AAfCW 2017 Volunteer Update #15

This is the fifteenth 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 12:00 p.m. on July 17 with sightings of birds by volunteers and staff since the previous update on July 10.

Informational updates:

The most notable aspect of our monitoring this July continues to be nests and hatchlings, especially those of the Piping Plover and the Least Tern, across several of our beaches. While in some years we are concluding fledging birds, seeing juveniles disperse, and finding migrant adult Piping Plovers, we have weeks to go with hopefully more successful nests and chicks. Least Terns had a difficult beginning to their nesting season though they are now also hatching and successfully raising young in small colonies at various locations. We could be heading toward a record setting year for our young plovers, so please help us continue our summer stewardship during the busiest part of the year on the shore. Thank you!

Survey and monitoring updates:

Piping Plover

4 adults at Short Beach on 7/10
5 pairs, 2 hatchlings, 5 fledglings at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/10

5 pairs, 4 adults, 5 hatchlings, 8 fledglings, 1 nest at Long Beach on 7/10

1 pair, 3 hatchlings at Silver Sands State Park on 7/10
7 pairs, 4 adults, 3 hatchlings, 13 fledglings, 1 nest at Long Beach on 7/10
26 individuals at Long Beach on 7/11
1 pair, 3 hatchlings at Silver Sands State Park on 7/11

5 pairs, 1 adult, 3 hatchlings, 8 fledglings, 1 nest at Long Beach on 7/11

3 pairs, 7 adults, 2 hatchlings, 10 fledglings, 2 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/11

5 pairs, 1 adult, 1 hatchling, 4 fledglings, 1 nest at Bluff Point on 7/11
3 fledglings at Shell Ave/East Broadway on 7/11

1 pair, 9 adults, 2 fledglings, 1 nest at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/11

1 pair, 3 hatchlings at Silver Sands State Park on 7/11
2 fledglings at Shell Ave/East Broadway on 7/12
6 pairs, 3 adults, 16 hatchlings, 2 fledglings, 1 nest at Milford Point on 7/12

3 pairs, 8 adults, 1 hatchling, 9 fledglings, 3 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/12

1 pair, 2 hatchlings at Silver Sands State Park on 7/12
1 pair, 3 hatchlings at Silver Sands State Park on 7/12
10 adults, 5 hatchlings, 3 fledglings, 1 nest at Long Beach on 7/12
4 adults, 4 juveniles, 2 nests at Long Beach on 7/12
11 adults, 2 hatchlings at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/12

1 pair, 4 adults, 2 hatchlings, 5 fledglings at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/13

4 adults, 20 juveniles at Long Beach on 7/13
8 pairs, 2 adults, 8 hatchlings, 2 fledglings, 3 juveniles at Milford Point on 7/13
1 adult at Short Beach on 7/14
3 pairs, 4 adults, 5 hatchlings, 3 juveniles at Bluff Point on 7/15
2 pairs, 1 adult, 2 hatchlings, 1 juvenile at Mumford Cove on 7/15
5 pairs, 2 adults, 9 hatchlings, 1 fledglings at Hammonasset on 7/15

2 pairs, 2 adults, 4 fledglings, 4 juveniles at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/15

3 pairs, 1 adult, 2 hatchlings, 3 juveniles at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/15
1 pair, 3 hatchlings at Silver Sands State Park on 7/15

1 pair, 3 adults, 2 fledglings, 2 juveniles, 1 nest at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/15

1 pair, 2 adults, 3 juveniles at Griswold Point on 7/16
1 pair, 2 hatchlings at Silver Sands State Park on 7/16
6 pairs, 1 adult, 8 hatchlings, 2 fledglings, 2 juveniles at Hammonasset on 7/16
1 pair, 2 hatchlings at Silver Sands State Park on 7/16
2 pairs, 4 adults, 5 hatchlings, 5 juveniles at Bluff Point on 7/16
1 pair, 2 hatchlings at Silver Sands State Park on 7/16

2 pairs, 7 adults, 2 hatchlings, 4 fledglings, 1 nest at Long Beach on 7/16

4 pairs, 6 adults, 2 hatchlings, 5 juveniles, 1 nest at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/16

5 adults, 6 fledglings, 1 nest at Long Beach on 7/16

1 pair, 3 adults, 2 hatchlings, 3 fledglings at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/16

American Oystercatcher

3 adults at Bluff Point on 7/11
1 adult at Silver Sands State Park on 7/11

2 pairs, 19 adults at Milford Point on 7/11

3 pairs, 17 adults, 1 nest at Milford Point on 7/12
4 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/12

1 adult at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/13

4 adults at Short Beach on 7/13
5 pairs at Milford Point on 7/13
2 pairs at Short Beach on 7/14
1 adult at Bluff Point on 7/15
1 pair, 1 hatchling at Hammonasset on 7/15

1 pair, 1 adult at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/15

3 pairs at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/15

2 pairs at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/15

1 adult at Long Beach on 7/16

1 pair at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/16
1 pair, 2 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/16

Least Tern

18 pairs at Long Beach on 7/10
18 pairs, 22 adults, 5 hatchlings, 7 nests at Hammonasset on 7/11
2 adults at Bluff Point on 7/11

1 pair, 3 adults, 1 nest at Milford Point on 7/11

2 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/11

76 adults at Long Beach on 7/11

40 adults at Long Beach on 7/12
4 pairs, 3 nests at Milford Point on 7/12
52 adults, 1 hatchling, 2 fledglings, 4 nests at Long Beach on 7/13
1 adult at Short Beach on 7/13
3 pairs, 2 nests at Milford Point on 7/13
1 pair at Short Beach on 7/14
2 adults at Short Beach on 7/14
15 pairs, 33 adults, 4 hatchlings, 5 nests at Hammonasset on 7/15
2 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/15
1 pair at Bluff Point on 7/15
22 pairs, 4 hatchlings, 8 fledglings, 4 nests at Mumford Cove on 7/15

30 adults, 2 fledglings, 1 juvenile at Long Beach on 7/16

68 adults, 4 hatchlings, 6 nests at Hammonasset on 7/16
11 pairs, 24 adults, 6 hatchlings, 4 nests at Griswold Point on 7/16
2 adults at Bluff Point on 7/16

2 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/16

Common Tern

1 pair, 3 adults at Hammonasset on 7/11

2 adults at Milford Point on 7/11

1 pair, 1 adult at Milford Point on 7/12
1 adult at Long Beach on 7/13
1 pair, 9 adults at Hammonasset on 7/15
1 adult at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/15
1 adult at Griswold Point on 7/16
2 adults at Bluff Point on 7/16
27 adults at Hammonasset on 7/16

6 adults at Long Beach on 7/16

1 adult at South End Point, East Haven on 7/16

1 adult at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/16

This concludes update #15 through 7/17/17 as of 5:00 p.m.