AAfCW 2013 Volunteer Update #4

This is the fourth 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 15 through 4:00 p.m. on April 22 with sightings of birds by volunteers and staff spanning that period.

Informational updates:

Thank you to all of the volunteers who joined us at Sandy/Morse Points and Long Beach for string fencing erection last week! Your assistance really helped move the process along and was greatly appreciated by everyone involved.

As we continue with unseasonably cold weather please keep in mind we only want to monitor and survey our birds during what is now nesting season when the temperature is above 50 and it is not raining. Cool and very windy days are also best to stay home on. The idea is that we do not want to add further stress to birds on eggs during conditions that could be fatal to them.

With that said we seem to be experiencing a slower than usual beginning to this nesting season. Many beaches still have birds that are trying to find a mate or territory with numbers that fluctuate depending on the survey time. We have received primarily observations of independent or small groups of adults. Beaches with no birds are still important to monitor right now and through at least mid-May so that we can be sure none arrive or attempt to nest there. Least and Common Terns will be arriving in Connecticut around May 1, and along with the American Oystercatcher, please remember these are birds we will want to be recording as well.

At beaches owned by their respective municipality, such as Long Beach in Stratford, please call the town or city's animal control department if you see dogs on the beach and are so inclined. Let us know the results of your attempts to contact the authorities there and we will record this information or speak directly to the municipality if needed.

Survey and monitoring updates:

Piping Plover
3 pairs at Sandy/Morse Points on 4/16
3 pairs at Sandy/Morse Points on 4/16
6 pairs at Milford Point on 4/16
1 pair at East Broadway Milford on 4/16
3 pairs, 1 adult at Griswold Point on 4/16
8 adults at Bluff Point on 4/16
2 pairs at Sandy/Morse Points on 4/17
1 pair, 2 adults at Bluff Point on 4/17
1 adult at Sandy Point Stonington on 4/17
1 pair, 1 adult, 1 nest at Griswold Point on 4/17
3 pairs at Bluff Point on 4/17
4 pairs, 3 adults at Milford Point on 4/18
13 adults at Griswold Point on 4/19
2 adults at Long Beach on 4/19
3 pairs, 1 adult at Sandy/Morse Points on 4/20
2 adults at East Broadway Milford on 4/20
1 adult at Milford Point on 4/20
1 pair, 1 adult, 1 nest at Griswold Point on 4/20
1 pair, 8 adults at Bluff Point on 4/20
9 adults at Bluff Point on 4/21
2 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 4/21
1 pair, 2 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 4/21
1 pair, 1 adult at Sandy/Morse Points on 4/22

American Oystercatcher
2 pairs at Falkner Island on 4/16
2 pairs at Sandy/Morse Points on 4/16
2 pairs at Sandy/Morse Points on 4/16
2 pairs, 3 adults at Milford Point on 4/16
4 pairs at Sandy/Morse Points on 4/16
1 pair at Griswold Point on 4/16
1 pair at Bluff Point on 4/16
2 pairs at Sandy/Morse Points on 4/17
4 pairs, 1 adult at Sandy Point Stonington on 4/17
3 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 4/17
1 pair, 1 nest with 1 egg at Milford Point on 4/17
1 adult at Stratford Point on 4/20
2 pairs at Sandy/Morse Points on 4/20
3 adults at Milford Point on 4/20
2 pairs at Griswold Point on 4/20
2 adults at Bluff Point on 4/20
2 pairs at Sandy/Morse Points on 4/21
3 pairs, 1 adult at Sandy/Morse Points on 4/21
1 pair at Sandy/Morse Points on 4/22

This concludes update #4 through 4/22/13 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.