Boaters and island visitors traveled to the island to celebrate on the 4th of July. Despite the holiday weekend’s dreary and rainy weather, visitors were treated with the sight of the Cotuit Mosquito Yacht Club skiff race on the 4th where boaters sailed across Cotuit Bay to the island and back. Monday, the sun finally made an appearance, and the island had its busiest day yet.
Later in the week, storm Elsa passed over the Cape, bringing wind and torrential rain. The storm created strong currents and waves, which pounded the island’s shore, carving out sand and making cliffs on the east-end and ocean-side of the island. These cliffs made it exceedingly difficult for the plovers to get down and forage along the coastline. This has caused an increase in the number of plovers on the channel-side of the island. We ask people to be more aware and cautious of the birds during this time.
As we head further into summer, you may find that our island is attracting more birds than usual. Dead Neck Sampson’s Island (DNSI) is a staging area for migratory birds to stay for a period of time where they eat, rest and prepare for their long journey south (or north). Recently, our island has been a staging area for piping plovers, least terns, sandpipers, and even a few black skimmers!
Please remember to keep off the closed areas indicated by the symbolic fencing and run the entirety of beach in front of it. The closed areas include both the eastern and western tips of the island, as well as all the ocean-side and part of the channel-side. This is to help protect the threatened piping plovers and least terns that scare easily.
Lastly, just a friendly reminder to visit our tent on the Sampson’s end of the island. Have a fantastic day visiting DNSI.