Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds update #16

This is the sixteenth 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 25 through 12:00 p.m. on July 2 with sightings of birds spanning June 25 through July 1 by our staff and volunteers.

Informational updates:

If you would like to volunteer to help monitor Milford Point beaches or Sandy/Morse Point tomorrow night during the fireworks displays please email us as soon as possible, thanks!

Thank you all for monitoring only when safe during the hot weather and with thunderstorms in the area on several occasions in the last week. If you can spend any time monitoring and talking to beachgoers about our birds on July 4, we would also appreciate that a great deal. We will be monitoring all of our beaches and offshore islands as much as possible on the holiday and next weekend.

The data below mentions “chicks” and “juveniles” based on the information we have been provided with or noted ourselves. The definitions of each can overlap, but for our general purposes, juveniles are fledged birds separated from their parent(s), while chicks can be hatchlings or fledglings still in a family group. Juveniles have become much more noticeable in the past week and these young, as well as females, are moving around a bit.

Survey and monitoring updates:

Piping Plover
Volunteer and staff surveys:
1 pair, 3 juveniles at East Broadway Milford on 6/25
1 pair, 2 adults, 2 nests at Harkness Memorial State Park on 6/25
2 pairs, 4 adults, 1 chick, 5 juveniles, 3 nests at Bluff Point on 6/25
3 pairs, 4 adults, 7 chicks, 1 nest at Milford Point on 6/26
4 pairs, 1 adult, 6 chicks at Long Beach on 6/26
1 adult, 3 juveniles at East Broadway Milford on 6/26
2 pairs, 6 adults, 1 chick, 1 nest at Bluff Point on 6/26
4 pairs, 2 adults, 5 chicks, 1 juvenile at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/26
3 pairs, 1 adult, 5 chicks, 1 juvenile at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/26
2 pairs, 9 adults, 3 chicks, 1 juvenile, 1 nest at Griswold Point on 6/27
3 pairs, 1 adult, 7 juveniles at Milford Point on 6/27
1 pair, 3 adults, 3 juveniles at Long Beach on 6/27
3 pairs, 5 juveniles, 1 nest at Milford Point on 6/27
9 adults, 1 chick, 4 juveniles at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/27
2 pairs, 8 adults, 6 chicks, 2 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/27
1 pair, 10 adults, 6 juveniles at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/28
1 pair, 2 adults, 1 chick, 2 juveniles, 1 nest at Harkness Memorial State Park on 6/28
4 pairs, 2 adults, 1 chick, 10 juveniles, 1 nest at Bluff Point on 6/28
2 adults, 1 juvenile at East Broadway Milford on 6/28
15 adults, 7 juveniles, 1 nest at Milford Point on 6/28
1 pair, 2 juveniles at East Broadway Milford on 6/29
8 adults, 6 chicks at Long Beach on 6/30
6 pairs, 4 adults, 8 juveniles, 1 nest at Milford Point on 6/30
5 pairs, 6 adults, 6 juveniles, 1 nest at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/30
4 adults, 9 adults/juveniles, 1 chick, 1 nest at Milford Point on 6/30
9 adults, 2 chicks at Long Beach on 6/30
12 adults, 9 juveniles, 1 nest at Milford Point on 7/1
8 adults, 3 chicks, 4 juveniles at Long Beach on 7/1
6 adults, 2 juveniles at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/1

American Oystercatcher
Volunteer and staff surveys:
1 pair, 1 adult, 2 nests at Milford Point on 6/25
2 pairs, 2 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/25
1 pair, 1 chick at Bluff Point on 6/25
1 adult at Menunketesuck Island on 6/26
1 pair, 1 adult, 2 nests at Milford Point on 6/26
1 pair, 1 chick at Bluff Point on 6/26
2 pairs, 1 nest at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/26
6-12 adults at Cockenoe Island on 6/26
2 pairs, 2 nests at Milford Point on 6/27
1 pair, 1 chick at Bluff Point on 6/27
1 pair, 1 adult at Griswolf Point on 6/27
4 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/27
1 pair, 3 adults, 2 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/27
2 pairs, 1 nest at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/28
1 adult at Bluff Point on 6/28
2 pairs, 2 nests at Milford Point on 6/28
2 pairs, 2 nests at Milford Point on 6/30
1 adult, 1 nest at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/30
2 pairs, 2 nests at Milford Point on 6/30
6-12 adults at Cockenoe Island on 6/30
1 adult at Stratford Point on 7/1
2 pairs, 2 nests at Milford Point on 7/1
6-12 adults at Cockenoe Island on 7/1
1 pair, 10 adults, 1 fledgling at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/1

Least Tern
Volunteer and staff surveys:
25 adults, 4 chicks at Bluff Point on 6/25
19 adults at Long Beach on 6/26
30 adults, 4 chicks at Bluff Point on 6/26
64 pairs, 64 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/26
7 adults at Cockenoe Island on 6/26
50-60 adults at Griswold Point on 6/27
7 adults at Long Beach on 6/27
40 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/27
200 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/27
56 pairs, 56 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/28
2 adults at Harkness Memorial State Park on 6/28
30-40 adults, 4-6 chicks at Bluff Point on 6/28
3 adults at Milford Point on 6/28
25 adults at Long Beach on 6/30
2 adults at Pleasure Beach on 6/30
2 adults, 2 nests at Cockenoe Island on 6/30
16 adults at Long Beach on 6/30
2 pairs, 1 adult at Silver Sands State Park on 6/30
3 adults at Milford Point on 7/1
6 adults at Cockenoe Island on 7/1
14 adults at Long Beach on 7/1
250 adults, 100 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/1

Common Tern
Volunteer and staff surveys:
2 adults at Bluff Point on 6/25
2 adults at Silver Sands State Park on 6/26
2 adults at Milford Point on 6/26
5 pairs, 5 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/26
2 adults at Cockenoe Island on 6/26
21 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/27
16 pairs, 16 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/28
3 adults at Silver Sands State Park on 6/28
13 adults at Bluff Point on 6/28
14 adults at Stratford Point on 6/28
2 pairs at Milford Point on 6/28
16 adults at Milford Point on 6/30
6 pairs, 6 nests at Cockenoe Island on 6/30
4 adults at Long Beach on 6/30
12 adults at Stratford Point on 7/1
75 adults at Cockenoe Island on 7/1
2 adults at Long Beach on 7/1
2 pairs, 6 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/1

Shorebirds have started to trickle southward as we have hit the start of the “fall” migration season. Black-bellied Plover, Lesser and Greater Yellowlegs, Sanderling, Ruddy Turnstone, Least Sandpiper, and more have been noted in very small numbers.


This concludes update #16 through 7/2/12 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.