With the temperature edging into the 50s it felt like a good day to head to the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge. The entire beach in the refuge closed on April 1st for the piping plover nesting season but there are plenty of places to wander on the inland side of the island.
My first stop was the Stage Island Trail, a good walk on a trail that was opened last summer.
Feeling the need for a beach walk, I headed to the Sandy Point State Reservation at the tip of the island. While piping plovers nest at Sandy Point as well as in the wildlife refuge, people are allowed to walk in the state park during nesting season.
As I walked onto the beach I saw very large warning signs at the southern edge of the refuge.
In spite of the signs I saw a man, a woman, and a child walking the beach in the refuge. Not happy seeing their intrusion into the bird's space, I called to them, telling them that the beach was closed. The man and child immediately walked out of the restricted area. The woman turned around but continued her wanders in the restricted space, slowly walking toward the refuge boundary. She eventually said that she heard me and that she forgot that the beach was closed. Interesting. In order to get on the beach she had to walk by these very large signs. Forgot? I don't think so!
I headed south into Sandy Point, walking through a rock-strewn section of the beach before emerging onto smooth sand for a calming walk.
