Tread Lightly At Big Club Beach
Walk the Wrack Line by all means up at The Big Club Beach.
You will see tiny sand flea crustaceans (Amphipods) hiding beneath strands of Eel grass and hopping off rich colored Kelps. These creatures are an important food source for shorebirds weaving in and out of the waves in this tidal zone
Tread lightly here too.
The other afternoon I observed a Piping Plover pair-“members” wading on the Wrack Line enjoying lunch.
A threatened species, the Piping Plover population has declined with increased human development and recreation along coastal habitat.
Beachgoers should be alert to this Plover’s defining of territory boundaries.
The birds will often flap around feigning a broken wing to distract “enemies” from nesting grounds. Mostly though, adult Piping Plovers will walk then stop, walk then stop again to avoid detection-blending into the beach background.
**Please remember to keep all dogs on leash during this nesting season!