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!