A section of Cape Henlopen Beach has reopened due to the end of piping plover nesting season.
Since April, a stretch of ocean beach between Gordons Pond and Herring Point had been closed off to avoid disturbing piping plovers.
This section of the beach typically reopens when the last piping plover chick has fledged.
The birds are considered threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act and is considered endangered in the state of Delaware. The first piping plover nest was discovered in mid-April. However, according to DNREC, there was only one piping plover pair nesting in Gordons Pond this year and the pair had abandoned the nest. In past years, there are usually two or three pairs.
The fences have now been taken down and the area is now open to surf fishing and vehicular traffic. However, DNREC advises that the dunes and the overwashes leading into the park remain off-limits to the public to protect sensitive wildlife species.
