Deserted Island

Birds, boaters both fond of deserted island in Cape

By MICHAEL MILLER Staff Writer, (609) 463-6712
Press of Atlantic City
Published: Saturday, July 14, 2007

STONE HARBOR — The New Jersey Audubon Society wants the state to beef up protection for nesting shorebirds at Champagne Island.

This shifting sandbar in Hereford Inlet is home to the state's largest colony of rare black skimmers. But the deserted island is a favorite haunt of boaters, too, because they can drink alcohol, grill food and relax without worrying about being pestered by beach-badge checkers, police or lifeguards.

New Jersey Audubon would like to ban boats from the island during the skimmers' breeding season, which coincides with Cape May County's boating season.

Perhaps the biggest conservation obstacle is the island's unusual geography. It straddles the border between Middle Township, Stone Harbor and North Wildwood. No town has taken responsibility for the island.

“It's this ephemeral sandspit, just most of an acre at high tide,” New Jersey Audubon spokesman Eric Stiles said. “This site is critically important to a very imperiled species.”
The state Department of Environmental Protection regularly cordons off large sections of the island while the birds are nesting. But some people pay no heed to the barriers, especially when the rising tide shrinks the sandbar, said Don Freiday, director of birding for New Jersey Audubon's Cape May Bird Observatory.

The skittish birds do not tolerate people or their dogs. When the adults take flight their chicks are exposed to the heat of the sun and hungry gulls, he said.

“A lot of boaters get it. They're respectful of the signs and accept that. More than a few like the birds,” Freiday said. “But over the Fourth of July weekend, it became party town. People were there with grills and Hibachis and they moved into the colony.”

This year, royal terns are nesting on Champagne Island. This is the first breeding colony ever observed in New Jersey, Freiday said.

“That's an exciting development,” Freiday said. “Now there are over 100 royal terns around Champagne Island.”

But he and other birders are concerned about the future of the black skimmers. Not long ago, the state had two large colonies of the birds. Now the largest colony consists of just 1,400 individuals off the coast of southern Cape May County.

“Not only do we have eggs literally in one basket, but we've paved over most of the other baskets,” Stiles said.

The migratory birds are protected by law and are considered threatened with extinction in New Jersey. The black and white birds get their name from the longer lower bills they use to skim the water's surface in search of fish.

Skimmers can be fickle in their choice of nesting spots. For many years they nested off the nearby Stone Harbor Point, which has far more room than Champagne Island.

Freiday said there are no known predators on Champagne Island, unlike Stone Harbor Point, which has red foxes and raccoons.

Skimmers share the vegetated sandbar with about 700 common terns and another 100 or so royal terns.

According to New Jersey Audubon, the DEP does not have enough conservation officers to protect the state's natural resources adequately. The nonprofit group said there are 17 vacancies, a number neither the governor's office nor the DEP would confirm Friday.

The state also relies on volunteers who ask beachgoers to observe regulations designed to protect shorebirds.

DEP spokeswoman Darlene Yuhas said the agency received reports of conflicts between people and birds this week.

“We increased enforcement there. We are investigating it,” she said.

She said people who observe illegal activity such as the harassing of protected shorebirds can call the environmental action line at 1-877-WARN-DEP.


To e-mail Michael Miller at The Press:MMiller@pressofac.com