Thank you to everyone who has submitted their mailing address information, desired monitoring location(s) and schedule, signed monitoring form, and vehicle information, if applicable. We are now finishing these tasks as we begin the official monitoring season in April. Please submit all information by this weekend at the latest.
We are hopeful new monitor field training will occur next month, details TBD. Please continue to review the Zoom training sessions on YouTube or let us know if you have any more specific questions about being in the field.
New monitors: https://youtu.be/
Returning monitors: https://youtu.be/
Keep in mind we want to be monitors conducting surveys while transiting our beaches. Some locations, like Bluff Point, may take hours to fully cover, while others, like Short Beach, may take only 20 minutes. We do not want to be positioned on the beach in a way to add to the disturbances.
We monitor by walking along the waterline, scanning the beach and nesting areas from afar, and continuing to move. Sitting down in the middle of nesting areas or lingering in and around our birds can be problematic. They do not realize we are trying to help, and instead see us as disturbances or potential predators. This can discourage nesting attempts, keep pairs off eggs, stress young, and so forth. If you want to remain at a location for a prolonged period, you should do so while at the beginning of a beach, at the end of the parking area, etc. far removed from nesting habitat, using binoculars and spotting scopes.
Please enter your data and information as soon as possible after monitoring. This blog has a link in the right-hand column under "Important Documents" to the "Online Data Submission Form" which you should review and use for data entry. It will prompt you to input all of the information we require, and you can add comments for more details as well. If you do not see any of our target species (Piping Plover, American Oystercatcher, and starting in May, Least Tern and Common Tern) please submit data regardless. Your trip information, hours, lack of birds, disturbances, observations of weather or people - all of that is vital to know.
Thank you!
Scott Kruitbosch
AAfCW Volunteer Coordinator
AAfCW Volunteer Coordinator
No comments:
Post a Comment