AAfCW 2017 Volunteer Update #16

This is the sixteenth 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 11:00 a.m. on July 24 with sightings of birds by volunteers and staff since the previous update on July 17.

Informational updates:

Early week rain should clear to seasonable conditions and continued good beach weather for our birds and the many visitors to our shores. Your education of beachgoers is always welcome and greatly appreciated. We have heard a lot of great and positive stories from interactions with the public this year amidst the typical disturbances, so please keep including all in your reports. Thank you so much for helping to clean our beaches as well! The Audubon WildLife Guards will be hosting a beach clean up day at Bridgeport's Pleasure Beach on Saturday, July 29 from 12:30-3:30PM. Find more information on the event on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/562821094108757

Please be on the lookout for Roseate and Common Terns with 3-character plastic field-readable (PFR) color bands. More than 1,500 Roseate Tern chicks were recently received these bands at Great Gull Island, New York as well as nearly 80 more chicks at Falkner Island. Tracking their movements from the breeding colony sites to Cape Cod is vital information, so please send your sightings to jspendelow@usgs.gov and us at ctwaterbirds@gmail.com, thanks!

Survey and monitoring updates:

Piping Plover

1 adult at Sandy Point Island on 7/17
1 adult, 5 juveniles at Griswold Point on 7/17
1 adult, 3 juveniles at Harkness Memorial State Park on 7/17
6 adults, 4 hatchlings, 17 fledglings at Milford Point on 7/17

7 pairs, 1 adult, 5 hatchlings, 14 fledglings at Milford Point on 7/18

1 adult, 2 hatchlings at Silver Sands State Park on 7/18

8 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/18

6 adults, 4 hatchlings, 17 fledglings at Milford Point on 7/18

2 pairs, 9 adults, 4 hatchlings, 3 fledglings, 1 nest at Long Beach on 7/18

1 adult, 2 hatchlings at Silver Sands State Park on 7/19

1 adult, 1 nest at Short Beach on 7/19
1 adult, 1 nest at Short Beach on 7/19
5 adults at Milford Point on 7/20
3 adults, 2 juveniles at Griswold Point on 7/20

7 adults, 7 hatchlings, 19 fledglings at Milford Point on 7/20

2 pairs, 2 hatchlings, 1 nest at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/20
3 pairs, 2 adults, 10 juveniles at Sandy/Morse Point on 7/20

2 pairs, 2 adults, 7 juveniles at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/20

1 adult, 2 hatchlings at Silver Sands State Park on 7/20
1 adult at Short Beach on 7/20
3 pairs, 5 adults, 12 hatchlings, 3 fledglings, 9 juveniles at Milford Point on 7/21

7 pairs, 22 adults, 2 hatchlings, 7 juveniles at Milford Point on 7/21

1 adult, 2 hatchlings at Silver Sands State Park on 7/21

2 pairs, 6 adults, 3 hatchlings, 5 fledglings, 1 juvenile at Bluff Point on 7/21

1 juvenile at Harkness Memorial State Park on 7/22

1 pair, 2 hatchlings, 3 fledglings at Milford Point on 7/22

3 pairs, 3 adults, 2 juveniles at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/22

1 adult, 2 hatchlings at Silver Sands State Park on 7/22
1 adult, 1 juvenile, 1 nest at Short Beach on 7/22
3 pairs, 3 adults, 9 hatchlings, 1 fledgling, 1 juvenile at Hammonasset on 7/22
2 pairs, 2 adults, 2 hatchlings, 4 juveniles, 1 nest at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/22

1 pair, 4 adults, 4 fledglings, 3 juveniles, 1 nest at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/22

1 pair, 2 hatchlings at Silver Sands State Park on 7/23

1 pair, 4 adults, 2 hatchlings, 7 fledglings, 1 nest at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/23

3 adults, 3 fledglings, 11 juveniles at Long Beach on 7/23

1 pair, 3 juveniles at Long Beach on 7/23

American Oystercatcher

1 pair, 9 adults, 1 fledgling at Sandy Point Island on 7/17
1 pair, 2 fledglings at Tuxis Island on 7/17
1 adult at Gull Rocks on 7/17
3 pairs, 9 adults at Milford Point on 7/17
1 pair at Griswold Point on 7/17
4 adults at Silver Sands State Park on 7/18

1 pair, 1 adult at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/18

1 adult at Long Beach on 7/18

3 pairs, 2 adults at Milford Point on 7/18

3 pairs at Milford Point on 7/18

1 adult at Silver Sands State Park on 7/19

22 adults at Short Beach on 7/19
2 pairs at Milford Point on 7/20

1 pair, 17 adults at Milford Point on 7/20

1 adult at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/20

1 adult at Griswold Point on 7/20
2 pairs, 14 adults, 3 juveniles at Menunketesuck Island on 7/20
5 pairs, 1 adult at Milford Point on 7/21

2 pairs, 7 adults at Milford Point on 7/21

1 pair at Hammonasset on 7/22
1 adult at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/22

2 pairs at Milford Point on 7/22

1 pair, 2 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/22

2 adults at Silver Sands State Park on 7/23

1 pair at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/23

Least Tern

2 pairs, 5 adults at Sandy Point Island on 7/17
25 adults at Milford Point on 7/17
47 adults, 1 nest at Griswold Point on 7/17
11 pairs, 7 adults, 2 hatchlings, 3 fledglings, 7 nests at Harkness Memorial State Park on 7/17
3 pairs, 30 adults, 1 nest at Milford Point on 7/18

2 pairs, 8 adults, 1 nest at Milford Point on 7/18

1 pair, 70 adults, 1 juvenile at Long Beach on 7/18

1 adult at Silver Sands State Park on 7/19

3 pairs, 11 adults at Milford Point on 7/20
22 adults, 6 fledglings, 3 nests at Harkness Memorial State Park on 7/20

10 adults, 2 juveniles at Milford Point on 7/20

9 pairs, 2 hatchlings, 2 fledglings, 5 nests at Griswold Point on 7/20
13 adults, 1 nest at Milford Point on 7/21

12 adults, 1 nest at Milford Point on 7/21

1 pair at Milford Point on 7/22

23 pairs, 1 juveniles, 2 nests at Harkness Memorial State Park on 7/22
15 pairs, 20 adults, 6 hatchlings, 3 fledglings, 6 nests at Hammonasset on 7/22

2 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/23
7 adults at Long Beach on 7/23

Common Tern

4 adults at Sandy Point Island on 7/17
4 adults at Griswold Point on 7/17
1 adult at Harkness Memorial State Park on 7/17

35 adults at Milford Point on 7/18

6 adults at Long Beach on 7/18

100 adults at Short Beach on 7/19
25 adults at Long Beach on 7/19
1 pair, 30 adults, 3 juveniles at Milford Point on 7/20
10 pairs, 6 adults, 1 hatchling, 2 fledglings, 6 nests at Shore Rock on 7/20
3 adults at Harkness Memorial State Park on 7/20
11 adults, 2 juveniles at Griswold Point on 7/20
12 adults at Menunketesuck on 7/20
6 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/20

90 adults, 10 juveniles at Milford Point on 7/20

29 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/20
37 adults, 5 juveniles at Milford Point on 7/21

4 adults at Bluff Point on 7/21

60 adults, 5 juveniles at Milford Point on 7/21

7 adults at Silver Sands State Park on 7/21
4 adults at Harkness Memorial State Park on 7/22
30 adults at Milford Point on 7/22
12 adults at Short Beach on 7/22
47 adults, 7 juveniles at Hammonasset on 7/22
5 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/22
5 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/23

This concludes update #16 through 7/24/17 as of 2:30 p.m.