AAfCW 2017 Volunteer Update #7

This is the seventh weekly update by the Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds (AAfCW) for the 2017 season. Today's update includes reports of Piping Plover, American Oystercatcher, Least Tern, and Common Tern through 4:00 p.m. on May 22 with sightings of birds by volunteers and staff since the previous update on May 15.

Informational updates:

Please exercise caution when deciding if you should go out to monitor during this upcoming week with frequent rain, cool temperatures, and perhaps some windy days. This is a very critical time period with many nesting pairs of Piping Plovers and American Oystercatchers - and some renesting after tidal washouts or other nest failures - and we never want to add to the distractions or disturbances they face during inclement conditions when beaches will be relatively devoid of visitors.

However, next weekend is Memorial Day weekend, and the weather should return to sunny skies and seasonable temperatures. The holiday will mean busier beaches with a lot more traffic, especially if the forecast holds. Many visitors, including some from out of state, will not know about our birds or why they're important and need to be educated on what is happening on the beach. If you have any extra time to monitor outside of your usual shifts please try to visit any of our beaches next Saturday, Sunday and Monday during this nesting time at the unofficial beginning of summer. Even a quick stop for some education or a scan of the beach can be helpful, and you do not need to schedule it in advance.

Sandy/Morse Points parking passes have been received in the mail by some of our monitors and staff, so if you submitted your vehicle information directly to AAfCW when asked, you can expect to hopefully see yours in the mail from West Haven soon. As always thank you so much for all of your efforts!

Survey and monitoring updates:

Piping Plover
1 pair at Silver Sands State Park on 5/15
1 pair, 1 nest at East Broadway/Shell Ave on 5/15
1 pair, 1 nest at Sherwood Island State Park on 5/15

1 pair, 4 adults, 2 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/15

9 pairs, 1 adult, 7 nests at Long Beach on 5/15

5 pairs, 2 nests at Milford Point on 5/15
1 pair, 6 adults, 1 nest at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/15
1 pair, 6 adults, 7 nests at Long Beach on 5/16
1 pair, 1 nest at Pleasure Beach on 5/16
1 pair, 6 adults, 7 nests at Long Beach on 5/16
6 pairs, 5 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/16
1 pair, 7 adults, 7 nests at Long Beach on 5/16
5 adults at Long Beach on 5/17
8 adults, 2 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/17
4 pairs, 2 nests at Hammonasset on 5/17

2 pairs, 6 adults, 4 nests at Long Beach on 5/17

4 adults, 4 nests at Long Beach on 5/17

10 adults at Milford Point on 5/17

2 pairs, 8 adults, 2 nests at Milford Point on 5/18

3 pairs, 3 adults at Sandy/Morse on 5/18

3 pairs, 6 adults, 6 nests at Long Beach on 5/18

1 pair at Waterford Town Beach on 5/18
1 pair, 1 nest at Pleasure Beach on 5/19

4 pairs, 3 nests at Bluff Point on 5/19

1 pair at Short Beach on 5/19
5 pairs, 5 nests at Milford Point on 5/19
2 pairs, 6 adults at Bluff Point on 5/19
10 pairs, 2 nests Milford Point on 5/20
1 pair, 1 nest at East Broadway on 5/20

5 pairs, 3 adults, 3 nests at Milford Point on 5/20

5 adults, 4 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/20

10 adults, 7 nests at Long Beach on 5/21

2 pairs, 3 adults, 2 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/21

6 pairs, 6 nests at Long Beach on 5/21

1 pair, 2 adults, 4 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/21
4 pairs, 10 adults, 4 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/21

19 adults, 7 nests at Long Beach on 5/21

American Oystercatcher
1 pair at Silver Sands State Park on 5/15

1 pair, 1 nest at Long Beach on 5/15
2 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/15

4 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/15
1 adult at Long Beach on 5/16
1 pair, 1 nest at Pleasure Beach on 5/16
1 pair, 1 nest at Long Beach on 5/16
1 pair, 1 nest at Long Beach on 5/16
2 pairs at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/16
1 pair, 1 nest at Griswold Island on 5/16
1 pair, 1 nest at Long Beach on 5/17   
1 adult at Short Beach on 5/17
1 pair, 1 nest at Long Beach on 5/17
3 pairs, 4 adults, 1 nest at Milford Point on 5/17

3 pairs at Milford Point on 5/17

2 pairs at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/17
1 pair at Long Beach on 5/17 
2 pairs, 2 nests at Hammonasset on 5/17
1 adult at Long Beach on 5/17
2 pairs, 7 adults, 2 nests at Milford Point on 5/18
1 pair at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/18
2 pairs at Ocean Beach Park on 5/18
1 pair, 1 nest at Long Beach on 5/18
1 pair, 1 adult at Branford Harbor Channel Marker on 5/18
1 pair, 3 hatchlings at Green Island on 5/18
1 pair, 3 hatchlings at Umbrella Island on 5/18
2 pairs, 1 nest at Kelsey Island on 5/18
5 pairs, 2 hatchlings at Menunketesuck Island on 5/18
1 pair, 4 adults, 1 nest at Pleasure Beach on 5/19
4 adults at Short Beach on 5/19
1 pair at Lewis Island, Thimbles on 5/19
1 pair, 3 hatchlings at Thimble Island # 18 on 5/19

1 pair, 1 nest at Bluff Point on 5/19

1 pair at Horse Island, Thimbles on 5/19
1 pair at Hen Island, Thimbles on 5/19
3 pairs, 4 hatchlings, 1 nest at Falkners Island on 5/19
1 pair at Bluff Point on 5/19
3 pairs, 2 adults, 1 nest at Milford Point on 5/20

1 adult at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/20

3 pairs at Milford Point on 5/20

1 adult, 1 nest at Long Beach on 5/21

1 pair at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/21

2 pairs at Silver Sands State Park on 5/21

1 pair, 1 nest at Long Beach on 5/21
2 pairs at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/21

1 adult at Long Beach on 5/21

3 pairs, 2 nests at Milford Point on 5/21

Least Tern
2 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/15

20 adults at Long Beach on 5/15

4 pairs, 25 adults at Long Beach on 5/15

1 adult at Pleasure Beach on 5/16
1 pair, 12 adults at Long Beach on 5/16
2 adults at Mouth of 4 Mile River on 5/16
20 adults at Long Beach on 5/16
4 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/17

6 pairs, 2 adults at Milford Point on 5/17

8 adults at Long Beach on 5/17

11 adults at Hammonasset on 5/18
35 adults at Milford Point on 5/18
1 pair, 6 adults at Long Beach on 5/18
2 adults at East Broadway/Shell Ave, Milford on 5/18
1 pair at Pleasure Beach on 5/19
4 adults at Bluff Point on 5/19
3 adults at Milford Point on 5/20
1 pair, 8 adults at Long Beach on 5/21

1 pair, 4 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/21

3 pairs at Milford Point on 5/21
10 pairs, 55 adults at Long Beach on 5/21

Common Tern
2 adults at Compo Beach on 5/15

1 adult at Pleasure Beach on 5/16

4 adults at Long Beach on 5/16

2 pairs, 8 adults at Long Beach on 5/17

1 adult at Milford Point on 5/17

2 adults at Short Beach on 5/17

1 pair, 1 adult at Sherwood Island State Park on 5/17
4 adults at Milford Point on 5/17
7 adults at Hammonasset on 5/17
2 adults at Milford Point on 5/18

4 pairs at Umbrella Island on 5/18
5 pairs at Green Island on 5/18
3 adults at Kelsey Island on 5/18

2 adults at Bluff Point on 5/19

2 adults at Short Beach on 5/19

2 adults at Milford Point on 5/19
9 adults at Thimble Islands on 5/19
2 adults at Sasco Hill Beach on 5/20

2 adults at Milford Point on 5/20

5 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/21

3 adults at Milford Point on 5/21

This concludes update #7 through 5/22/17 as of 5:30 p.m.