park, the chicks did not fledge. A pair of American oystercatchers were observed using the marsh islands of Delaware Seashore State Park and were seen with two chicks that appear to have successfully fledged. Least tern counts were lower than recent years, with only four breeding pairs and four nests found at Cape Henlopen State Park, where only two chicks hatched, and neither of them fledged.

About DNREC
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control protects and manages the state’s natural resources, protects public health, provides outdoor recreational opportunities, and educates Delawareans about the environment. The DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife conserves and manages Delaware’s fish and wildlife and their habitats, and provides fishing, hunting, wildlife viewing and boating access on nearly 68,000 acres of public land. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.

Media Contacts: Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov, or Nikki Lavoie, nikki.lavoie@delaware.gov

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The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control reminds the public that The Point at Cape Henlopen State Park, including a stretch of ocean and bay beach, is now closed. Since 1993, The Point has closed annually each March for the benefit of threatened and endangered beachnesters and migratory shorebirds, including red knot, piping plovers, oystercatchers, least terns and other species.

The Point’s nesting habitat on the ocean side will reopen to the public Sept. 1. The bayside beach will remain closed until Oct. 1 for use by shorebirds migrating south for the winter.  

The DNREC Divisions of Parks and Recreation, Fish and Wildlife, and Watershed Stewardship have worked together since 1990 to implement a management plan to halt the decline of beachnester and migratory shorebird populations.

For more information, contact Cape Henlopen State Park at 302-645-8983 or stop by the park office.

About DNREC

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control protects and manages the state’s natural resources, protects public health, provides outdoor recreational opportunities, and educates Delawareans about the environment. The DNREC Division of Parks and Recreation oversees more than 26,000 acres in 17 state parks and the Brandywine Zoo. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.

Media Contact: Shauna McVey, shauna.mcvey@delaware.gov or Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov

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