Short Beach - Nissequogue, New York
Text and Photography by Wolfgang Wander
At the end of a picturesque road through Nissequogue and past the David Weld preserve you arrive at the Smithtown town beach of Short Beach. Access is limited (and rather strictly enforced during the summer months) to Smithtown residents. The rest of us have to restrict ourselves to the colder seasons or take the hike through the lovely David Weld preserve to the beach.
Directions
Coming from the fire station in St. James on Route 25a, turn onto
Moriches Road North, following this road (names change to
Horse Race Lane and Short Beach Road) you'll arrive at the parking
lot (google maps description), if you cannot
park there (e.g. forgot your Smithtown sticker on your other Ferrari)
leave the Rolls at the David Weld Parking lot (google maps)
and enjoy the hike through the preserve, then follow the beach westwards until you get to short beach. While on Moriches Road you'll notice some
speed limit signs that you might consider to take very seriously.
Nissequogue Police has great radar equipment.
Attractions
Right at the entrance to the parking lot a small lawn with a centered bench is enclosed by various bird houses. You'll find woodpeckers, cardinals and various warblers in this area. During fall this area can be buzzing with warbling Yellow Rumpeds that feed of the many insects in the air. Check out the small path that leads from the right corner of that area towards the beach. Lots of low bushes provide cover for various song birds in this area.
Further down the long parking lot you'll see a lamp post with an osprey nest on top of it. Leave the car there and follow the path along some low pines that are inhabited by woodpeckers, nuthatches, finches... During spring you'll notice the occasional broken-wing killdeers that fall out of the sky right in front of your path.
Along the north shoreline to the long-island sound many shorebirds feed during low tide. Especially during spring there is no shortage of Piping Plovers or Least Terns, given the rather extensive nesting protection area. Also regular seagulls perform some rather stunning worm catching acrobatics here.
On the south side of the peninsula there are extensive marsh lands and mud flats that attract various herons and egrets during low tide. Check out the large amount of huge nesting boxes in this area. Kingfishers also hunt in this area but perch mostly on the not too attractive telephone wires along Short Beach Road.