Protecting Plovers
The first of the piping plover migrants have arrived on the East End, and town and county officials plus a small army of volunteers are greeting them with open arms, but also with string fences, signs, and closed beaches.
The beaches of Cedar Point County Park in Northwest have been closed to vehicular traffic until further notice to protect the tiny white birds, which are on the Federal endangered species list.
County Parks Commissioner Michael Franks said on Monday that the action was taken in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which oversees the protection of threatened and endangered species.
Plover Spottings
Mr. Franks said that the Federal agency's attention was drawn to Cedar Park because one plover was found crushed there last season. The Nature Conservancy, whose volunteers had been trying to keep track of the birds, asked the county for help last year. Mr. Franks said that this year the county has been working directly with the Federal agency to create a plover management plan for the park.
"The beaches [at Cedar Point] are not necessarily closed for the season," Mr. Franks said.
"The signs are up now at the known habitats. As soon as the plovers are spotted, an overly large area is marked by string fences. When they nest, the 'exclosers' are placed," he said, referring to the metal fences designed to keep predators away from the nesting birds and their eggs. "We want to give them as much private time as possible. It could change, or it could stay the same," Mr. Franks said of the beach driving ban. He added that the park would take care to control pedestrian traffic around the nesting birds as well.
Larry Penny, director of the East Hampton Town Department of Natural Resources, reported on Monday that plovers had been spotted elsewhere in town. One pair has been checking out Sammy's Beach near Three Mile Harbor. Three pairs have been seen at various locations on Napeague. One pair and one unattached plover have their eyes on Gerard Drive. Another pair of plovers is nosing around Maidstone Park.
Project Halted
"They're just like ospreys," Mr. Penny said. "Some arrive early, some late. About one-third of what we expect are here."
The U.S. Government recently halted a $9 million dredging project off Babylon's Gilgo Beach when plovers showed up. The Army Corps of Engineers, which authorized the dredging project, ordered the work stopped after consulting with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.