From todays Cape Cod Times:

Damn Shorebirds!

"To protect the shorebirds starting April 1st, the Cape Cod National Seashore annually bans kite-flying and dogs from Coast Guard beach south of the former Coast guard Station in Eastham and at Jermy Point in Welfleet. Piping Plovers view dogs and overhead kites as predators, which can scare the birds from their nests. "

NEW BAN:

"Also starting April 1st, kite-surfing and boarding is prohibited on Cape Cod Bay and in bay waters within the Cape Cod National Seashore until the last of the chicks have fledged later this summer."

This means there is an area 5 miles to the east that has the same ban and this new area about 15 miles to the west of Mayflower beach in Dennis where I buggy! I did notice they only said kite boarding - not buggying! Think I should push it and start riding up there:wee:

predation is a natural occurrence, without it the species weakens .

how does one know what a plover thinks, if it can, a kite would more likely mimic a cloud than a even the largest bird of prey.

perhaps a cloud ban ...no a moratorium on intervening nature and we'll just watch the birds die from lack of natural environmental pressure. they are going to you know ..just like the rest of us because none us are getting out here alive

its not the birds its those damn tree huggers/special interests groups.....................just ban the whole beach, kill tourism, etc....................great boost for their economy......................Im sure those CG cutters and choppers fit right in with their natural habitat......................do alka seltzer tabs work on huggers/politicians too?:duh::duh:

Quote:

Originally posted by beachrights Think I should push it and start riding up there

Expect that was tongue in cheek (?), but that it risks DCR dropping the hammer on all their properties both shoreline and inland. I suspect the wording on the announcement was written by several layers of bureaucrats and committees, hence the oversight.

Might be worth contacting them to find out details as to which of their properties this applies to and what the rescind dates are.

If they rotate beach staff between properties this would be doubly important to avoid getting trounced by multiple interpretations of the policy.

ATB,
Sam

If these Plovers are truly Canadian then I don't think you give them credit.

I would expect that once they see that these new beasts in the sky are NOT out to get them they would learn to co-habitate very fast ? Even see them as protection, scaring away other threats ? NOT as a predator at all.

Seems a pretty lame excuse unless they have some real proof that the birds are scared off ?

Hey,
again the plover thing in my area we have been trying to find a middle ground... it has been a hard long haul so far so good. The source of the whole kite plover thing is a single article! Hoopes 1992 I have been looking for a copy but well I can't find it. 1992 doctorate student what kind of kite do you think it is referencing? little triangle kite from wallmart maybe? I have been watching plovers for 3 years and if you don't buggy too close they don't seem to care about large kites. I wish a new study could be done! If anybody has access to a copy of that article I'd love to see it! Here is a article that uses that article as a reference.

http://www.fws.gov/northeast/pipingplover/recguide.html

Quote:

Originally posted by kitedemon The source of the whole kite plover thing is a single article! Hoopes 1992 I have been looking for a copy but well I can't find it. 1992 doctorate student what kind of kite do you think it is referencing?

What originally started out as an article went onto to become a 106pp Masters Thesis, but was never published.

I think the chances of finding it online are slim. Best best is obtaining a copy from a university library.

Univerisity of Massachesetts at Amherst has one because that was where Hoopes got his Masters. University of Prince Edward Island also seems to have a copy.

ATB,
Sam

Thanks! I knew U mass had one but here in NS it is a bit far to go I emailed them but no reply, PEI now that is a better chance. Have you actually read the full article and does he mention what the test kite is.

Quote:

Originally posted by kitedemon Have you actually read the full article and does he mention what the test kite is.

Haven't read the full article, but living in the Boston area, I am hoping that it might be possible to request it from UMA. I was amazed at how often the paper is cited.

ATB,
Sam

Totally if you do get a copy would you be willing to scan it and mail it to me hell photo copy and I'll cover shipping!!!
Alex

Yuppers ;-)

ATB,
Sam

Finally found a contact at UMA. Sent off an email requesting information on how to get the paper. Fingers crossed

ATB,
Sam

Sam,
That is great!

As I have been reading I see these plovers have messed things up from coast to coast. They have shut alot of the beach down at Cape Hatteras due to the birds.

It won't be long before you will not be allowed near the beach year around due to your feet mess up the sand!!

Spread an information pack sorry rumour, suggesting that the Plovers are spreading bird flu and tyhpoid fever etc etc ... then lets sit back and watch the competing hysteria's annihilate.

Man, for an endangered bird, it sure seems to be all over the place! East coast, West coast, North, South, really, how endangered is this beast?

Maybe they only really meant a band on these kind of kites :wink2:

i don't know how I missed this thread. My family has a cottage in Eastham and we frequent Coast Guard all the time. I've been spoken to by rangers at Coast Guard and Race Point Beaches for flying sport kites during plover season but I never board down there as the sand is too soft.

Bummer nonetheless for the kitesurfers and those who do ride on the hard packed beaches.

alkaseltzer.............................:duh::duh:

to caviat on all theses bans and banning boards.............I wonder how many of them sit down for lunch to a tuna sandwich or tuna casarole for dinner. Walk the walk huggers...........................:bigok::bigok:

This is probably a stupid question, but how can people site and make laws based on an unpublished paper with no supporting documentation.?

Here are the references to the papers.

Hoopes, E.M. 1993. Relationships between human recreation and piping plover foraging ecology and chick survival. M.S. Thesis. University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts. 106 pp.

Hoopes, E.M. 1994. Breeding ecology of piping plovers nesting at Cape Cod National Seashore - 1994. National Park Service, South Wellfleet, Massachusetts. 34 pp.

Hoopes, E.M. 1995. Piping plover nest distribution with respect to concrete walkways at the Breezy Point Cooperative, New York, 1991-1994. Report for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Sudbury, Massachusetts. 6 pp.

Hoopes, E.M., C.R. Griffin, and S.M. Melvin. 1989. Atlantic Coast Piping Plover winter distribution Survey. Unpublished report to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Newton Corner, Massachusetts. 6 pp.

Hoopes, E.M., C.R. Griffin, and S.M. Melvin. 1992. Relationships between human recreation and piping plover foraging ecology and chick survival. Unpublished report. University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts. 77 pp.

also where Hoopes is now.

E.M. Hoopes. Massachusetts Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit