The least diverse of the refuge’s upland plant communities is the beach. Considered pioneer species, beach plants are exposed to constantly shifting sands, limited fresh water, temperature and wind extremes, and frequent salt water. The entire community can be covered by tidal surges. The beach extends from the intertidal zone into the dunes along the entire east and south sides of the island.
Although a harsh environment, the beach serves as a primary feeding area for the hundreds of thousands of shorebirds that migrate through the area each year. Hundreds of peregrine falcons migrate through the refuge each year, and they rely on the shorebirds on the beach as their source of food.