The northernmost section provides handicap access to the beach, as well as Least Tern and Piping Plover nesting areas. Fisherman also use the marine basin to fish for snapper Bluefish during the summer months and also to catch bait. Other fish also occasionally caught in the nearshore waters along the beach. The intertidal zone between the beach and the main boat channel, harbor a number of small and sub-adult species of fish, which are used as a food source for the terns and wading birds that visit the area.

 

As you move south along the beach, you will find picnic areas, a calisthenics course, a playground, and of course, Stratford's largest sandbox! Additional recreation provided at the complex includes: a golf course, softball fields, and courts for basketball, paddleball, tennis and volleyball. The southernmost section is used to provide sailboard lessons and a concession stand/shower is located on the beach.

 

There are three summer residents of Short Beach worth special mentioning. The first two, the PIPING PLOVER and the LEAST TERN, are ground nesting birds that require beach front property and seclusion to successfully reproduce. The population of both species are currently declining due to the loss of this required habitat, and Stratford is fortunate to have a very productive nesting area. To assist these birds, it is recommended that they be given as much seclusion as possible and to keep all pets leashed. It is also advised to remove any food or garbage from the beach as this attracts predators of the eggs and chicks.

 

The ancestors of the third resident date back 300 million years - it is the HORSESHOE CRAB. This harmless creature feeds in the intertidal zone and uses the beach to dig its shallow nest during extreme high tides. As young Horseshoe Crabs grow, they molt and leave their discarded shell on the beach. While it has many predators, the most significant are humans, who grind them up as bait or use them as targets by rock throwing misguided children.