AAfCW 2013 Volunteer Update #12

This is the twelfth weekly update by the Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds (AAfCW) for the 2013 season. Today's update includes reports of Piping Plover, American Oystercatcher, Least Tern and Common Tern from June 11 through 4:00 p.m. on June 17 with sightings of birds by volunteers and staff spanning that period.

Informational updates:

Common Terns are being seen less frequently as they have settled into nesting areas. Watch for them feeding in and around our monitored beaches soon and bringing young to these areas later in the summer. These will still be important sightings. American Oystercatcher and Piping Plover families are beginning to have young that have grown to the fledgling stage. Least Terns have nested in a few of our beaches in small numbers but the colony at Milford Point has had probably upwards of 600 individuals present at certain times. The best method to count large numbers of terns is from a distance with binoculars or a spotting scope counting them off by fives or tens. If you watch long enough you may see them flushed by a bird like the Peregrine Falcons at Milford Point. Not only is this a spectacular sight in itself but it allows you an easy opportunity to calculate how many birds are out there on the beach without disturbing any by walking nearby. Please keep in mind we do not want egg counts or even nest counts beyond what we can observe from a safe distance using optics.

Next week we will update everyone on plans for the fireworks coverage across Connecticut in and around Independence Day. Thank you all for your efforts!

Survey and monitoring updates:

Piping Plover
1 adult at Milford Point on 6/10
9 pairs, 6 hatchlings, 3 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/11
1 pair, 3 hatchlings at Shell Avenue Milford on 6/12
13 adults, 8 hatchlings at Griswold Point on 6/12
6 pairs, 17 hatchlings, 1 nest at Milford Point on 6/12
2 pairs, 2 nests at Long Beach on 6/12
6 pairs, 17 hatchlings at Milford Point on 6/12
2 adults, 1 nest at Long Beach on 6/12
5 adults at Long Beach on 6/12
4 pairs, 2 adults, 8 hatchlings at Griswold Point on 6/12
12 adults, 3 hatchlings at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/12
2 adults, 1 hatchling at Harkness Memorial State Park on 6/12
4 adults, 6 hatchlings at Bluff Point on 6/12
2 pairs, 5 hatchlings at Bluff Point on 6/12
4 pairs, 1 adult, 4 hatchlings, 2 fledglings, 1 nest at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/12
8 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/13
1 pair, 3 hatchlings at Shell Avenue Milford on 6/14
5 pairs, 5 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/15
5 adults, 3 hatchlings at Milford Point on 6/15   
4 pairs, 1 adult, 11 hatchlings at Griswold Point on 6/16
4 pairs, 1 adult, 9 hatchlings at Bluff Point on 6/16
1 pair, 2 adults, 6 hatchlings, 1 nest at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/16
1 pair, 3 hatchlings at Shell Avenue Milford on 6/16
2 pairs, 1 adult, 1 nest at Long Beach on 6/16
2 pairs, 3 adults, 5 hatchlings at Bluff Point on 6/16
1 pair, 5 adults, 4 hatchlings at Griswold Point on 6/16
1 pair, 3 hatchlings at Shell Avenue Milford on 6/17
6 adults, 5 hatchlings at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/17
10 adults, 8 hatchlings at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/17
2 pairs, 1 adult, 3 hatchlings at Milford Point on 6/17

American Oystercatcher
6 adults at Milford Point on 6/10
4 pairs at Milford Point on 6/11
1 pair, 1 hatchling at Governor Island Thimble Islands on 6/12
1 pair at Griswold Point on 6/12
2 pairs, 2 hatchlings at Milford Point on 6/12
2 pairs, 2 hatchlings at Milford Point on 6/12
2 adults at Long Beach on 6/12
2 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/12
1 adult at Bluff Point on 6/12
3 pairs, 1 nest at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/12
4 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/13
1 pair, 1 hatchling at Umbrella Island on 6/15
1 pair at Kelsey Island on 6/15
1 pair at Pages Cove on 6/15
1 pair at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/15
5 adults at Milford Point on 6/15
4 adults at Sunken Island on 6/15
3 adults at Long Beach on 6/16
2 adults, 1 nest at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/17
2 adults, 1 nest at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/17

Least Tern
580 adults at Milford Point on 6/10
3 pairs, 81 adults, 14 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/11
125 adults, 25 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/11
12 adults at Stratford Point on 6/11
77 adults at Griswold Point on 6/12
200 adults, 70 nests at Milford Point on 6/12
4 adults at Russian Beach on 6/12
540 adults, 120 nests at Milford Point on 6/12
150 adults at Milford Point on 6/12
6 adults at Long Beach on 6/12
1 adult at Long Beach on 6/12
13 adults at Sherwood Island State Park on 6/12
6 adults at Silver Sands State Park on 6/12
23 pairs, 14 adults, 22 nests at Griswold Point on 6/12
20 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/12
30 adults at Harkness Memorial State Park on 6/12
4 pairs, 13 adults, 4 nests at Bluff Point on 6/12
6 pairs, 10 adults, 6 nests at Bluff Point on 6/12
20 adults, 10 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/12
30 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/13
14 adults at Stratford Point on 6/14
19 adults at Stratford Point on 6/15
16 adults at Umbrella Island on 6/15
150 adults at Milford Point on 6/15
21 adults at Stratford Point on 6/15
29 pairs, 70 adults, 29 nests at Griswold Point on 6/16
8 pairs, 18 adults, 8 nests at Bluff Point on 6/16
1 adult at Long Beach on 6/16
20 pairs, 45 adults, 20 nests at Griswold Point on 6/16
30 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/17

Common Tern
7 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/11
2 adults at Milford Point on 6/12
75 adults at Umbrella Island on 6/15
4 adults at Stratford Point on 6/15
3 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/17
30 adults at Milford Point on 6/17

This concludes update #12 through 6/17/13 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.