Delaware
On the front lines of protecting Delaware’s nesting piping plovers
The piping plover is still endangered on Delaware’s beaches, but it is holding steady in the First State.
The birds could always use extra protection, though. A group of volunteers went to the Officers Club at Cape Henlopen State Park on May 2 to learn how they will help keep the birds’ sensitive habitat free from human disturbance. Signs, chains and posts close off The Point, a sandy peninsula that spits out to the Delaware Bay. Piping plovers nest there and need that exact habitat to emerge from their endangered status.
The volunteers will station at those posts to let people know they can’t go through to The Point. If the visitors do, law enforcement might be contacted. Human disturbance, trash and development are some of the most pressing threats to nesting shorebirds on the Atlantic coast, including the piping plover.
The plovers nest on sandy beaches with limited vegetation.
There are more threats to the birds besides humans. Red foxes, dogs, cats and bigger birds like seagulls and crows can harm them. Ongoing sea-level rise doesn’t help either.
“Less beach means less space for them to go,” said Shawn Sullivan in a presentation to volunteers, beach-nesting bird biologist with the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control’s Fish and Wildlife Division.
The piping plover is a small shorebird with a gray back and a distinct black “eyebrow” above its eyes and beak. The birds can be found from Canada through the Mid-Atlantic in the summer months, including here in Cape Henlopen State Park. They usually arrive around March, and fledging birds are usually migrating south in August and September. Plovers have a incubation period of about 25-28 days in their eggs.
Adults grow to about 7 inches, so the chicks are tiny.
“The payoff is the fuzzballs you get,” Sullivan said about the chicks.
Plover populations in Delaware are concentrated at The Point and at Fowler Beach near Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge. In 2025, there were nine pairs of plovers at Cape Henlopen, 21 pairs at Fowler Beach and 30 chicks, 27 of which fledged. That’s more pairs than in 2024, but 10 fewer fledging chicks than in 2024.
Protecting the piping plover
The regional goal for the piping plover population is to get 2,000 pairs of plovers and 1.5 chicks per pair for five straight years. Delaware has an advantage in plover protection that other states don’t, Sullivan said.
The ability to close the Point and Fowler Beach completely from March through the fall helps the birds, Sullivan said, and other states don’t have large beach habitats closed like that. The creation of Fowler Beach is a “saving grace,” Sullivan said, because the Cape Henlopen population is small, but steady.
The bayside of The Point is closed until October, and the ocean side is closed until September.
Nests are surrounded with fences and netting so only the plovers can get in or out, which Sullivan said works. It protects from foxes, coyotes, larger birds and more.
Sullivan said Southern states, New York and New Jersey are struggling with piping plover population maintenance, and New England states like Massachusetts are faring much better.
Sullivan said the birds receive color-coded bands when they hatch so the population can be tracked. Eight adults and 63 chicks have been banded. If you see a piping plover with a colored band around its leg, let the state know at deshorebirds@delaware.gov so they can keep a track of the population.
How to help piping plovers
Volunteers will be stationed at the rope that is closing The Point off from the Cape Henlopen State Park bay and ocean beaches. Do not walk past that rope, and listen to the volunteers.
Most of the volunteers are older in age, which is representative of the area’s population. But some younger people showed up to the May 2 meeting to learn about how they can keep The Point pristine. Kathryn Lienhard, a 27-year-old from Lewes, said she is volunteering because she cares about shorebirds and their habitat and wants to support them. Seeing a few of the birds would be cool, too.
“We all share in the benefits of our natural resources. It’s up to all of us, including young people, to take care of them,” she said.
If interested, fill out the form that more than 100 people already signed at DNREC’s website. They are looking for volunteers who can stay out there in a beach chair during peak daytime hours, weekends and holidays.
Shane Brennan covers Wilmington and other Delaware issues. Reach out with ideas, tips or feedback at slbrennan@delawareonline.com.
Delaware Leaders Confront Crushing Utility Costs
Gov. Meyer urges PSC to freeze rates as Delaware tackles Delmarva’s returns, solar delays, data centers and nuclear options.
This story was produced by Spotlight Delaware as part of a partnership with Delaware Online/The News Journal. For more about Spotlight Delaware, visit www.spotlightdelaware.org.
New Castle County Councilman Tim Sheldon says he recently brokered a handshake deal to pause a data center development project near Newark.
Sheldon, who represents the Newark area, said the deal followed private negotiations with the developer’s prominent Delaware attorney, Shawn Tucker, who told him the New York-based developer behind the project, Shelbourne, agreed to consider the Newark site for uses other than a data center. “This is my art of the deal,” Sheldon said.
But the deal is dependent on the county finalizing an approval for an exploratory plan application from the developer, which would grandfather the land into zoning rules that existed prior to this year, Sheldon said.
That means the developer would not have to follow the county’s recently-passed data center regulations if the company ultimately decides to build a data center there. Since the property’s zoning already allows data center projects, the county likely does not have the legal authority to deny that exploratory plan application. An email sent between Sheldon and Tucker, dated June 10, shows that Tucker agreed to pause the data center project under those conditions.
Neither Tucker nor Shelbourne representatives responded to requests for comment about this deal.
Last year, Shelbourne filed documents with the county that showed plans to demolish the existing White Clay Center office and industrial buildings and construct a three-building data center campus that covered about 850,000 square feet.
After the filing, the plans became wrapped into a larger community backlash in northern Delaware against the growth of the data center industry. Neighbors have voiced fears that such data centers would use too much water and energy, and be too noisy.
Sheldon’s handshake agreement is not binding, and the developer still has the legal right to build a data center.
New Castle County General Manager of Land Use David Culver said he saw the email from Tucker but has no other information.
Sheldon noted that the agreement is between him and Tucker — and not with the county as a party. He further stated that if he decides not to run for reelection in 2028 or loses to a challenger, “it may be null and void.”
“If I’m not there, there’s no promises,” Sheldon said.
Asked if he would try to secure an official county deal barring a data center on that property, Sheldon said the project is “too far in the process” and he doesn’t want to risk the progress he’s made.
He said he will instead work to find another company to lease or buy the land. He said in a text after the interview that the deal is “the best I could’ve got.”
“Nobody else has even done this much and it seems like I’m getting hammered because I did something,” Sheldon said in the text.
Sheldon said an Amtrak train maintenance site will open next door to the White Clay Center property in the next few years, and he thinks the track upgrades needed for that project could make the neighboring site more attractive for manufacturing.
Delaware Public Media reported last week that Alstom, which conducts maintenance on Amtrak’s high-speed Acela trains – will open a new facility on 1601 Ogletown Road, next to the White Clay Center office and industrial buildings.
Alstom did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
What’s the status of data centers in Delaware?
Beyond Shelbourne’s proposal, several other building projects proposed in Delaware could become data centers.
The biggest is Project Washington, a 1.2-gigawatt data center campus planned for the land just north of the Delaware City Refinery. It would use enough energy to power almost a million homes.
That plan faced a major setback in March after a state board unanimously upheld Environmental Secretary Greg Patterson’s decision that the project is not permitted under Delaware’s Coastal Zone Act, a landmark law designed to limit heavy industry along the state’s shorelines.
Developer Starwood Digital Ventures was expected to appeal that decision, but it is unclear whether it will. Representatives from Starwood did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Another potential data center plan is slated for land near the southern approach to the St. Georges Bridge off U.S. Route 13. The St. Georges project includes the land that hosts the popular Halloween attraction Frightland.
County records show plans for three distribution centers covering 3.6 million square feet on farmland, along with 150 homes.
The records say the buildings will be warehouses. But project engineer Verdantas also submitted letters to the county suggesting that the buildings could be a data center campus.
Delmarva Power filings this winter showed two other potential data center projects. But Technical.ly reported that only one of those projects is still on the table, which would be located in Harrington. City officials are still in the preliminary stages of discussions about that plan, according to the report.
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Thursday, July 2, 2026 4:08AM
FELTON, Del. (WPVI) — A 65-year-old man was killed Tuesday after a camel fell on him in Delaware, according to police.
The incident happened around 7 p.m. on Indian Point Road in Felton.
According to Delaware State Police, the man was tending to his camel when the animal fell, resulting in fatal injuries.
The victim’s identity has not been released.
Officials have not provided additional details about the incident.
It is legal to own a camel in Delaware with a Department of Agriculture Exotic Animal Permit.
Copyright © 2026 WPVI-TV. All Rights Reserved.
Delaware is in the midst of a heat wave the like of which the First State hasn’t felt since 2011.
With temperatures hitting the 100s and heat index values reaching the 110s, it’s time for people to be careful outside – especially pet owners.
When a heat wave arrives, your pets will need extra attention, too. Dogs and cats can be vulnerable to extreme temperatures, making it important to know the signs of heat-related illness and how to keep them safe during hot weather. Here’s what pet owners should know.
Can heat stoke impact my pet?
When heat waves hit, dogs are also susceptible to heat stress and head strokes, according to the American Kennel Club.
- Heat stress: Heat stress in dogs occurs when a dog’s resting temperature hits 104 degrees. The signs and symptoms of heat stress include a dog looking for shade, limiting its movements, choosing to sit or lie down, panting, vomiting and excessive saliva.
- Heat stroke: This condition occurs when your dog’s resting body temperature exceeds 106 degrees. The symptoms include the dog acting confused; excessive drooling and thickening saliva; gums being bright red, blue or purple; refusing to drink water; losing consciousness; or having seizures. Immediate veterinary attention is required.
If your pet shows signs of heat stress, act quickly to help cool them down. The American Kennel Club recommends moving your dog to a shaded area, placing ice packs under its front legs and on its chest, and pouring cool water over its head and body. Offer fresh water to drink and, if available, have your dog lie or stand on a cooling mat to help lower its body temperature.
When should I walk my dog in a heat wave?
The first thing you should do is be aware of the type of dog you have. Overweight dogs and short-nosed dog breeds have a high risk of problems related to heat, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association.
When exercising, do the following:
- Do not walk, run or hike during the hottest part of the day or on particularly hot days.
- Take frequent breaks when exercising.
- Bring water for you and your pet.
- Avoid asphalt or other hot surfaces that can burn your pet’s paws. You can also use booties to cover its paws during walks.
How can I protect my pet around the house?
Even in your house, you pet could be battling the heat.
The AVMA and ASPCA offers these suggestions:
- Provide different temperature zones within your house for your pet’s comfort.
- Leave your pets at home if possible when you need to go out and about.
- Never leave a pet in the car, even in the shade or with windows cracked. Cars can overheat quickly to deadly temperatures, even when the weather isn’t severe.
- Make sure your pets have unlimited access to fresh water.Keep your pet free of parasites that are more common during warm weather, such as fleas, ticks and heartworms.
- Make sure all unscreened windows are closed and any screens are tightly secured.
- Talk to your vet or groomer about a summer haircut, but don’t shave your dog’s hair.
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