Members of the conservancy trek to the peninsula every year to erect fencing and signs to keep people away from several delicate species of animals.

This year, however, the conservancy is planning to keep the public out completely.

The Nature Conservancy is closing Griswold Point to the public from May through Labor Day for the first time.

The effects of a natural shift in coastal ecology, paired with a danger to a species of bird that the federal government has declared threatened, are the reasons.

“It's the first time it says ‘No' as opposed to ‘Bird nesting area, please stay away,' ” said Gumbart, the assistant director of land management for The Nature Conservancy in Connecticut. He said the conservancy is closing two or three [additional] areas in the state this year for similar reasons.

The conservancy acquired Griswold Point, a 25-acre preserve, beginning in 1974 in a series of bargain sales involving four donors.

One of those, Dr. Matthew Griswold of Old Lyme, donated his interest in the land.

Matthiessen said “no single incident” led to the decision to close Griswold Point, but that the organization decided it had to more actively protect both the piping plover -- an endangered species -- and the Least Tern, which is in trouble in Connecticut.

“We're relying very much on people's good will and their understanding of what we're trying to do here to help us succeed with this,” Matthiessen said.

For decades, the peninsula at the mouth of the Connecticut River was a mile-long stretch of prime nesting area for the plovers and the Least Terns. Then, a 1993 winter storm breached the peninsula and created a “hole” about 250 feet wide.

The breach has grown wider and is now about 1,000 feet. The outer island it created is now referred to as Griswold Island, and it is drifting north.

“It's the power of nature, so it's not surprising, but I always get a kick out of it,” Gumbart said. “It's like watching geologic time in miniature.”

With the peninsula truncated, the birds' nesting area was dramatically reduced, pushing them farther toward the mainland and White Sand Beach, a popular public beach area a half-mile walk away. Visitors to White Sand often walk to the scenic point.

Boats often anchor nearby, and kayakers and others paddle along the Black Hall and Lieutenant rivers, which converge at nearly the same area near the peninsula.

The piping plovers build their nests in the sand with pebbles and small fragments of shells. Not only are the nests easy to step on, but the birds are also easily scared away. The increased traffic threatens their chances at a successful breeding season.

“It's crazy,” said Timothy Griswold, the town's first selectman, who lives on family-owned land that borders the peninsula. “It looks like a marina.”

“Any one person, that's no big deal,” Gumbart said, “But if it's 10 times a day, every day, that makes an impact.”

On Tuesday Gumbart and Matthiessen didn't expect to see the piping plovers, which are about seven inches long and sandy-colored. Gumbart thought it was still probably too early in the season to spot any nests, but a few hundred yards into the peninsula he spotted a bird huddled in the sand. Up close he could see a nest and four eggs, the total for a season.

The piping plover went into its decoy routine. The bird ran about 10 yards from the nest and flitted around as if it had a broken wing. Gumbart said the bird would attract a predator that way, then fly off, make a large circle, and land away from the nest. When the bird deems the nest area safe, it returns.

Gumbart and Matthiessen altered their plans and immediately set to work building the fence ahead of time, a distance from the nest, so they could install it around the nest as quickly as possible and spare the bird too much distress.

They dug a shallow trench, then brought the fencing back and drove four wooden stakes into the sand, securing the stakes to the fencing. They moved swiftly, puffing hard, but in less than 10 minutes they had the fencing up and had smoothed the sand back over.

 

Tim Cook A piping plover walks along the beach at Griswold Point in Old Lyme. http://www.theday.com/eng/media/dynamic/lrgimages/A1PLOVER050504.jpg

Tim Cook Dave Gumbart, left, and John Matthiessen, members of The Nature Conservancy, finish rigging a wire cage to protect the nest of a piping plover at Griswold Point in Old Lyme on Tuesday. Griswold Point will be closed for the summer in order to facilitate breeding conditions for endangered piping plovers and Least Terns. http://www.theday.com/eng/media/dynamic/lrgimages/a5cage050504.jpg

The men walked away and watched that the bird would return to the nest, which it did in a few minutes.

Gumbart hopes to have all the fencing up within a couple of weeks. He anticipates closing the area again next year and possibly after that, but said it all depends on the seasons.

“Things can change so drastically, year to year, that who knows what will happen?” he said.