eBird Checklist Sharing

If you could, please share any eBird checklists that include shorebirds, terns, herons or egrets with the Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds at ctwaterbirds@gmail.com whenever you can. We have requested this help in previous years, and please keep them coming in 2021!

Sanderlings

There is a button on eBird to share in the upper left when viewing checklists, and if you click that and enter ctwaterbirds@gmail.com you can easily do so with applicable checklists. Even old checklists can be sent if you have any from earlier in the year. This helps us record the staging and nesting areas for these birds - those that we do not monitor every pair in Connecticut as we do for Piping Plovers and American Oystercatchers - and also helps us track volunteer hours for folks who are recording waterbird activity. Please be sure these checklists contain your time spent in the field in the reports to help track level of effort.

This is a huge help in 2021 when we have once again experienced a very difficult year for AAfCW and CT DEEP due to COVID-19. The more information, data and time from the field, the better. Your assistance is greatly appreciated. If you are not an “official” monitor, we still would love your time and data, thanks!

Scott Kruitbosch
AAfCW Volunteer Coordinator

Unlawful Landings

One of the most prevalent illegal activities we see in Connecticut during our work all spring and summer are people trespassing or landing on private or restricted properties. In this case, one of our staff, Natalie, took a photo of an illegal landing and subsequent trespassing - with a loose dog, as well - earlier this summer.

We are all very aware of the legality of the median high tide line in Connecticut, as below it is public property. However, that does not grant someone complete immunity from any laws whatsoever, nor does it permit landing and wandering onto various lands to do anything one pleases. Griswold Point in Old Lyme, owned by The Nature Conservancy, is a terrific example. It is routinely violated by people on all sorts of watercraft who then disembark and wander the property, treating it as a personal beach, holding wedding ceremonies, taking tours with commercial companies, and much more, all a complete violation of numerous laws - not to mention completely disrupting any and all bird nesting activity. 

AAfCW and its partners are continually working with landowners, advocacy groups, and law enforcement on protecting lands, people, and wildlife from trespassers, and your education and reports of these violators is always appreciated, too.

Scott Kruitbosch
AAfCW Volunteer Coordinator