TTOR Chappy and Norton Point Beach Update as of 7/31/17. (Thanks to Chris Kennedy, Superintendent TTOR)
Aug
1
Written by:
8/1/2017 12:28 PM
“We
have just published a new beach update on our Facebook page. We have most
of Leland Beach open (small section in the middle is still closed to protect
one last group of plover chicks). Access around Wasque Point is still
impassable due to erosion--it comes and goes almost daily. The chicks at
the Narrows just north of the Dike Bridge are 28 days old today and are
expected to begin flying in the next few days, so that will be the next spot to
reopen later this week. Once that happens, we know we will be able to get
vehicles as far as Aruda's Point but we still have chicks (plovers and
terns) around the Jetties. We'll need to see where they go in the
next week but they seem to be spending more and more time north of the
rockpiles at the Jetties.
“We have seen the
second adult tern killed this summer on Norton Point late yesterday. The
adult Common tern was found in the vehicle track and had been run over.
At this point we cannot say if the adult was killed by a predator first
and then run over or the other way around. In any case we are heavily
patrolling the stretch of beach from the eastern end of Norton Point to
Wasque where there are several hundred terns hanging out preparing for their
southward migration next month. The Environmental Police are
investigating the first tern which was run over on Cape Poge two weeks ago.
They have also been helpful in convincing Cape Poge residents to
stay out of closed shorebird areas. I wish there was a way to convince
beach drivers that these young birds really aren't vehicle savvy yet. Any help the Surfcaster's members could provide us in reporting
speeding OSV's would be helpful. All we need is a plate number and we'll
do the rest.
Chris Kennedy”