Griswold Point fencing party

The Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds teamed up to help The Nature Conservancy in erecting string fencing and signage on Griswold Point yesterday. The string fencing is put up to keep people out of the specific nesting areas of the Piping Plover on the beach while still allowing them access to it for passive recreation. The signs inform the public about the basic facts of the Piping Plover and how they can be disturbed and also notify them that dogs need to be off the beach in nesting season.

Patrick Comins, Audubon Connecticut Director of Bird Conservation and AAfCW member, snapped these photos of the process and the beautiful habitat of Griswold Point. While working we were able to see two pairs of Piping Plover and one pair of American Oystercatcher plus an adult.

The purple sands of Griswold Point

Dave Gumbart of The Nature Conservancy

 Scott Kruitbosch, Connecticut Audubon Society Conservation Technician

 AAfCW waterbird technician Sean Graesser

 Audubon Connecticut's Leslie Kane, manager of Audubon Center at Bent of the River

 American Oystercatchers

Audubon Connecticut's Michael Brooks of their Piping Plover/American Oystercatcher program

The group!

The habitat

Audubon Connecticut's IBA Coordinator Corrie Folsom-O'Keefe

The nesting area

A feeding American Oystercatcher

The effort went flawlessly and very quickly with so many hands helping out. This is why we need your help at these fencing dates! The more people we have on hand the less time it takes and the less stress we put on the birds with all of us out there on the beach in their nesting habitat.


Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds, Audubon Connecticut and the Connecticut Audubon Society partnering to improve conditions for coastal waterbirds in Connecticut.