Summer 2018 on Sandy Point

By Beth Sullivan

Some things never change: the beauty and lure of a pristine island, calm water, clean sand and nature all at our back door.

Sandy Point Island is one of two islands owned by Avalonia Land Conservancy. South Dumpling is much farther off shore, not easily accessed and very rocky. The inner portions are densely vegetated and full of poison ivy. For that reason wildlife has been less disturbed and less oversight has been needed.

For generations Sandy Point Island has been much loved by local families and visitors alike. It is easily accessed by any kind of boat and the sandy shores are inviting to all: people and wildlife. Over the years we have reported on the efforts to preserve the wildlife on Sandy Point while still allowing people to enjoy the unique opportunity for passive recreation and nature observation. You can read more here. For the last two years the USFWS has been responsible for management on the island and each year, we get updates and reports on the success of the project. Visitors have been introduced to and educated about the management plans for the island. For the most part, those who understand are engaged and eager to assist with our conservation efforts. We thank you.

When visiting Sandy Point, take some time to read about the island and our conservation efforts.

A family group of oystercatchers doesn't seem to be intimidates by the flocks of gulls. Photograph by Rick Newton.

Migrating shorebirds like this ruddy turnstone rely on horseshoe crab eggs for food.

Home to many species

This year, preliminary reports are very encouraging about the number of American oystercatchers on the island. Approximately 16 pairs successfully nested and fledged young. We do not know the finally tally yet. These birds are so entertaining to watch and listen too, as they raise their young and noisily call to one another. This colony is considered one of the largest of these birds whose existence is threatened. Endangered piping plovers also arrived, some attempted nests, but between predators, people and storms, success may have been limited to one hatchling and it is uncertain if it survived to full fledging.

One species we can always count on, is the horseshoe crab. A group of us have been studying, counting and tagging these crabs since 2009. We have witnessed the steep decline in their numbers in just this short time period. Less than 10 years ago we could count 1000 crabs in one night, now we may get to 100, or so. Sacred Heart University’s Project Limulus, was unable to provide the large number of tags as in previous years, but in two separate visits, we were able to tag over 100 crabs and document returnees by their tag numbers from previous years. They too favor these beaches for mating and nesting. We have noticed some changes though. In earlier years, the populations were greatest along the north, calmer water side of the island. There they came farther up on shore and nested in areas that would be dry sand during low tide. It was also the area that sees more human disturbance and is often impacted by large mats of algae covering the shoreline. In recent years we have noticed a shift, and now they seem to be arriving on the southern shore down on the eastern tip. The surf is decidedly rougher, water cooler and cleaner, and they seem to burrow into the sand in deeper water for nesting. We wonder whether the nests ever dry out, whether the eggs develop successfully under water, or maybe if they are more protected from people and predators. I am not sure we will ever know really. But on a new moon night at the end of June, several of us were able to enjoy a motor boat ride out to the island and with tags, calipers, and headlamps we walked the beach, waded in deeper than we planned, and enjoyed participating in yet another year celebrating the return of the horseshoe crabs to Sandy Point.

Grey pearl-like horseshoe crab eggs are laid in shallow sand. 

Often the crabs emerge from the water to nest on the high tide line, but then they are more vulnerable to predators. Photograph by Rick Newton.

Team work allowed us to tag 50 crabs that night, document previously captured crabs, and pick up litter. Photograph by Rick Newton.

The south eastern shore of the island has a rougher surf, but he horseshoe crabs seem to prefer nesting in the deeper waters found there. Photograph by Rick Newton.

Still time to enjoy Sandy Point

There is still a month of high summer, and almost two months until the autumn equinox. There is still time to enjoy Sandy Point. The shorebird migration has begun. If you are very, very observant, you may actually be able to find the larval, miniature horseshoe crab young on the mudflats in shallow water. They are a necessary food source for the birds.

Summer life on Sandy Point continues. Some things change, somethings never do. If you go out to the island, please respect the guidelines and make it your choice to help us protect the creatures that also need the island for their own R&R.

Photographs by Beth Sullivan unless otherwise indicated.

A Season of Changes on Sandy Point

By Beth Sullivan

It seems like summer just began. We were just waiting for the Plovers and Horseshoe crabs to arrive on Sandy Point. And now they are ready to leave!

It was an interesting season on Sandy Point. It was the first summer that the US Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) was formally able to become the keepers of the lovely Island. As a transition year the COMO continued to issue permits but no longer supplied stewards to collect daily fees and do periodic patrols. Instead, this year we had dedicated, environmentally educated, interns and stewards out on the island as time and funding allowed. Instead of merely collecting fees, they informed people about their purpose and presence.

USFWS has erected informational kiosks for to explain our goals for conservation.

Education is often the very best way to get cooperation. When they encountered a violation, a dog on the shore for example, these stewards were able to give a real reason WHY a dog is such danger to the nesting birds (real or perceived predator). They spent many hours early in the season putting up roping to delineate where the nesting birds had set up housekeeping. But the stewards, this year, could also explain WHY the protected area needed to go all the way down to the water. (Young birds need access to water’s edge for feeding before they can fly). Visitors who understand this may be more willing to set their umbrellas and blankets away from these areas.

We can all learn to share the island with the species that need our protection.

The pebbles, shells, and sand are all the birds need to build their nests.

Kiosks explain the rules

The USFWS also erected two informational kiosks with photos and graphics to illustrate our combined efforts for conservation on the island. Now if only everyone would read them. On several occasions we were out monitoring, only to find people set up with campfires and their dogs, right under the signs!

According to Ryan Kleinert, the USFWS Biologist leading the team out there, the State-listed American Oystercatchers did very well. We had 8 pairs arrive early, get down to business and fledged 13 chicks. The Piping Plovers had a harder time. Ten pairs arrived on the island, but their efforts were greatly impacted by Gulls that chose to move into their nesting areas and aggressively take over, and crows that were predators on eggs and young. Those 10 pairs attempted 14 nests, and only 1 Piping Plover chick survived to fledge. Next year the stewards will try a new tactic to protect nests and deter the predators.

American Oystercatchers forage along the beach. Photograph by Rick Newton.

The Piping Plovers were challenged this year by Gulls and Crows. Photograph by Victoria Limi, Plover Intern 2013 USFWS.

Horseshoe crabs tagged again

We tagged Horseshoe crabs again this year. The Project Limulus Study group had fewer tags to hand out; we only had 200 to use. We did tag that number, and we could have done more, but there were nowhere near as many Horseshoe crabs out there as in earlier years -another change. We did count recaptures, those that had tags on them from previous efforts. One female crab we encountered nesting was originally tagged in 2009! Reporting those tag numbers is still important data for collection.

The tagged Horseshoe crabs provide important data on the range and travels of the species. Photograph by Rick Newton.

While this was a year to educate, we can expect that there will be more enforcement of the rules next year. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if everyone who enjoys the island, was willing to take a bit more responsibility to obey the rules, think about the species that depend on this place for their survival and act as stewards as well?

There's no better place to be at sunset.

Even those Horseshoe crabs recognize Sandy Point as special place, to call home and are now further protected by new stewards from the Fish and Wildlife Service. Let’s hope all the rest of the visitors to our Island can offer the same protections to all the species that call it home.

Photographs by Beth Sullivan unless otherwise indicated.

A Mid Summer Report from Sandy Point

By Beth Sullivan

Sandy Point is Avalonia’s lovely little gem of an island, situated East of Stonington Point, South of Barn Island and North of Napatree Point. It is a spot treasured by many for the sandy beach, clear cool water, and peaceful surroundings, but also as a premier wildlife preserve. Situated partly in CT and mostly in RI, it poses a unique set of issues for stewardship and preservation.

Oystercathers nest on Sandy Point.

Sandy Point. One island, two states.

Shorebirds flock to Sandy Point

The real Sandy Point season begins with the arrival of the shorebirds. Some just stop over on their way farther north. Others, like the Piping Plovers and the American Oystercatchers, arrive to make their homes here. These birds are federally protected ,and this little island is known as one of the most successful breeding areas for the Oystercatchers. Unfortunately the gulls, especially the Black Backed Gulls, present some real difficulties with competition and predation. The US Fish & Wildlife Service has had a keen interest in the island for protection of the shorebirds here. Their stewards arrive on the island when the birds do, note where they are setting up their nests, and will place signs and roping around large areas to deter people from walking through and disturbing birds or destroying nests. Avalonia has an agreement with the Stonington COMO which issues passes for usage of the private island. This helps fund their stewards who go out several times a week to help monitor the beach, look for violations of the simple rules, and to educate the public about the significance of the nature preserve. Not everyone appreciates the efforts to protect the birds. Sadly, the stewards are often harassed. Some visitors to the island will deliberately flaunt their disrespect for the rules, let dogs run loose, and set up within the roped areas. How sad that in this day of enhanced understanding about the environment and our increased roles as defenders and protectors, some people just refuse to be compliant, or to care.

These signs help protect the nesting birds.

Piping Plovers

Horseshoe Crabs in decline?

Another wave of wildlife arrives in May. During the new moon and full moon high tide cycles, the ancient species of Horseshoe Crabs arrive offshore and prepare to make the island their breeding grounds. Last year we reported on several nights of adventure on the island, when teams of us paddled out and spent hours counting and tagging the crabs. Look here, and here and see a video here. We tagged nearly a thousand crabs in the area over last year's late spring and early summer, reporting our data back to the scientists at Project Limulus at Sacred Heart University. This year we have been discouraged. We are all trying to make excuses and wonder why there have been so few Horseshoe crabs , not only at Sandy Point, but also at local beaches and Bluff Point. We had far fewer tags available to us this year, and we actually had a hard time coming up with enough crabs to use them on. Admittedly we had several nights of bad weather, with storms or rain and wind that made the kayak trip impossible. We spent one long night out there in late June; we walked from one end to the other and back again, and we found only 137 new crabs plus about 20 that had been tagged in previous years. Where are they all? Are they nesting elsewhere? Did we miss a big night? Or are we experiencing a terrible population crash? Scientists from DEEP and Project Limulus are all concerned. We continue to make trips out and count. It is not as exciting as last year.

Please report any tagged crabs you may see.

Black-backed Gulls are a serious threat to the Horseshoe Crab.

Horseshoe Crab with a visible tag.

So the birds have had a decent year, with good numbers of Oystercatchers fledged. Piping Plovers are about average with other years. Horseshoe crab numbers are way down, and human numbers remain high. We are grateful for all those visitors to the island that enjoy and respect the nature there, who offer their own efforts at stewardship to encourage understanding by others. We thank those who make reports, pick up trash, and help with public education. Every eye and helping hand counts!

A breach for nature and people too.

Let’s see what the second half of the summer brings.

Photographs by Rick Newton.

Sandy Point Island

Sandy Point

Just off the shore from Stonington and Westerly is a little gem of a Preserve: Sandy Point. It was a gift from the Gildersleeve family a number of years ago to Avalonia Land Conservancy. While it is owned by Avalonia, it is managed by teamwork. The Stonington COMO manages it for the public use. It is a favored beach and boating stop. Good swimming, beautiful beaches and great wildlife watching. Fires and over-night camping are prohibited. Dogs are not allowed on shore at all, to protect the wildlife. The COMO employs stewards during the summer to enforce regulations, check beach passes, interact, and answer questions.

Sandy Point

To further protect the nesting shorebirds, the US Fish and Wildlife Service biologists monitor the island, and rope off the areas used by nesting Terns, Piping Plovers, and American Oystercatchers; all of which are species that are endangered, or threatened. It has been established that colonies of these birds can be quite successful, and still leave plenty of room for people to enjoy the island as well. The USFWS biologists are always eager to answer questions and engage the public to help with stewardship when they visit the island.

American Oystercatcher

During May and June, full moon and new moon high tides, the island is also a sanctuary for horseshoe crabs coming to lay their eggs on the shoreline ( Look for the May 23^rd post for more about horseshoe crabs.)

Piping Plover

For a small island, there is a lot going on. To visit, please obtain your season passes from the Stonington Como. They are available now. There are daily passes available, as well as, discounted rates for COMO and Avalonia members. The COMO is located at 28 Cutler Street, Stonington. Phone 860-535-2476.

Enjoy what makes this a unique and valuable place. We are lucky to have so many people and agencies working together to preserve the habitat, for people and wildlife together.

Written by Beth Sullivan.

All photos by Rick Newton.

Learn more about Terns, Piping Plovers, and American Oystercatchers at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.