AAfCW Reminders

 AAfCW New Volunteer Field Training by CT DEEP is tomorrow:

• Saturday, May 1st from 10am-12pm at Sandy/Morse Points in West Haven

This session for new volunteers will be focused on how to look for the birds and how to collect data. If you have not received a monitoring ID badge and/or lanyard, this doubles as a great time to pick one up in person. CT DEEP will let West Haven know about the session and take care of parking. We will meet in the parking lot, and you can park there even without a pass. Please know this is supplemental in-person training for our existing volunteers to add to the previous training sessions on Zoom in March.

Monitoring IDs are still being created and sent out by CT DEEP. If you have not received yours yet, you can pick one up tomorrow, and the remainder will be sent ASAP. CT DEEP Wildlife is extraordinarily busy with an extremely limited staff and still working around COVID-19 protocols. Everything is in slow motion, but we are getting there! There are still a few parking passes that need to be completed by West Haven, too.

If we have inclement weather - cold days under 50, hot days over 90, very windy days like today, or rain, please skip your monitoring session. Fencing is still being completed and Piping Plover nests exclosed across CT daily. If you discover a new nest while monitoring or see something we should know about, please directly email: Laura.Saucier@ct.gov, rsuzf@hotmail.com, and ctwaterbirds@gmail.com. We need those direct contacts in addition to data entry for significant sightings and events like new nests. Thank you!

Terns Coming Soon - Reporting Banded Roseate Terns

Our terns are returning! The first week of May typically yields the first Common Terns and Least Terns of the season in Connecticut. While you may only see one or two initially, hopefully some beaches will end up with dozens or potentially hundreds flying by, foraging, or ideally, starting a nesting colony. 

The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service requested that we pass along this PDF for finding and reporting Roseate Terns with bands. Please bear in mind some similar Common Terns may have bands, too. However, the rare Connecticut endangered Roseate Tern nests at Falkner Island and can occasionally be spotted elsewhere along the Connecticut coast. Thank you for your assistance!

New Volunteer Field Training Change - *ONLY* on 5/1

 AAfCW New Volunteer Field Training by CT DEEP will take place on one date:

• Saturday, May 1st from 10am-12pm at Sandy/Morse Points in West Haven

The session scheduled for this Sunday, April 25, has been canceled due to rain. This session for new volunteers will be focused on how to look for the birds and how to collect data. Please RSVP to ctwaterbirds@gmail.com if you wish to attend. If you have not received a monitoring ID badge and/or lanyard, this doubles as a great time to pick one up in person. CT DEEP will let West Haven know about the session and take care of parking.

Please know this is supplemental in-person training for our existing volunteers to add to the previous training sessions on Zoom in March. Thank you, and please email ctwaterbirds@gmail.com if you have any questions.

AAfCW 2021 Field Update #2 - Field Training

Good afternoon,

Official DEEP ID cards have been received by most by now if you only needed a card. Those who requested IDs plus lanyards will be sent soon. The Nature Conservancy at Griswold Point is all set. West Haven has been producing parking passes this week, and many have been distributed. Please do not go to West Haven until you receive a parking pass unless you are a resident with a parking sticker as they will ticket vehicles otherwise. Fencing is continuing at all sites as fast as staff can complete it.

New Volunteer Field Training by CT DEEP will take place on two available dates:

• Sunday, April 25th from 10am-12pm at Sandy/Morse Points in West Haven 
• Saturday, May 1st from 10am-12pm at Sandy/Morse Points in West Haven

The sessions for new volunteers will be identical and focused on how to look for the birds and how to collect data. Two are being offered due to COVID-19 to limit numbers. Please RSVP to ctwaterbirds@gmail.com to the one you wish to attend. If you have not received a monitoring ID badge and/or lanyard, this doubles as a great time to pick one up in person.

Please enter your data and information as soon as possible after monitoring. Our blog http://ctwaterbirds.blogspot.com 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. If you have no nests, you do not have to enter the field on the form. Not filling it in reads as "zero". If you have two pairs of birds, you can simply enter two pairs - no need to put four adults as well. That would double the count, and "adults" is simply for unpaired adult birds.

A handful of nests have been discovered in recent days, and more will be found throughout the rest of April. All birds we are seeing now through at least mid-May are adults. Below are observations on our beaches as submitted through 12:00pm today, Tuesday, April 20.

Piping Plover:

5 adults at Milford Point on 4/8

1 pair, 1 adult at Bluff Point on 4/8

1 pair, 1 adult at Long Beach on 4/8

3 pairs, 1 adult at Sandy/Morse Points on 4/8

5 pairs, 1 adult at Long Beach on 4/8

2 pairs at Bluff Point on 4/9

1 adult at Milford Point on 4/10

2 adults at Long Beach on 4/10

2 adults at Bluff Point on 4/10

1 adult at Long Beach on 4/10

3 pairs, 1 adult at Bluff Point on 4/11

1 pair, 7 adults at Milford Point on 4/12

1 pair at Griswold Point on 4/12

2 pairs, 4 adults at Milford Point on 4/13

4 pairs at Milford Point on 4/13

2 pairs at Bluff Point on 4/13

5 adults at Milford Point on 4/13

2 pairs, 3 adults at Long Beach on 4/13

2 adults at Bluff Point on 4/13

3 pairs, 6 adults at Milford Point on 4/14

1 pair, 1 adult at Bluff Point on 4/14

6 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 4/14

1 pair, 3 adults at Long Beach on 4/17

3 pairs at Bluff Point on 4/17

8 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 4/17

3 adults at Bluff Point on 4/17

3 pairs, 5 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 4/18

2 adults at Long Beach on 4/18

1 pair at Griswold Point on 4/19

9 adults at Milford Point on 4/19

2 adults at Bluff Point on 4/19

American Oystercatcher:

4 adults at Milford Point on 4/8

1 pair at Bluff Point on 4/8

3 pairs at Sandy/Morse Points on 4/8

1 pair at Long Beach on 4/8

2 pairs at Bluff Point on 4/9

3 pairs at Milford Point on 4/10

1 pair at Long Beach on 4/10

2 pairs, 1 adult at Milford Point on 4/11

3 pairs at Milford Point on 4/11

2 adults at Bluff Point on 4/11

8 adults at Milford Point on 4/12

6 pairs, 1 adult at Milford Point on 4/13

2 pairs, 1 adult at Milford Point on 4/13

2 pairs at Bluff Point on 4/13

2 adults at Long Beach on 4/13

5 adults at Milford Point on 4/13

1 pair at Long Beach on 4/13

1 pair at Bluff Point on 4/14

1 pair at Sandy/Morse Points on 4/14

1 pair at Long Beach on 4/17

2 pairs at Bluff Point on 4/17

3 pairs at Sandy/Morse Points on 4/17

2 pairs, 1 adult at Sandy/Morse Points on 4/18

2 pairs, 2 adults at Milford Point on 4/19

3 adults at Bluff Point on 4/19

Thanks again!

Monitoring Weather

This week's weather may feature a lot of clouds and showers, with rain being predicted on several of the next seven days. Please remember that we only want to go out and monitor during good weather conditions, without precipitation, for the safety of our birds and our volunteers. Is it especially windy to the point where you feel like you are being blown around? That is a good sign to stay in for the day. If the temperature is below 50 degrees or above 90 degrees we ask that you skip your session and stay home, too. 

Rainfall, cold air, or excess heat can be dangerous for eggs and young hatchlings, and less stress from us is critical. Please bear in mind that hot and humid conditions later this summer are also often more conducive for thunderstorms and to keep an eye on the radar. Our birds, like this American Oystercatcher, are now beginning to nest, and more will be found in the next week. Let's be safe for everyone involved and give them plenty of space on the beach, as always - thank you!

AAfCW 2021 Field Update #1

All address information, along with needs for lanyards, was submitted to DEEP at the end of March. They will be getting out official ID cards to everyone, and lanyards for those who requested, as soon as possible. Additionally, vehicle and address information was provided to the City of West Haven and The Nature Conservancy. If you provided any or all of this before March 29, you are all set.

In the meantime, if you would like to casually visit your beach for your scheduled monitoring session, that would be great. However, please do not go to West Haven until you receive a parking pass unless you are a resident with a parking sticker as they will ticket vehicles otherwise. Typically physical materials are provided at in-person training. However, with COVID-19 necessitating virtual sessions, plus more logistical delays for all parties involved, the process takes additional time. Thanks for understanding and your patience!

Please enter your data and information as soon as possible after monitoring. Our 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. If you have no nests, you do not have to enter the field on the form. If you have two pairs of birds, you can simply enter two pairs - no need to put four adults as well. That would double the count, and "adults" is simply for unpaired adult birds.

We have started collecting data and information from volunteers now as we have entered April. Below are observations on our beaches as submitted through 12:00pm today, Thursday, April 8. Lastly, we will soon be providing information for field training for new volunteers.

Piping Plover:

2 adults at Milford Point on 3/23

1 pair, 2 adults at Milford Point on 3/30

1 adult at Bluff Point on 3/31

1 adult at Bluff Point on 4/2

5 adults at Bluff Point on 4/2

4 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 4/3

4 pairs at Long Beach on 4/5

2 adults at Long Beach on 4/6

3 adults at Long Beach on 4/6

3 adults at Bluff Point on 4/7

10 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 4/7

3 adults at Milford Point on 4/7

American Oystercatcher:

2 adults at Milford Point on 3/23

1 pair, 4 adults at Milford Point on 3/30

2 pairs, 1 adult at Bluff Point on 4/2

2 pairs at Bluff Point on 4/2

3 pairs at Sandy/Morse Points on 4/3

3 pairs, 6 adults at Milford Point on 4/3

1 pair at Long Beach on 4/5

3 pairs, 3 adults at Milford Point on 4/6

2 pairs at Bluff Point on 4/7

3 pairs at Sandy/Morse Points on 4/7

1 pair, 5 adults at Milford Point on 4/7

Thanks again!