06.17.10
Posted in Area Events & Attractions at 3:24 pm by admin
While you walk the beach in Wells, you will find a lot of large and small wildlife. Seals are the most commonly seen marine mammals along the shores of Maine, particularly at this time of the year. Spring is harbor seal pupping season in northern New England.
A large number of seal pups appear each year on New England beaches, apparently stranded, but their mothers, who are feeding nearby, often only temporarily abandon these pups. It is not unusual for a seal pup to be left alone on the beach by its mother for up to 24 hours. It is illegal under the Marine Mammal Protection Act to handle these animals. These seals are cute and it is very tempting to touch and pat them but you should not. The National Marine Fisheries Service recommends that any stranded animal be left alone. It is against the law to handle a marine mammal without proper authorization, and their sharp (dog-like) teeth can be very dangerous. To report any stranded marine mammal, or if a seal appears to be abandoned, appears on a crowded beach, or shows signs of illness or injury, you can notify the Maine Marine Animal Reporting Hotline, 1-800-532-9551 or our front desk staff will call them for you. The beach is a great place to learn about respecting and caring for the animals that live here.
Permalink
05.27.10
Posted in Area Events & Attractions, Holiday, Lafayette's Oceanfront at 3:16 pm by admin
90 Degrees Yesterday!
It sure feels like summer around here. The forecast for this weekend is sunny and hot! We are looking forward to a busy start to the summer season. Plan to come to Wells Beach to cool off in the water and to spend some time with the ones you love! A weekend at the beach is the perfect getaway!
I drove around Wells and Ogunquit yesterday and everything is open and ready for the weekend. I saw people playing miniature golf, eating ice cream, shopping, surfing, kayaking, antiquing, biking, strolling and relaxing.
Sea kayaking is coming back to Wells Beach! Worldwithin Sea Kayaking will be renting kayaks off Wells Beach again this summer! If you would like to reserve one in advance, please call them at (207) 646-0451. This is a great way to add to your vacation experience while staying at Lafayette’s Oceanfront Resort at Wells Beach.
We look foward to welcoming you back!!
Permalink
04.05.10
Posted in Area Events & Attractions, Lafayette's Oceanfront, Uncategorized at 6:20 pm by admin
Wells Beach is a great location for families to enjoy the ocean and the sand. The beach also provides protection for the hotel as well as habitat for many animals. One of the birds that nest along Wells Beach is the Piping Plover, which is a federally protected bird.
The Piping Plover is a sand-colored, sparrow-sized shorebird that nests and feeds along coastal sand and gravel beaches. The adult has yellow-orange legs, a black band across the forehead from eye to eye, and a black ring around the neck. It runs in short starts and stops. When still, the Piping Plover blends extremely well with open, sandy beach habitats. The bird’s name is derived from its call notes, plaintive bell-like whistles that are often heard before the birds are seen.
The Plover lays its eggs directly on the beach in what is little more than a shallow, scraped out area in the sand. The plover’s sandy coloration provides excellent camouflage as it forages for insects and small crustaceans along the water’s edge and in small beach pools.
Piping plovers return to their breeding grounds in late March or early April. Following establishment of nesting territories and courtship rituals, the pair forms a depression in the sand somewhere on the high beach close to the dunes. The nest is sometimes lined with small stones or fragments of shell. The eggs hatch in about 25 days, and the downy young are soon able to follow their parents in foraging for the marine worms, crustaceans, and insects that they pluck from the sand. Both the eggs and young are so well camouflaged that they are apt to go undetected unless stepped on. When predators or intruders come close, the young squat motionless on the sand while the parents attempt to attract the attention of the intruders to themselves, often by feigning a broken wing. Surviving young fledge and are flying in about 30 days. However, storm tides, predators, or intruding humans sometimes disrupt nests before the eggs hatch. When this happens, the plovers often renest in the vicinity and young hatched from these late nesting efforts may not be flying until late August. Plovers often gather in groups on undisturbed beaches prior to their southward migration. By mid-September, both adult and young plovers will have departed for their wintering areas.
Loss or degradation of habitat resulting from the recreational use of beaches is a serious threat throughout the plover’s range. The piping plover became a protected species under the Endangered Species Act on January 10, 1986. Along the Atlantic Coast it is designated as threatened, which means that the population would continue to decline if not protected. The Endangered Species Act provides penalties for taking, harassing or harming the piping plover and affords some protection to its habitat.
When you come to visit Wells Beach, you may find nests of Piping Plovers. To help protect the piping plover, you should follow a few simple guidelines. Respect all areas fenced or posted for protection. Do not approach or linger near piping plovers or their nests. If pets are permitted on the beach, keep your pets leashed. Don’t leave or bury trash or food scraps on beaches. Garbage attracts predators that may prey upon piping plover eggs or chicks. Fly kites away from nesting area because Piping Plovers think that they are predators and they leave their nests. On Wells Beach, dogs are not allowed on the beach after 8AM until 6PM from June 16 until September 15. They are required to be on a leash year round and owners are required to clean up after the dogs. For More Information on Piping Plovers, please visit Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.
Permalink
