AAfCW 2015 Volunteer Update #12

This is the twelfth weekly update by the Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds (AAfCW) for the 2015 season. Today's update includes reports of Piping Plover, American Oystercatcher, Least Tern and Common Tern from June 15 through 4:00 p.m. on June 22 with sightings of birds by volunteers and staff spanning that period.

Informational updates:

Once again, we are looking for extra help to monitor the pair of Piping Plovers on Pleasure Beach in Bridgeport and their four hatchlings that are only a few days old. As of today all four hatchlings are healthy and doing well with mom and dad. This is an especially sensitive area, being so remote, and with beachgoers visiting the site now via the water taxi from the dock at 91 Seaview Avenue in Bridgeport. You can do the same for monitoring with the parking lot available there. The City has been great in working with us and helping to educate people on and protect the birds. Our WildLife Guards program, which trains, mentors, and employs ten local high schools students and two crew leaders to monitor nesting birds and engage visitors, families, and friends about Pleasure Beach and its wildlife, will not start until July 1. If anyone could provide extra monitoring coverage for us until then we would greatly appreciate it, thank you!

Survey and monitoring updates:

Piping Plover
10 adults, 10 hatchlings at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/15
2 pairs, 1 adult, 6 hatchlings at Long Beach on 6/16
14 adults, 3 hatchlings, 2 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/16
1 pair, 1 hatchling at East Broadway Milford on 6/16
15 adults, 10 hatchlings at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/17
2 pairs, 7 adults, 7 hatchlings at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/17
2 pairs, 6 hatchlings at Long Beach on 6/17
1 pair, 2 adults, 3 hatchlings at Griswold Point on 6/17
2 pairs, 2 nests at Hammonasset on 6/18
2 pairs, 4 fledglings, 1 nest at Cedar Island on 6/18
1 pair, 1 hatchling at East Broadway Milford on 6/18
3 pairs, 3 adults, 4 hatchlings, 1 nest at Long Beach on 6/18
1 pair, 1 nest at Pleasure Beach on 6/18
14 adults, 12 hatchlings, 2 nests at Milford Point on 6/18
6 pairs, 3 hatchlings, 5 fledglings, 1 nest at Bluff Point on 6/19
2 pairs, 1 adult, 1 hatchling, 1 nest at Hammonasset on 6/20
3 pairs, 3 adults, 6 hatchlings, 2 nests at Griswold Point on 6/21
1 pair, 4 hatchlings at Pleasure Beach on 6/22

American Oystercatcher
4 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/15
5 adults, 1 nest at Long Beach on 6/16
1 adult at Silver Sands State Park on 6/16
4 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/16
1 pair, 1 hatchling at Green Island on 6/16
3 pairs, 1 nest at Hammonasset on 6/16
3 pairs at Goose Island on 6/16
7 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/17
1 pair, 1 nest at Long Beach on 6/17
1 pair at Canfield Island on 6/17
4 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/17
1 pair, 1 nest at Hammonasset on 6/18
1 pair, 2 hatchlings at Lewis Island, Thimbles on 6/18
3 adults at Thimble Islands on 6/18
1 pair, 1 nest at Long Beach on 6/18
2 pairs at Pleasure Beach on 6/18
1 pair, 1 nest at Bluff Point on 6/19
1 pair, 1 adult at Hammonasset on 6/20
1 adult at Griswold Point on 6/21
1 pair at Stratford Point on 6/22

Least Tern
24 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/15
4 adults at Long Beach on 6/16
30 adults, 5 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/16
1 pair at Green Island on 6/16
2 pair at Hammonasset on 6/16
2 pairs, 18 adults, 1 nest at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/17
3 adults at Long Beach on 6/17
30 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/17
1 pair at Cedar Island on 6/18
60 adults at Milford Point on 6/18
1 pair at Bluff Point on 6/19
3 adults at Hammonasset on 6/20
15 adults at Griswold Point on 6/21

Common Tern
3 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/16
3 adults at Green Island on 6/16
3 adults at Hammonasset on 6/16
1 pair at Hammonasset on 6/18
1 pair at Cedar Island on 6/18
1 pair, 1 adult at Thimble Islands on 6/18
3 adults at Milford Point on 6/18
2 adults at Hammonasset on 6/20

This concludes update #12 through 6/22/15 as of 5:00 p.m.