AAfCW 2013 Volunteer Update #3

This is the third weekly update by the Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds (AAfCW) for the 2013 season. Today's update includes reports of Piping Plover and American Oystercatcher received from April 8 through 4:00 p.m. on April 15 with sightings of birds by volunteers and staff spanning that period.

Informational updates:

We have received the string fencing dates for Long Beach in Stratford and Sandy/Morse Points in West Haven from CT DEEP. We would love to have as many volunteers join us as possible!

Sandy/Morse Points - Wednesday 17th 10:30am. Meet at the parking lot. Should take a couple of hours.  Rain date Thursday the 18th.
Long Beach - Friday 19th 10:30am. Meet at the parking lot. Not sure how long it will take. Rain date Monday 22nd.

Volunteers should bring work gloves, pocket knife/scissors for cutting string, mallet (if they have one), snacks/lunch, water, and sunblock. Depending on the weather, a wind breaker might be necessary – it can be surprisingly cold and windy on the beach in April. Plan for heavy lifting and toting, but be mindful of your safety. We do not want any injuries. If you have questions you can email Laura Saucer of CT DEEP (Laura.Saucier@ct.gov). All volunteers are welcome including those who are not monitors. Please email us at ctwaterbirds@gmail.com to let us know you plan on going.

If you have yet to contact us or schedule monitoring please do as soon as possible! Keep in mind that Harkness Memorial State Park was removed from our list of monitoring sites so we will not be visiting or collecting data there through AAfCW. If you are out monitoring and not registered a 2013 monitor please email USFWS to get your identification for the season and help us get to 100 total official monitors in Connecticut!

The Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds is now on Twitter! Our username is AAfCW and you can find our page here: http://twitter.com/AAfCW

You do not need an account to view the webpage and read any tweets that we send out. You can visit it at that address like any other in your browser. You can also view the tweets in a box in the right-hand column of our blog. Why did we decide to start tweeting? Apart from it being another method to reach beachgoers, bird lovers, and conservationists in Connecticut we thought it would be a great method to give you "live" reports of what is happening in the field. When we receive or collect information we will tweet it out. This may be a report from a monitor who visited a beach, a staff member conducting surveys along the shoreline, or a request from CT DEEP or USFWS.

Survey and monitoring updates:

Piping Plover
3 pairs, 1 adult at Sandy/Morse Points on 4/9
3 pairs, 1 adult at Long Beach on 4/10
5 pairs, 2 adults at Bluff Point on 4/10
2 pairs at Milford Point on 4/10
3 pairs, 3 adults at Milford Point on 4/10
2 adults at East Broadway Milford on 4/11
1 pair at East Broadway Milford on 4/13
6 adults at Bluff Point on 4/13
1 pair, 3 adults at Bluff Point on 4/13
1 pair, 2 adults at Griswold Point on 4/14
5 pairs at Milford Point on 4/14
1 pair, 6 adults at Bluff Point on 4/14
3 pairs at Sandy/Morse Points on 4/14

American Oystercatcher
2 pairs at Sandy/Morse Points on 4/9
1 adult at Long Beach on 4/10
2 pairs, 1 adult at Milford Point on 4/10
2 pairs, 1 adult at Milford Point on 4/11
4 adults at Milford Point on 4/13
5 adults at Bluff Point on 4/13
2 pairs at Milford Point on 4/14
1 pair at Sandy/Morse Points on 4/14
1 pair at Bluff Point on 4/14
2 pairs at Sandy/Morse Points on 4/14

This concludes update #3 through 4/15/13 as of 5:00 p.m.


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