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.