Caution at the Shore

Good afternoon, all!

We continue to have a mix of nesting birds, migrant and dispersing birds. Please remember to keep an eye out for flagged/banded birds including Piping Plover, American Oystercatcher, and terns such as the Roseate Tern. You can report any and all via email to us including Laura Saucier (Laura.Saucier@ct.gov) and Rebecca Foster (rsuzf@hotmail.com) of CT DEEP plus us at AAfCW (ctwaterbirds@gmail.com).

Our beaches and offshore islands have had a very different type of year in 2020 due to COVID-19. A few areas have been quieter due to restrictions on visitation. Unfortunately, most have had a more difficult time with increased numbers of visitors including beachgoers, photographers, birders, boaters, and so on, with many of all groups disturbing birds at critical times, causing losses of nests and young. We have done a lot of work behind the scenes and publicly to help educate and inform everyone on how important basic precautions are for our nesting endangered species. 

However, it is certainly best to keep in mind that we want to minimize these disturbances for the rest of 2020, too. For example, we do not require egg counts on nests. If you hear birds calling in alarm, have terns dive bombing you, see a broken wing display, you or others are too close and should carefully move back towards the waterline and out of the area. We do not want to disclose exact nesting locations to the public we may encounter, or broadcast what birds are on what beaches via Facebook, email, forums, text lists, or other widespread media. Certain species, nests and young are very enticing targets for photographers and birders that may become a disturbance in themselves.

This is why we have worked to limit posting these birds in terms of specifics in our media, on mediums like Facebook, and are not putting out detailed nesting locations and counts at the moment. This dynamic continues to change every year, and the growing power of social media, more affordable and accessible equipment, and so forth helps drive more people to the shore, especially during a pandemic. Please do not post or email data and information we collect until later in the year when the nesting season is concluded, and please keep in mind we as volunteers, staff, and caring bird lovers are a potential disturbance at all times, too.

Keep an eye on the heat and the potential thunderstorms this week and throughout the rest of July and August. Thank you, and stay safe!