Great Egrets Lingering

There have been plenty of Great Egrets spotted all over Connecticut in the last month. This individual was at a Stratford marsh last week.

We tend to think of them as a summer species with birds nesting in nearby colonies, but they arrive early in the late winter/spring, and stick with us through the autumn. Some are even found during Christmas Birds Counts! And the warmer it stays during winter, the easier it is for various long-legged waders to forgo migration and hang out with us, for better or worse.

Fall Forster's Terns

October can yield more than our songbird friends filling up the grasslands. A flock of Forster's Terns was feeding not too far from Stratford Point last week.

They were just north in the Housatonic River, hanging out with some Laughing, Ring-billed and Herring Gulls plus a handful of ducks (that are growing in number and diversity by the day). Keep an eye on the waters, especially during and after these October storms!

Fencing removal dates

In the next few weeks we have three fencing removal dates set by CT DEEP. The Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds would appreciate any volunteers who could help us out at:

-Bluff Point on Sunday, August 25th at 10am. Rain date of Monday, August 26th at 10am.
-Sandy Point on Tuesday, August 27th at 10am. Rain date of Wednesday, August 28th at 10am.
-Long Beach on Wednesday, September 4th at 10am. Rain date of Friday, September 6th at 10am.

Assisting not only helps AAfCW but it also greatly aids CT DEEP staff and their busy schedules. It also limits the stress on our birds. Please remember that taking down fencing in late summer can be physically demanding because of the potential heat and humidity, and those who join us should remember a few things:
-wear sunscreen and a hat
-drink plenty of water or sports drink and bring a snack
-do not attempt to carry too many stakes as there will be enough volunteers and staff members so that no one should overexert themselves
-anyone who needs to limit physical exertion should stick to winding up string rolls
-take as many breaks as needed

In general we look for everyone we can to help out even if you are not a past monitor or volunteer - the more the merrier. It also makes for a more pleasant morning of bird watching and discussions on the beach. Please email us at ctwaterbirds@gmail.com if you can join us, and thank you!

AAfCW 2019 Volunteer Update #7

This is the seventh update by the Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds (AAfCW) for the 2019 season. Today's update includes reports of Piping Plover, American Oystercatcher, Least Tern and Common Tern from July 9 through August 12 with sightings of birds spanning the period.

Informational updates:

We are currently still monitoring nesting birds - Least Terns at several locations across the state - along with a few late Piping Plover families. We continue to survey for American Oystercatchers and Common Terns as they begin to disperse and stage with juveniles across Connecticut. Migratory groups of all four species are occurring at the typically busy beach locations. We have experienced a lot of disturbances recently from a variety of sources including dogs, active beachgoers, boats, events, cats, ATVs, predators, and more. Your continued monitoring efforts through the end of August are most certainly appreciated.

Any reports of disturbances and issues are also extremely helpful, as is any assistance in reporting events such as loose dogs to local animal control, park management, or law enforcement, as applicable. A huge thanks to everyone who regularly collects trash from our beaches, too. In a couple locations we may need extra help monitoring into September. We will let you know if that is indeed the case.

We will soon have string fencing removal dates set for some of our larger monitored beaches. These will be emailed to you with a request for volunteer help. Any and all will be appreciated, including from those who did not monitor this season. CT DEEP and AAfCW staff continue to work to take down fencing at various locations on our own whenever possible, or reduce it when needed. Thank you very much for all your help!

Survey and monitoring updates:

Piping Plover
1 nest at Waterford Town Beach on 7/8

2 pairs, 8 adults, 1 hatchling, 7 fledglings at Long Beach on 7/8

2 pairs, 7 adults, 1 hatchling, 7 juveniles at Long Beach on 7/9

3 adults, 2 fledglings, 6 juveniles at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/9

2 adults, 2 fledglings at Long Beach on 7/9

9 pairs, 3 adults, 2 hatchlings, 13 fledglings, 1 juvenile, 1 nest at Long Beach on 7/9

2 adults at Milford Point on 7/9

3 pairs, 7 adults, 2 fledglings, 17 juveniles at Long Beach on 7/10

2 pairs, 3 adults, 1 fledgling, 5 juveniles at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/10

2 pairs, 7 adults, 11 juveniles at Long Beach on 7/11

7 adults, 2 hatchlings, 4 fledglings, 2 juveniles, 1 nest at Milford Point on 7/11

17 adults, 2 hatchlings, 3 fledglings, 1 nest at Long Beach on 7/11

2 pairs, 6 adults, 2 fledglings at Bluff Point on 7/12

8 adults, 2 juveniles at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/13

1 adult, 1 hatchling at Silver Sands on 7/13

1 adult, 1 fledglings at Milford Point on 7/13

1 adult, 1 hatchling at Silver Sands on 7/14

1 adult, 1 hatchling at Silver Sands on 7/15

1 adult, 7 fledglings, 4 juveniles at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/16

7 adults, 8 hatchlings, 2 fledglings, 7 juveniles at Milford Point on 7/16

14 adults, 4 juveniles at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/17

2 pairs, 1 adult, 2 juveniles at Long Beach on 7/17

1 pair, 5 adults, 4 hatchlings, 2 juveniles at Bluff Point on 7/19

12 adults/juveniles, 4 adults, 7 hatchlings at Milford Point on 7/19

3 adults, 2 fledglings at Milford Point on 7/20

1 fledgling at Silver Sands on 7/22

1 juvenile at Silver Sands on 7/23

4 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/24

1 pair at Milford Point on 7/24

22 adults/juveniles, 1 adult, 1 hatchlings at Milford Point on 7/25

5 adults, 7 hatchlings, 8 fledglings at Milford Point on 7/25

2 adults, 4 hatchlings at Bluff Point on 7/26

1 adult, 3 hatchlings at Bluff Point on 7/26

1 pair, 1 adult, 3 fledglings at Milford Point on 7/27

4 adults, 1 juvenile, 1 nest at Long Beach on 7/29

4 adults, 4 hatchlings, 4 fledglings, 21 juveniles at Milford Point on 7/30

2 adults, 4 juveniles at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/31

2 juveniles at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/31

1 pair, 9 juveniles at Milford Point on 8/1

6 fledglings at Sandy/Morse Points on 8/1

2 adults, 5 hatchlings, 10 individuals at Milford Point on 8/2

2 adults, 1 fledgling at Bluff Point on 8/2

2 adults at Milford Point on 8/3

2 adults, 2 fledglings at Long Beach on 8/3

1 adult at Sandy/Morse Points on 8/3

1 adult, 3 juveniles at Long Beach on 8/4

5 juveniles at Sandy/Morse Points on 8/5

1 juvenile at Sandy/Morse Points on 8/8

1 adult, 5 fledglings at Bluff Point on 8/9

1 pair, 4 adults, 1 juvenile at Milford Point on 8/10

American Oystercatcher
1 pair, 1 adult, 1 fledgling at Long Beach on 7/8

1 pair, 1 fledgling at Long Beach on 7/9

2 adults at Long Beach on 7/9

1 pair at Milford Point on 7/9

4 adults, 1 fledgling/juvenile at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/9

2 pairs, 15 adults, 1 fledgling, 1 nest at Milford Point on 7/9

1 pair, 1 juvenile at Long Beach on 7/10

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

3 adults at Griswold Point on 7/10

1 pair, 1 juvenile at Long Beach on 7/11

13 adults, 1 hatchling at Milford Point on 7/11

2 pairs, 1 hatchling at Long Beach on 7/11

1 pair, 1 adult at Bluff Point on 7/12

2 pairs at Milford Point on 7/13

3 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/13

1 adult, 2 juveniles at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/16

3 adults, 1 hatchling at Milford Point on 7/16

4 adults, 2 juveniles at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/17

1 pair, 1 juvenile at Long Beach on 7/17

23 adults, 1 hatchling at Milford Point on 7/19

2 adults at Silver Sands on 7/19

2 pairs, 3 juveniles at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/24

1 pair, 1 juvenile at Milford Point on 7/24

15 adults, 1 juvenile at Milford Point on 7/25

6 adults, 1 juvenile at Milford Point on 7/25

1 pair, 2 fledglings at Bluff Point on 7/26

1 pair at Milford Point on 7/27

6 adults, 1 juvenile at Milford Point on 7/30

8 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/31

1 pair, 1 fledgling at Sandy/Morse Points on 8/1

1 pair, 1 juvenile at Milford Point on 8/1

3 pairs, 2 fledglings at Bluff Point on 8/2

26 adults, 1 juvenile at Milford Point on 8/2

1 pair at Milford Point on 8/3

2 adults, 1 juvenile at Sandy/Morse Points on 8/3

1 adult at Long Beach on 8/4

5 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 8/5

1 pair, 1 juvenile at Long Beach on 8/6

2 adults at Waterford Town Beach on 8/7

2 pairs, 2 juveniles at Sandy/Morse Points on 8/8

1 pair at Milford Point on 8/10

Least Tern

3 pairs, 3 adults at Long Beach on 7/8

18 adults at Long Beach on 7/9

10 adults at Milford Point on 7/9

7 adults, 2 nests at Long Beach on 7/9

15 adults at Long Beach on 7/9

30 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/9

26 adults, 10 nests at Milford Point on 7/9

14 adults at Long Beach on 7/10

30 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/10

3 adults at Griswold Point on 7/10

6 adults at Long Beach on 7/11

40 adults, 15 nests at Milford Point on 7/11

43 adults, 2 nests at Long Beach on 7/11

1 pair, 12 adults at Bluff Point on 7/12

21 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/13

20 adults, 1 hatchling at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/16

20 adults at Milford Point on 7/16

12 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/17

20 adults at Long Beach on 7/17

45 adults, 20 nests at Milford Point on 7/19

3 pairs, 12 adults at Bluff Point on 7/19

20 adults, 1 hatchling at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/24

15 adults at Milford Point on 7/24

40 adults at Milford Point on 7/25

73 adults, 2 hatchlings at Milford Point on 7/25

5 adults at Bluff Point on 7/26

3 pairs at Bluff Point on 7/26

4 pairs, 100 individuals at Long Beach on 7/29

50 adults at Long Beach on 7/30

120 adults, 9 hatchlings at Milford Point on 7/30

4 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/31

20 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 8/1

40 adults at Milford Point on 8/1

100 adults, 20 juveniles at Milford Point on 8/2

57 adults, 2 nests at Long Beach on 8/2

60 adults, 10 juveniles at Long Beach on 8/4

30 adults at Long Beach on 8/6

Common Tern

3 adults at Milford Point on 7/9

60 adults at Milford Point on 7/9

1 adult at Long Beach on 7/10

39 adults, 1 juvenile at Griswold Point on 7/10

3 pairs, 2 adults at Long Beach on 7/11

3 adults at Long Beach on 7/11

55 adults at Milford Point on 7/11

5 adults at Milford Point on 7/16

6 adults at Long Beach on 7/17

1 adult at Bluff Point on 7/19

60 adults/juveniles at Milford Point on 7/19

6 adults at Milford Point on 7/25

150 adults/juveniles at Milford Point on 7/25

5 adults at Bluff Point on 7/26

30 adults at Long Beach on 7/30

75 adults/juveniles at Milford Point on 7/30

28 adults, 3 juveniles at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/31

25 adults at Milford Point on 8/1

1 adult at Bluff Point on 8/2

28 adults/juveniles at Long Beach on 8/2

225 adults, 25 juveniles at Milford Point on 8/2

30 adults at Long Beach on 8/4

100 adults/juveniles at Sandy/Morse Points on 8/5

40 adults at Waterford Town Beach on 8/7

This concludes update #7 through 8/13/18 as of 4:00 a.m.

Massive Shorebird Flock Video

From earlier this spring, here's the video of the flock of primarily Semipalmated Sandpipers at the global Important Bird Area that is Stratford Point on Memorial Day. Other species included Dunlin, Semipalmated Plover, Ruddy Turnstone, Sanderling, Least Sandpiper, Black-bellied Plover, and White-rumped Sandpiper. You can see some birds sitting on our reef balls in the video, too. However, they are covered by the tide once it nears its peak, and all of the birds had to head to the shoreline.

Having roosting locations like this available are extremely important to these birds as they traverse the hemisphere. Being able to preen in peace and maintain their feathers is critical to their survival and successful migration to arctic breeding grounds. Again, numbers like this are only rarely seen here in southbound fall migration, and hosting several thousand birds like this in the spring is unprecedented during the decade we have been working at Stratford Point. Please do all you can to help protect stopover sites like ours, and ensure you do not add to the many disturbances that can harm or kill these birds.

Heat Safety

We wanted to remind all of you terrific monitors as well as our staff to put your safety first when it comes to being on the beach. Temperatures in the 90s tomorrow and this weekend will make it hazardous to be outdoors with that extreme heat worsened by high dew points. Heat index values will near 100 tomorrow and exceed 105 on Saturday.

We definitely want to keep an eye on our birds, but their safety during such conditions is a consideration, too. This magnitude of heat plus the sun on eggs or very young birds can be fatal. The less traffic we have out there the better so that the adults can tend to nests without being disturbed in the slightest. This goes for all of our birds - Piping Plovers, American Oystercatchers, Least Terns, and Common Terns. Please feel free to disregard any monitoring and take a well deserved rest. Thank you all again for a stupendous job thus far in 2019. We have had a great deal of success because of your efforts, and we are certain it will continue through the end of August.

Forest Great Egret

The notorious forest-dweller: a Great Egret (Ardea alba) enjoying a recent afternoon in the, um, coastal woodlands of Stratford Point. They actually feed on far more than fish and marine life, also hunting for small mammals, amphibians, invertebrates, reptiles, and even birds.

AAfCW 2019 Volunteer Update #6

This is the sixth update by the Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds (AAfCW) for the 2019 season. Today's update includes reports of Piping Plover, American Oystercatcher, Least Tern and Common Tern from June 22 through 8:00pm on July 8 with sightings of birds spanning the period.

Informational updates:

We continue to have sensational beach weather, and we can expect many people to visit our beaches on a regular basis. Please monitor as much as possible and engage the public in positive, educational interactions. We have many hatchlings, fledglings, and now juveniles running around, too. Accurate chick counts and correct aging are vital, bearing in mind their safety - at the expense of data and certainly photos - takes precedence. Please give them a wide berth. If you are causing adults to call out, perform distraction displays, or separating family groups, you are too close.

There is a tremendous amount of pressure on our birds 24 hours a day from beachgoers, predators, weather and tides, and more. We never want to add to that. Please do read through this helpful guide on aging our birds: https://rtpi.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/DEEP-PloverTern-Aging.pdf

Beyond the birds, your safety is paramount! Please do not monitor on very hot and humid days, especially midday. Take plenty of water, a snack, a phone, and wear sunblock. Long sleeves, pants, and a hat are advisable to protect yourself from the sun and heat. Be mindful of who you engage in stewardship efforts, and always stay home if thunderstorms are in the forecast. We never want anything to happen to you, so please exercise good common sense in all regards. Thank you very much for all your help!

Survey and monitoring updates:

Piping Plover
18 hatchlings/fledglings, 13 adults at Long Beach on 6/22
1 adult, 1 nest at Waterford Beach on 6/22
1 adult, 1 nest at Milford Point on 6/22
5 pairs, 2 adults, 1 nest, 13 hatchlings at Long Beach on 6/22
3 adults, 5 fledglings, 5 hatchlings at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/22
1 adult, 1 hatchling at Silver Sands on 6/23
3 pairs, 7 adults, 2 hatchlings, 4 juveniles at Long Beach on 6/23
1 adult, 1 hatchling at Silver Sands on 6/23
2 adults, 4 hatchlings at Milford Point on 6/24
2 pairs, 7 adults, 1 nest, 9 hatchlings at Long Beach on 6/24
1 pair, 4 adults, 2 nests at Milford Point on 6/24
1 pair, 1 nest at Waterford Beach on 6/24
1 adult, 1 hatchling at Silver Sands on 6/25
11 adults, 3 hatchlings at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/25
1 adult, 1 hatchling at Silver Sands on 6/25
3 pairs, 6 adults, 1 nest, 5 hatchlings at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/26
10 adults, 21 hatchlings, 1 fledgling, at Milford Point on 6/26
1 adult, 1 hatchling at Silver Sands on 6/26
10 adults, 10 hatchlings, 2 nests at Long Beach on 6/26
5 adults, 3 juveniles, 2 chicks at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/26
11 adults, 8 hatchlings, 6 fledglings at Milford Point on 6/27
1 pair, 1 nest at Waterford Beach on 6/27
1 pair, 2 adults, 4 hatchlings at Short Beach on 6/27
1 pair, 4 adults, 1 hatchling at Bluff Point on 6/28
3 pairs, 6 adults, 9 fledglings at Long Beach on 6/28
4 pairs, 2 adults, 2 nests, 2 hatchlings, 1 fledgling at Bluff Point on 6/28
1 pair, 1 nest at Waterford Beach on 6/28
5 pairs, 17 adults, 3 nests, 2 hatchlings, 2 fledglings at Bluff Point on 6/28
1 adult, 1 hatchling at Silver Sands on 6/29
9 adults, 14 chicks at Milford Point on 6/29
1 pair, 4 hatchlings at Short Beach on 6/29
6 pairs, 1 hatchling at Milford Point on 6/29
1 hatchling at Silver Sands on 6/30
5 pairs, 1 adult, 2 hatchlings, 10 fledglings at Long Beach on 6/30
1 adult, 1 hatchling at Silver Sands on 6/30
2 pairs, 3 adults, 1 nest, 1 fledgling at Bluff Point on 7/1
4 pairs, 4 adults, 8 hatchlings at Long Beach on 7/1
1 pair, 7 adults, 1 nest, 1 fledgling, 4 hatchlings, 2 juveniles at Milford Point on 7/1
1 adult, 1 hatchling at Silver Sands on 7/2
1 adult, 1 hatchling at Silver Sands on 7/3
1 pair, 5 adults, 3 hatchlings, 3 fledglings at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/3
3 pairs, 3 adults, 1 fledgling at Bluff Point on 7/5
4 pairs, 2 adults, 1 nest, 4 hatchlings, 1 fledgling at Bluff Point on 7/5
1 adult, 1 hatchling at Silver Sands on 7/6
2 adults at Milford Point on 7/6
1 adult, 1 hatchling at Silver Sands on 7/7
7 adults, 2 hatchlings, 6 juveniles at Long Beach on 7/7
2 pairs, 8 adults, 1 nest, 7 fledglings at Long Beach on 7/8

American Oystercatcher
4 individuals at Long Beach on 6/22
1 pair, 1 adult at Milford Point on 6/22
1 pair, 2 hatchlings at Long Beach on 6/22
3 adults at Waterford Beach on 6/22
2 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/22
3 adults at Griswold Point on 6/23
1 adult at Long Beach on 6/23
1 pair, 2 hatchlings at Long Beach on 6/24
3 pairs, 1 nest at Milford Point on 6/24
3 pairs, 1 hatchling, 1 juvenile at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/25
5 adults at Milford Point on 6/26
2 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/26
1 pair, 2 hatchlings at Long Beach on 6/26
3 individuals at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/26
15 adults, 1 nest at Milford Point on 6/27
1 pair, 1 adult, 2 fledglings at Bluff Point on 6/28
2 pairs, 2 adults, 2 fledglings at Bluff Point on 6/28
2 adults at Waterford Beach on 6/28
1 pair, 2 adults, 2 juveniles at Bluff Point on 6/28
1 pair, 1 adult at Milford Point on 6/29
4 adults at Milford Point on 6/29
2 pairs, 5 adults, 1 fledgling at Long Beach on 6/30
1 pair, 2 fledglings at Bluff Point on 7/1
3 adults at Milford Point on 7/1
2 pairs, 4 adults, 1 hatchling, 4 fledglings at Long Beach on 7/1
3 adults, 1 fledgling at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/3
1 pair, 2 hatchlings at Bluff Point on 7/5
1 pair, 2 adults, 4 hatchlings at Milford Point on 7/5
2 pairs, 1 adult, 2 fledglings at Bluff Point on 7/5
2 adults at Milford Point on 7/6
1 pair, 1 juvenile at Long Beach on 7/7
1 pair, 1 adult, 1 fledgling at Long Beach on 7/8

Least Tern
21 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/22
1 adult at Milford Point on 6/22
2 adults at Griswold Point on 6/23
4 adults, 1 nest at Milford Point on 6/24
30 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/25
7 pairs, 33 adults, 9 nests, 3 hatchlings at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/26
10 adults at Milford Point on 6/26
58 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/26
20 adults, 5 nests at Milford Point on 6/27
7 adults at Long Beach on 6/28
20 adults at Bluff Point on 6/28
32 adults, 2 nests at Bluff Point on 6/28
30 adults at Milford Point on 6/29
2 pairs, 8 adults at Bluff Point on 7/1
2 pairs, 5 adults at Long Beach on 7/1
30 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/3
1 adult at Silver Sands on 7/3
3 pairs, 10 adults at Bluff Point on 7/5
8 adults at Milford Point on 7/6
25 adults at Long Beach on 7/7
3 pairs, 3 adults at Long Beach on 7/8

Common Tern
6 adults at Waterford Beach on 6/22
14 adults at Griswold Point on 6/23
40 adults at Silver Sands on 6/23
7 adults at Long Beach on 6/23
5 adults at Long Beach on 6/24
23 adults at Milford Point on 6/24
1 adult at Silver Sands on 6/25
5 adults at Milford Point on 6/26
8 adults at Long Beach on 6/26
3 adults at Waterford Beach on 6/27
63 adults at Milford Point on 6/27
3 adults at Bluff Point on 6/28
2 adults at Bluff Point on 6/28
1 adult at Bluff Point on 6/28
7 adults at Milford Point on 6/29
17 adults at Milford Point on 6/29
5 adults at Bluff Point on 7/1
2 pairs, 7 adults, 1 juvenile at Long Beach on 7/2
5 adults at Silver Sands on 7/3
2 pairs, 5 adults at Bluff Point on 7/5

This concludes update #6 through 7/9/18 as of 4:30 a.m.

Request to volunteers for extra help monitoring at plover and tern beaches during the Independence Day holiday week/weekend 

Extra assistance is needed at Bluff Point (Groton), West Beach at Hammonasset State Park (Madison), Silver Sands State Park and other Milford beaches, Long Beach and Short Beach (Stratford), and Sandy Point (West Haven) on the Fourth of July and associated holiday week/weekend.  DEEP is particularly interested in chick counts (# of chicks you see when monitoring). Chick survival during the holiday weekend is problematic given all the beach parties and crowds. Your additional presence on the beach educating people about the birds and collecting information on chick survival during the busy weekend would be wonderful. Thank you!

AAfCW 2019 Volunteer Update #5

This is the fifth regular weekly update by the Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds (AAfCW) for the 2019 season. Today's update includes reports of Piping Plover, American Oystercatcher, Least Tern and Common Tern from June 5 through 12:00pm on June 21 with sightings of birds spanning the period.

Informational updates:

This weekend should be some of the best beach weather of the year, and we can expect many people to visit our beaches. Please monitor as much as possible and engage the public in positive, educational interactions. We have many young hatchlings running around, too. They need a lot of space and extra care. Accurate chick counts are vital to know how they are all doing during such a busy part of the season. Silver Sands State Park is a very important site to visit, as is Long Beach, Milford Point, Bluff Point, and Sandy/Morse Points.

While the vast majority of our birds can be classified as hatchlings, there will soon be fledglings - young birds capable of flight becoming more independent of their parents. This typically takes around three to four weeks depending on the species. Birds that are only running around the beach and larger than when first hatched are not yet "fledged", even if they have some more room from their parents now. Check out this helpful guide on aging our birds: https://rtpi.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/DEEP-PloverTern-Aging.pdf

Please once again remember that distraction displays are seen when birds feel they and their young are in danger, and you should carefully exit the area immediately while staying near the water. It is tempting to want to pursue and photograph all of our birds, but this becomes a dangerous activity without a very long lens and extreme care. They have a tremendous amount of pressure from other humans and natural predators 24 hours a day, and we want to always be a help, not a hindrance, to their success.

Finally, if you are able to assist as a volunteer for fireworks coverage at Sandy/Morse Points in West Haven on the evening of July 3, please email us and let us know. We will be staffing the site but could use extra eyes as well. Thank you all!

Survey and monitoring updates:

Piping Plover
1 pair, 1 nest at Silver Sands on 6/5

1 pair at Peck Ave. West Haven on 6/5

1 adult at Waterford Beach on 6/5

2 adults, 1 nest at Milford Point on 6/5

7 adults, 2 nests, 3 hatchlings at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/5

6 adults, 7 hatchlings at Milford Point on 6/6

1 pair, 3 adults, 3 nests, 5 hatchlings at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/6

6 pairs, 2 adults, 4 nests, 1 hatchling at Bluff Point on 6/7

8 adults, 5 hatchlings at Milford Point on 6/7

4 pairs, 5 adults, 1 hatchling at Bluff Point on 6/7

1 pair at Waterford Beach on 6/8

3 pairs, 2 nests, 3 hatchlings at Milford Point on 6/8

7 adults, 3 nests, 3 hatchlings at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/8

7 pairs, 3 adults, 9 nests, 14 hatchlings at Long Beach on 6/8

1 pair, 1 nest at Silver Sands on 6/9

1 adult, 1 nest at Silver Sands on 6/9

1 pair, 1 nest at Silver Sands on 6/9

3 pair, 3 adults, 6 nests, 9 hatchlings at Long Beach on 6/9

1 pair, 1 nest at Silver Sands on 6/11

2 pairs, 2 hatchlings at Long Beach on 6/11

1 pair, 1 nest at Silver Sands on 6/11

9 adults, 8 hatchlings at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/12

1 pair, 1 nest at Waterford Beach on 6/12

14 adults, 2 nests, 4 hatchlings at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/12

1 pair, 3 adults, 1 nest, 2 hatchlings at Milford Point on 6/12

4 pairs, 7 adults, 3 nests, 5 hatchlings at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/12

3 pairs, 5 adults, 3 hatchlings at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/12

1 pair, 1 nest at Silver Sands on 6/12

1 pair, 1 nest at Waterford Beach on 6/14

1 adult, 2 hatchlings at Long Beach on 6/14

10 adults, 3 hatchlings, 2 nests at Milford Point on 6/14

5 pairs, 3 adults, 4 nests, 1 hatchling at Bluff Point on 6/14

2 pairs, 7 adults, 2 nests at Milford Point on 6/14

3 pairs, 2 adults, 1 nest, 1 hatchling at Milford Point on 6/15

2 adults, 5 hatchlings at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/15

1 pair, 2 adults, 3 hatchlings at Bluff Point on 6/15

5 pairs, 1 adult, 1 nest, 7 hatchlings at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/15

1 adult, 1 hatchling at Silver Sands on 6/16

8 pairs, 2 adults, 2 nests, 11 hatchlings at Long Beach on 6/16

6 pairs, 5 adults, 19 hatchlings at Long Beach on 6/16

1 pair, 11 adults, 1 nest, 8 hatchlings at Milford Point on 6/17

5 pairs, 2 adults, 2 nests, 5 hatchlings at Bluff Point on 6/17

4 pairs, 1 adult, 2 nests, 3 hatchlings at Milford Point on 6/17

1 adult, 1 hatchling at Silver Sands on 6/17

3 pairs, 10 adults, 10 hatchlings at Long Beach on 6/17

4 adults, 1 hatchling at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/17

1 adult, 1 nest at Waterford Beach on 6/18

14 adults, 17 hatchlings at Long Beach on 6/19

3 pairs, 8 adults, 3 nests, 5 hatchlings at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/19

7 adults, 1 nest, 3 hatchlings at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/19

3 pairs, 2 adults, 1 nest at Milford Point on 6/19

12 adults, 8 hatchlings, 3 nests at Milford Point on 6/20

American Oystercatcher
2 adults at Waterford Beach on 6/5

2 pairs, 1 adult, 5 hatchlings at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/5

4 pairs, 2 adults, 1 nest, 4 hatchlings at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/6

3 adults, 1 nest at Milford Point on 6/6

3 pairs, 1 adult, 1 nest, 3 hatchlings at Bluff Point on 6/7

1 pair, 2 adults, 2 hatchlings at Bluff Point on 6/7

3 pairs at Milford Point on 6/7

6 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/8

4 adults at Waterford Beach on 6/8

3 pairs at Milford Point on 6/8

1 pair, 1 nest, 2 hatchlings at Long Beach on 6/8

4 adults, 2 hatchlings at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/12

1 pair, 1 adult at Waterford Beach on 6/12

1 pair at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/12

5 adults, 2 hatchlings at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/12

1 pair, 4 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/12

1 adult at Waterford Beach on 6/14

2 pairs, 6 adults, 1 nest, 2 hatchlings at Bluff Point on 6/14

3 pairs, 1 nest at Milford Point on 6/14

7 adults, 1 nest at Milford Point on 6/14

3 pairs, 2 hatchlings at Milford Point on 6/15

1 pair, 1 adult at Bluff Point on 6/15

1 pair, 2 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/15

4 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/15

2 pairs, 2 hatchlings at Long Beach on 6/15

1 pair, 1 adult, 1 nest at Milford Point on 6/17

2 adults at Silver Sands on 6/17

3 pairs, 1 nest at Milford Point on 6/17

1 pair, 1 adult, 2 hatchlings at Bluff Point on 6/17

3 adults, 2 hatchlings at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/17

2 pairs, 1 adult, 2 hatchlings at Long Beach on 6/17

5 pairs, 1 nest, 3 hatchlings at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/19

2 pairs, 2 hatchlings at Long Beach on 6/19

3 pairs, 1 hatchling at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/19

3 pairs, 2 nests at Milford Point on 6/19

3 pairs, 10 adults, 1 nest at Milford Point on 6/20

Least Tern

30 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/5

7 adults, 2 nests at Milford Point on 6/6

8 pairs, 7 adults, 7 nests, 3 hatchlings at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/6

6 pairs, 14 adults, 1 nest at Bluff Point on 6/7

2 adults at Milford Point on 6/7

6 pairs, 12 adults at Bluff Point on 6/7

59 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/8

50 adults, 15 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/12

11 pairs, 40 adults, 9 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/12
30 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/12

50 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/12

7 pairs, 6 adults, 4 nests at Bluff Point on 6/14

5 adults at Milford Point on 6/14

18 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/15

1 pair at Milford Point on 6/15

8 adults at Bluff Point on 6/15

4 pairs, 26 adults, 3 nests, 1 hatchling at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/15

2 pairs, 20 adults at Bluff Point on 6/17

20 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/17

7 adults at Milford Point on 6/17

4 adults at Long Beach on 6/17

4 adults at Long Beach on 6/19

6 pairs, 33 adults, 9 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/19

30 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/19

1 pair, 1 adult, 1 nest at Milford Point on 6/19

2 pairs at Milford Point on 6/20

Common Tern
2 adults at Waterford Beach on 6/8
1 adult at Bluff Point on 6/14

1 adult at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/15

35 adults at Milford Point on 6/17

55 adults at Long Beach on 6/19

13 adults at Milford Point on 6/19

7 adults at Milford Point on 6/20

This concludes update #5 through 6/22/18 as of 3:00 a.m.

AAfCW 2019 Volunteer Update #4

This is the fourth regular weekly update by the Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds (AAfCW) for the 2019 season. Today's update includes reports of Piping Plover, American Oystercatcher, Least Tern and Common Tern from May 22 through 7:00am on June 4 with sightings of birds spanning the period.

Informational updates:

To begin this extensive update, here is a message from CT DEEP:

Sorry for the late notice! June 1 through June 9 is the piping plover census window.  During this window, we try to check non-breeding beaches just in case we have missed a PIPL pair or two! In your travels, if you have the ability to walk any of these beaches and email me the following info, I would be grateful:

1.       site name (include town),
2.       date,
3.       time spent walking beach,
4.       # of PIPL seen (adults, chicks or nests),
5.       behavior (foraging, acting territorial, etc.)

You will have to talk your way into some of these areas.  I do not have any established contact with these sites.  Showing your badge and explaining that you will only be a little while to scout the beach for nesting shorebirds, will usually get you into most places. If you have any questions, please email Laura.Saucier@ct.gov, thank you!

Below is the list we have compiled over the years of sites that may have potential:

Piping Plover Census Areas (typically non-breeding sites)

·         Sand/Pelican Island, Greenwich (seems to be eroding)
·         Greenwich Point Park, Greenwich
·         St. Vincent Island (Stamford Land Trust), Stamford
·         Calf Pasture Beach, Norwalk
·         Sasco Hill Beach (Fairfield Country Club), Fairfield
·         Fairfield Town Beach
·         Jennings Beach, Fairfield
·         Penfield Beach, Fairfield
·         Compo Beach State Park, Westport
·         Driftwood Point, Westport
·         Sherwood Island State Park, Westport
·         Seaside Park, Bridgeport
·         St. Mary’s by the Sea, Bridgeport
·         Lordship/Russian Beach, Stratford
·         Laurel Beach, Milford
·         Fort Trumbull Beach, Milford
·         Walnut Beach, Milford
·         Savin Rock, W. Haven
·         Nathan Hale Park Beach, New Haven
·         E. Shore Park, E. Haven
·         Lighthouse Point Park, E. Haven
·         Cosey Beach, E. Haven
·         Whalers Point Rd?
·         Guilford Town Beach, Guilford
·         Jacobs Beach, Guilford
·         Grass Island, Guilford
·         Chaffinch Is. Rd., Guilford
·         Madison Town Beach, Madison
·         Clinton Town Beach, Clinton
·         Grove Beach, Clinton
·         Small Beach, Clinton
·         West Beach, Westbrook
·         Grass Island, Westbrook
·         Salt Island, Westbrook
·         Westbrook private beaches, Westbrook
·         Old Saybrook Town Beach, Old Saybrook
·         White Sands Beach, Old Lyme
·         Millstone Beach, Waterford
·         Pleasure Beach, Waterford
·         Jordan Cove, Waterford (2 or 3 new spits forming here)
·         Rocky Neck State Park, Niantic
·         Old Black Point Beach, Niantic
·         Attawan Beach, Niantic
·         Niantic Bay Beach, Niantic RF said great habitat
·         Eastern Point, New London
·         Pine Island, New London
·         Esker Point, Groton
·         Latimer Point Beach, Stonington
·         Mason’s Island Beach, Stonington
·         Ram Island Beach, Stonington

——

Memorial Day weekend was an extremely busy time on our beaches! The warm and even hot, sunny weather with families of Piping Plover and American Oystercatcher hatching across Connecticut made for a lot of educational interactions of beachgoers and observations of birds by our volunteer monitors and staff. Overall things went well, and we have all of you to thank for that. We continue to focus on safely monitoring our hatchling birds, additional nests due to hatch any day now, and other birds now beginning their nesting cycle.

Our young birds need a lot of space, and if you see mom and dad running around with them, calling and dashing about, you should continue to keep a very safe distance away. Please remember that distraction displays are seen when birds feel they and their young are in danger, and you should carefully exit the area immediately while staying near the water. It is tempting to want to pursue and photograph all of our birds, but this becomes a dangerous activity without a very long lens and extreme care. They have a tremendous amount of pressure from other humans and natural predators 24 hours a day, and we want to always be a help, not a hindrance, to their success.

Please remember whether it is a flagged or color banded bird, a disturbance of note that however does not reach “take” status, a new nest, and other significant information, please email CT DEEP (Laura.Saucier@ct.gov and Rebecca.Foster@ct.gov) and AAfCW directly about it with all the information you can as soon as possible.

Lastly, if you have difficulty with the automatic form accepting 0 as a response, do not type any number in to the field. For example, if you see no Least Tern nests, you can leave it blank and it should be fine. Thank you all!

Survey and monitoring updates:

Piping Plover
10 adults, 3 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/22
4 adults, 2 nests at Milford Point on 5/22
3 pairs, 1 adult, 3 nests at Milford Point on 5/22
9 adults, 5 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/22
4 adults, 3 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/22
14 adults, 4 hatchlings, 9 nests at Long Beach on 5/23
1 pair, 1 adult, 1 nest at Pleasure Beach on 5/23
8 pairs, 12 hatchlings at Milford Point on 5/23
5 adults, 6 hatchlings, 2 nests at Milford Point on 5/23
1 adult, 1 nest at Long Beach on 5/24
9 adults, 3 hatchlings, 2 nests at Bluff Point on 5/24
4 pairs, 6 adults, 1 hatchling, 4 nests at Milford Point on 5/24
1 pair, 1 nest at Silver Sands on 5/25
1 pair, 5 adults, 3 hatchlings, 5 nests at Long Beach on 5/25
6 adults, 6 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/25
1 pair, 1 nest at Silver Sands on 5/26
3 pairs, 8 adults, 4 hatchlings, 3 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/26
7 pairs, 4 hatchlings, 3 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/26
5 adults, 4 nests at Bluff Point on 5/26
5 adults, 1 nest at Silver Sands on 5/27
2 pairs, 6 adults, 4 hatchlings, 1 nest at Bluff Point on 5/27
1 pair, 1 nest at Silver Sands on 5/28
10 pairs, 3 adults, 10 hatchlings, 9 nests at Long Beach on 5/28
1 adult at Waterford on 5/28
1 pair, 1 adult, 4 hatchlings, 1 nest at Long Beach on 5/28
1 adult, 1 nest at Silver Sands on 5/28
15 adults, 3 hatchlings, 1 nest at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/29
2 pairs, 6 adults, 4 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/29
5 adults, 3 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/29
10 adults, 8 hatchlings, 2 nests at Milford Point on 5/30
2 pairs, 5 adults, 3 hatchlings, 3 nests at Long Beach on 5/30
2 pairs, 6 adults, 7 hatchlings, 1 nest at Long Beach on 5/30
1 adult, 1 nest at Silver Sands on 5/30
2 pairs, 2 adults, 1 nest at Long Beach on 5/30
3 pairs, 2 adults, 9 hatchlings, 1 nest at Milford Point on 5/31
1 pair, 1 adult, 4 hatchlings, 1 nest at Long Beach on 5/31
6 pairs, 1 adult, 2 hatchlings, 2 nests at Bluff Point on 5/31
4 pairs, 2 adults, 2 hatchlings at Bluff Point on 5/31
1 pair at Waterford on 5/31
15 adults, 1 hatchling at Bluff Point on 6/1
4 pairs, 2 adults, 2 hatchlings at Bluff Point on 6/1
9 pairs, 1 adult, 13 hatchlings, 9 nests at Long Beach on 6/1
3 pairs, 5 adults, 6 hatchlings, 2 nests at Long Beach on 6/1
3 adults, 3 hatchlings, 2 nests at Milford Point on 6/1
3 adults at Griswold Point on 6/1
3 adults, 3 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/1
6 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/3
9 pairs, 21 hatchlings, 3 nests at Long Beach on 6/3
2 adults, 1 nest at Milford Point on 6/3
4 pairs, 4 adults, 4 hatchlings, 2 nests at Bluff Point on 6/3
8 pairs, 2 adults, 12 hatchlings, 8 nests at Long Beach on 6/3

American Oystercatcher
5 adults, 2 hatchlings at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/22
6 adults, 3 hatchlings, 1 nest at Milford Point on 5/22
1 pair, 2 adults, 3 hatchlings at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/22
2 pairs, 1 adult, 2 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/22
2 adults, 1 nest at Long Beach on 5/23
2 pairs at Milford Point on 5/23
1 pair at Pleasure Beach on 5/23
1 pair, 2 adults, 1 nest at Bluff Point on 5/24
1 adult at Stratford Point on 5/25
1 adult, 1 nest at Long Beach on 5/25
1 pair, 3 adults, 3 hatchlings at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/25
3 pairs, 5 hatchlings, 2 nests at Milford Point on 5/25
2 pairs, 4 adults, 1 nest at Milford Point on 5/25
1 adult at Stratford Point on 5/26
8 adults, 3 hatchlings at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/26
2 adults at Bluff Point on 5/26
1 pair, 3 adults, 3 hatchlings at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/26
2 adults, 1 nest at Bluff Point on 5/27
1 adult at Silver Sands on 5/28
2 adults at Silver Sands on 5/28
1 adult, 1 nest at Long Beach on 5/28
3 adults at Waterford on 5/28
2 pairs, 1 nest at Long Beach on 5/28
3 pairs, 3 hatchlings, 2 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/29
2 pairs, 1 adult, 3 hatchlings at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/29
3 pairs, 4 hatchlings, 2 nests at Milford Point on 5/29
6 adults, 2 hatchlings at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/29
1 pair, 2 adults at Long Beach on 5/30
3 pairs, 1 nest at Milford Point on 5/30
1 pair at Waterford on 5/31
2 pairs, 3 hatchlings, 1 nest at Bluff Point on 5/31
1 pair, 2 adults, 3 hatchlings, 1 nest at Bluff Point on 5/31
1 pair, 6 adults at Bluff Point on 6/1
4 pairs, 1 nest at Milford Point on 6/1
1 pair, 1 adult, 3 hatchlings at Bluff Point on 6/1
1 pair, 2 hatchlings, 1 nest at Long Beach on 6/1
1 pair, 2 hatchlings at Long Beach on 6/1
1 pair at Griswold Point on 6/1
5 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/1
1 pair, 1 adult, 1 nest at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/3
1 pair, 2 hatchlings at Long Beach on 6/3
1 adult at Milford Point on 6/3
2 pairs, 1 adult, 2 hatchlings at Bluff Point on 6/3
1 pair, 2 hatchlings at Long Beach on 6/3

Least Tern
12 adults at Milford Point on 5/22
9 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/22
4 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/22
2 pairs, 1 adult at Bluff Point on 5/24
7 pairs, 20 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/25
20 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/26
2 adults at Waterford on 5/28
22 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/29
4 pairs, 7 adults, 2 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/29
12 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/29
5 adults, 1 nest at Milford Point on 5/30
1 pair, 5 adults, 1 nest at Milford Point on 5/31
5 pairs, 5 adults, 1 nest at Bluff Point on 5/31
3 pairs, 6 adults at Bluff Point on 5/31
20 adults at Bluff Point on 6/1
6 pairs, 31 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/1
13 adults, 3 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/3
6 pairs, 9 adults at Bluff Point on 6/3

Common Tern
1 adult at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/26
2 adults at Milford Point on 5/30
3 adults at Milford Point on 5/31

This concludes update #4 through 6/4/18 as of 1:30 p.m.

Stratford Point Semipalmated Sandpipers

Stratford Point is a global National Audubon Society Important Bird Area for the Semipalmated Sandpiper, and this Memorial Day view of our shoreline may give you a clue as to why - absolutely astounding! Hosting several thousand birds in the spring on their way north is all the more impressive, and this sighting rivals any totals ever recorded here in fall migration (when young can join the ranks and bump numbers).

A number of factors contributed to this moment including a rising high tide, a hot day with people on the shore and in the waters, the late May date, and the Memorial Day holiday making it even busier at beaches while pushing birds to quiet spots. Keep an eye out for a video of this spectacle later this week and why it is so important...and while I wish I had photographed them on the other side, I did not want to flush this enormous roosting group. Please keep this in mind and always exercise extreme caution around shorebird flocks, not adding to their disturbances - thank you!

Scott Kruitbosch
AAfCW Volunteer Coordinator
RTPI Conservation & Outreach Coordinator

Memorial Day Weekend 2019

Memorial Day Weekend 2019 looks to be full of terrific, warm beach weather, in stark contrast to the very wet spring we have experienced thus far. There will be many visitors to Connecticut shores in the next few days. We also have a lot of young Piping Plovers and American Oystercatchers on our beaches and offshore islands.

Here's a message from CT DEEP Wildlife Division:

DEEP is asking beachcombers, sunbathers, and boaters along the Connecticut shoreline to respect the fencing and yellow signs warning of piping plover and least tern nesting sites. Both shorebirds are state threatened species (the plover is also federally threatened). In addition, Charles Island in Milford and Duck Island in Westbrook will be closed to the public from now through September 9, 2019, to prevent disturbances to nesting birds. Both islands have been designated by DEEP as Natural Area Preserves, primarily due to their importance as nesting habitats for several state-listed birds, including snowy egrets and great egrets (state threatened species), glossy ibis, and little blue herons (state special concern). #SharetheShore #BeachesAreHabitat

If you are one of our AAfCW volunteer monitors, please monitor whenever you can in the next few days to help ensure we all #SharetheShore while enjoying the holiday and gorgeous weather.

Share the Shore 2019

Our volunteers, along with CT DEEP and AAfCW staff, are doing a tremendous job on busy and birdy beaches so far in 2019 despite the constant wet weather and high tides making everything more difficult. We have Piping Plovers and American Oystercatchers now hatching! Please remember to #ShareTheShore this Memorial Day weekend and respect their space, along with string fenced areas, because there is plenty of sand for all of us.

Can you spot the Piping Plover in this photo? And the second one, too? It is rather "easy" because they're focused on, but many beachgoers would never be able to spot them even several feet away - especially if they were tiny hatchlings hiding in the sand!

These hatchlings need a lot of space, and if you see mom and dad running around with them, calling and dashing about, you should continue to keep a very safe distance away. It is tempting to want to pursue and photograph them but this becomes a dangerous activity without a very long lens and extreme care. Thank you all for your dedication to our birds, and thanks in advance to everyone who has decided to #ShareTheShore in 2019.

AAfCW 2019 Volunteer Update #3

This is the third regular weekly update by the Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds (AAfCW) for the 2019 season. Today's update includes reports of Piping Plover, American Oystercatcher, Least Tern and Common Tern from May 14 through 9:00pm on May 21 with sightings of birds by volunteers and staff spanning the period.

Informational updates:

Once again a number of monitoring visits were canceled due to the constant rainy conditions. May is a very busy time for bird migration, and we continue to be near the peak of shorebirds migrating through the region. Species such as Semipalmated Sandpipers, Semipalmated Plovers, Ruddy Turnstones, Black-bellied Plovers, Sanderlings, and more are all found in the same locations as our Piping Plovers. Other similar birds like Killdeer have nests and young in the same habitats. Please keep this in mind when identifying our focal species. A helpful CT DEEP document can be found here: http://www.ct.gov/deep/lib/deep/wildlife/pdf_files/nongame/CTShorebirds.pdf

We now have Piping Plovers and American Oystercatchers hatching in Connecticut, with more to come in the next few weeks. The stormy weather and high tides lately did wash some nests away, especially impacting our plovers. Please remember whether it is a marked bird, a disturbance of note that however does not reach “take” status, a new nest, and other significant information, please email CT DEEP (Laura.Saucier@ct.gov and Rebecca.Foster@ct.gov) and AAfCW directly about it with all the information you can as soon as possible. 

Also bear in mind that with changing weather conditions, tides, time of day, beach visitors, foraging vs. incubation and behaviors, the number of birds you see may differ from what other observers do even on the same day. Having coverage of multiple monitors and staff on a given day can be desirable as well for this reason and for better coverage of our beaches.

Negative data should still be reported whenever you visit a beach and do not see any Piping Plovers, Least Terns, American Oystercatchers, or Common Terns. If your beach has none of our four focal species still in the next couple of weeks you can change locations to another more busy location if you would like. Reporting monitoring observations using the online data entry form is still the best method to submit your information. Please remember to email us directly at ctwaterbirds@gmail.com if you have any questions or run into any problems. Thank you all for all your hard work!

Survey and monitoring updates: 

Piping Plover

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

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

8 pairs, 6 nests at Long Beach on 5/16

1 adult, 1 nest at Bluff Point on 5/16

7 pairs, 1 adult, 6 nests at Milford Point on 5/16

4 pairs, 3 nests at Milford Point on 5/16

1 pair, 5 adults, 1 nest at Bluff Point on 5/17

11 adults, 7 nests at Long Beach on 5/17

5 pairs, 2 adults, 4 nests at Bluff Point on 5/17

1 adult at Waterford Beach on 5/17

1 pair, 1 adult, 1 nest at Silver Sands State Park on 5/17

3 pairs, 4 adults, 2 nests, 3 hatchlings at Bluff Point on 5/18

4 pairs, 8 adults, 8 nests, at Long Beach on 5/18

2 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/18

2 pairs, 8 adults, 2 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/19

1 pair at Griswold Point on 5/19

1 pair at Silver Sands State Park on 5/19

9 pairs, 8 nests at Long Beach on 5/20

1 adult, 1 nest at Silver Sands State Park on 5/21

1 pair, 2 adults, 2 nests, 4 hatchlings at Milford Point on 5/21

5 pairs, 1 adult, 2 nests, 4 hatchlings at Bluff Point on 5/21

American Oystercatcher

2 pairs, 2 adults, 1 nest at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/15

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

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

1 pair, 1 nest at Long Beach on 5/16

3 pairs, 1 adult, 3 nests at Milford Point on 5/16

2 adults at Bluff Point on 5/16

4 pairs, 3 nests at Milford Point on 5/16
1 adult at Long Beach on 5/16

2 pairs at Bluff Point on 5/17

1 pair, 1 nest at Bluff Point on 5/17

1 adult, 1 nest at Long Beach on 5/18

1 pair, 3 adults, 1 hatchling at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/18

3 pairs at Milford Point on 5/18

1 pair at Griswold Point on 5/19

1 pair, 3 adults, 3 hatchlings at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/19

1 pair, 1 adult, 1 nest at Long Beach on 5/20

3 pairs at Milford Point on 5/21

1 pair, 1 adult, 1 nest at Bluff Point on 5/21

Least Tern

3 adults at Milford Point on 5/16

9 adults at Milford Point on 5/16

2 adults at Bluff Point on 5/17

15 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/19

5 adults at Griswold Point on 5/19

2 pairs, 7 adults at Bluff Point on 5/21

8 adults at Milford Point on 5/21

Common Tern

3 adults at Milford Point on 5/16

2 adults at Milford Point on 5/16

1 adult at Bluff Point on 5/17

7 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/19

2 adults at Milford Point on 5/21

This concludes update #3 through 5/22/18 as of 11:00 a.m.