DNREC reopens a beach at Cape Henlopen State Park this weekend.
The oceanside beach at The Point at Cape Henlopen State Park is closed each year to protect threatened and endangered shorebirds.
It reopens Sunday while The Point’s bayside beach remains closed until October 1.
This year’s closure allowed eight piping plover chicks to fledge from their nests on the beach, according to DNREC. At least 11 least tern chicks hatched as well.
DNREC observed 24 species of shorebirds, 10 species of terns and seven species of gull this year at The Point. It’s one of only three beaches in Delaware that closes to beachgoers for animal welfare.
The Point has closed annually from March through late summer or early fall since 1993. The closure gives protected species an undisturbed stretch of land to rest and feed after the breeding season.
