Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds update #15

This is the fifteenth update by the Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds (AAfCW) for the 2012 season. It includes reports of Piping Plover, American Oystercatcher, Least Tern, and Common Tern received from 12:00 p.m. on June 18 through 12:00 p.m. on June 25 with sightings of birds spanning June 18 through June 24 by our staff and volunteers.

Informational updates:

Thank you all for nonstop surveys and monitoring, especially as the summer heats up. We ask that you bear in mind that temperatures over 90 can be both dangerous to you and the birds, so if you could avoid the hottest days that would be best. It is always OK to miss some time if the weather does not cooperate. Also, keep an eye out for thunderstorms, as they will be encountered more frequently from now through July and August. Remember, if you can hear thunder, you are close enough to the storm to be struck by lightning and should vacate the beach immediately.

As we enter July, many more people will be at the beach in the summer sun and with children out of school. Independence Day and the weekends surrounding it will be a busy beach time if the weather is warm and sunny as it should be for at least this upcoming weekend. If you could spare any time to monitor then and on July 4 we would greatly appreciate it. This can be for however long and outside of your scheduled monitoring – whatever works for you works for us. Our staff will be out and on the beaches nearly 24/7 during the week surrounding the holiday.

Survey and monitoring updates:

Piping Plover
Volunteer and staff surveys:
6 pairs, 10 chicks at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/18
5 pairs, 1 adult, 7 chicks, 1 nest at Milford Point on 6/18
1 adult, 3 chicks at East Broadway Milford on 6/18
4 pairs, 3 adults, 6 chicks, 1 nest at Milford Point on 6/18
2 pairs, 4 adults, 4 chicks at Bluff Point on 6/18
1 pair, 3 chicks at East Broadway Milford on 6/19
2 pairs, 8 adults, 9 chicks, 1 nest at Milford Point on 6/19
3 pairs, 6 chicks at Long Beach on 6/19
4 pairs, 2 adults, 5 chicks, 1 nest at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/19
3 pairs, 9 adults, 8 chicks at Milford Point on 6/19
2 adults, 3 chicks at East Broadway Milford on 6/19
2 adults, 6 chicks at Long Beach on 6/19
3 pairs, 8 adults, 9 chicks, 2 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/20
11 adults, 5 chicks at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/20
1 pair, 3 chicks at East Broadway Milford on 6/21
15 adults, 3 chicks, 1 nest at Milford Point on 6/22
1 pair, 3 chicks at East Broadway Milford on 6/22
4 pairs, 7 adults, 8 chicks, 1 nest at Milford Point on 6/22
4 pairs, 3 adults, 6 chicks, 1 nest at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/22
2 pairs, 5 adults, 3 chicks at Long Beach on 6/22
7 pairs, 2 adults, 3 chicks, 1 nest at Griswold Point on 6/23
2 pairs, 1 adult, 6 chicks, 1 nest at Long Beach on 6/23
1 pair, 2 adults, 2 chicks, 2 nests at Harkness Memorial State Park on 6/23
3 pairs, 5 chicks, 1 nest at Milford Point on 6/23
5 pairs, 8 adults, 1 chick at Bluff Point on 6/23
6 adults, 9 chicks, 1 nest at Milford Point on 6/24
5 pairs, 3 adults, 12 chicks, 2 nests at Bluff Point on 6/24

American Oystercatcher
Volunteer and staff surveys:
3 pairs at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/18
2 pairs, 6 adults, 2 nests at Milford Point on 6/18
1 adult at Barn Island on 6/18
1 adult at Mystic Islands on 6/18
1 pair, 5 adults at Bluff Point on 6/18
1 pair, 1 adult at Griswold Point on 6/18
2 pairs at Milford Point on 6/18
2 pairs, 2 nests at Milford Point on 6/19
1 pair, 1 adult at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/19
1 pair at Chopps Island on 6/19
9 pairs, 1 adult at Cockenoe Island on 6/19
1 pair at Betts Island on 6/19
1 adult at Long Beach Sand Spit (Norwalk Islands) on 6/19
1 pair at Sheffield Island on 6/19
2 adults at Grassy Island on 6/19
1 pair at Shea Island on 6/19
3 pairs, 5 adults, 2 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/20
4 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/20
1 pair at Long Beach on 6/21
2 pairs, 1 adult, 2 nests at Milford Point on 6/21
1 pair at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/21
1 pair, 4 adults, 1 chick at Bluff Point on 6/21
2 pairs, 3 adults, 2 nests at Milford Point on 6/22
2 pairs, 3 adults, 2 nests at Milford Point on 6/22
1 pair, 1 nest at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/22
1 adult at Branford Harbor on 6/22
1 pair, 1 adult, 1 nest at Menunketesuck Island on 6/22
1 pair at Salt Island on 6/22
1 adult at Long Beach on 6/23
2 pairs, 2 nests at Milford Point on 6/23
1 pair at Great Captain's Island on 6/23
1 pair, 1 adult at Bluff Point on 6/23
2 pairs, 1 nest at Milford Point on 6/24
1 pair, 1 chick at Bluff Point on 6/24

Least Tern
Volunteer and staff surveys:
20 adults at Long Beach on 6/18
152-202 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/18
6 adults at Milford Point on 6/19
22 adults at Long Beach on 6/19
4 adults at East Broadway Milford on 6/19
3 pairs, 25 adults, 5 nests at Long Beach on 6/19
25 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/20
50 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/20
3 adults at Milford Point on 6/22
1 adult at Milford Point on 6/22
2 adults at Silver Sands State Park on 6/22
150-200 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/22
10 adults at Long Beach on 6/23
50-60 adults at Griswold Point on 6/23
2 adults at Harkness Memorial State Park on 6/23
45 adults at Bluff Point on 6/23
1 pair at Silver Sands State Park on 6/23
4 pairs, 20 adults at Long Beach on 6/24
4 adults at Stratford Point on 6/24
40+ adults at Bluff Point on 6/24

Common Tern
Volunteer and staff surveys:2 adults at Long Beach on 6/18
10 adults, 1 nest at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/18
1 adult at Milford Point on 6/18
6 adults at Silver Sands State Park on 6/19
2 adults at East Broadway on 6/19
9 adults at Milford Point on 6/19
2 adults at East Broadway Milford on 6/19
1 pair at Long Beach on 6/19
27 adults at Stratford Point on 6/20
4 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/20
6 adults at East Broadway Milford on 6/21
17 adults at Milford Point on 6/22
3 adults at East Broadway Milford on 6/22
13 adults at Milford Point on 6/22
4 adults at Silver Sands State Park on 6/22
5 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/22
32 adults at Griswold Point on 6/23
3 adults at Harkness Memorial State Park on 6/23
10 adults at Milford Point on 6/23
2 adults at Bluff Point on 6/23
2 pairs, 50 adults at Long Beach on 6/24
41 adults at Stratford Point on 6/24
2 adults at Bluff Point on 6/24
This concludes update #15 through 6/25/12 as of 4:00 p.m.


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