WEST BARNSTABLE — Out on Sandy Neck Beach , the seagrasses tremble stiffly in an icy January wind — nothing at all like their soft, pliable movement in summer breezes. At this time of year, the sands are gelid and desolate, attracting only the most intrepid visitors.
Caught in the solitude of winter, the beach seems to be holding its breath, silent except for the waves and the whipping air. Waiting. Soon enough, the sands and the wind will soften, and the beach will begin to breathe again with other sounds, including the peeping of piping plovers .
At Sandy Neck, the town of Barnstable management team is standing by to ensure the plovers are protected when they start arriving, usually around the first of April. Sandy Neck is one of the places on Cape Cod where the tiny, threatened shorebird shows signs of resurgence.
“We have quite a substantial population on Sandy Neck. In the last three to four years, we’ve been seeing jumps in the number of breeding pairs,” said Nina Coleman, Barnstable Director of Natural Resources and Sandy Neck Beach Park Manager .