A portion of beach along Morrissey Boulevard is fenced off this week after a nest of Piping Plover birds was discovered by state officials. The birds are members of a threatened species and thus protected by state law.
State officials say there are also American Oystercatchers nesting along the same stretch of waterfront.
Officials from the state’s Department of Conservation, which has jurisdiction over the beach and roadway, are monitoring the birds and nests along Malibu and other known nesting sites at Carson Beach and Pleasure Bay, where a couple hatched a total of seven chicks in 2024.
Quincy’s Wollaston Beach is also a very active habitat for the birds, which have hatched 23 chicks there between 2020 and 2024, according to state officials.
The beach-loving birds are typically found nesting between late March and early September with the peak period in July.
The buffer zones on Malibu and other beaches are intended to protect the birds from disturbances from vehicles and predators.
Dogs, state officials emphasize, are prohibited from all DCR beaches from May 1 through Sept. 15 “due to Public Health and Safety regulations.” On-leash dog walking is only permitted from Sept. 15 to March 31.
