AAfCW 2013 Volunteer Update #7

This is the seventh 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 from May 6 through 4:00 p.m. on May 13 with sightings of birds by volunteers and staff spanning that period.

Informational updates:

Least and Common Terns rapidly spread into Connecticut during the last week. You can expect to find them at all typical nesting areas plus other locations as migrants move through the area. New habitat may have been created for them by Hurricane Sandy so please look for them at all of our monitored beaches and please provide as accurate data as you can on them as you do for Piping Plovers and American Oystercatchers. The closest counts you can get, even if you have to estimate something like a group of Common Terns feeding offshore, are the best for us.

Survey and monitoring updates:

Piping Plover
6 adults, 2 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/6
1 pair at East Broadway Milford on 5/7
4 pairs, 1 adult, 5 nests at Griswold Point on 5/7
3 pairs at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/7
2 pairs, 5 adults, 3 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/7
1 pair, 3 adults, 1 nest at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/8
1 pair, 1 nest at East Haven (private) on 5/9
9 adults, 6 nests at Milford Point on 5/9
1 pair at East Broadway Milford on 5/9
5 pairs, 5 nests at Bluff Point on 5/9
7 adults, 2 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/10
7 pairs, 6 nests at Milford Point on 5/10
7 pairs, 5 nests at Griswold Point on 5/10
5 pairs, 2 nest at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/10
1 adult at Sasco Hill Beach on 5/10
9 adults, 6 nests at Milford Point on 5/11
12 adults, 2 nests at Long Beach on 5/12
3 pairs, 4 adults, 2 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/12
6 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/13

American Oystercatcher
5 pairs, 1 adult at Cockenoe Island on 5/6
1 pair at Goose Island on 5/6
2 pairs at Chimon Island on 5/6
1 pair, 4 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/6
1 pair at Griswold Point on 5/7
1 pair at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/7
2 pairs, 1 nest at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/7
1 adult at Milford Point on 5/8
1 pair at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/8
1 pair at Salt Island on 5/9
3 pairs, 1 nest at Menunketesuck Island on 5/9
1 pair, 2 adults at Duck Island on 5/9
2 pairs at Milford Point on 5/9
1 pair at Bluff Point on 5/9
1 pair at Stratford Point on 5/10
4 adults at Menunketesuck Island on 5/10
4 adults at Duck Island on 5/10
1 adult at Tuxis Island on 5/10
1 pair, 3 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/10
2 pairs, 1 nest at Milford Point on 5/10
2 pairs at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/10
1 pair, 1 nest at Crow Island on 5/10
2 pairs, 1 nest at Milford Point on 5/11
1 pair at Sherwood Island State Park on 5/12
1 pair, 4 adults, 2 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/12
4 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/13

Least Tern
2 adults at Stratford Point on 5/8
1 adult at Stratford Point on 5/10
17 adults at Milford Point on 5/10
1 pair, 1 adult at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/10
2 adults at Crow Island on 5/10
7 adults at Stratford Great Meadows on 5/11
2 adults at Stratford Point on 5/11
4 adults at Milford Point on 5/11
24 adults at Long Beach on 5/12
9 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/12
6 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/13

Common Tern
21 adults at Stratford Point on 5/8
1 pair, 2 adults at Menunketesuck Island on 5/9
13 adults at Stratford Point on 5/10
3 adults at Milford Point on 5/10
~50 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/10
~50 adults at Crow Island on 5/10
8 adults at Stratford Point on 5/11
1 adult at Long Beach on 5/12

This concludes update #7 through 5/13/13 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.