AAfCW 2023 Field Update #3

This is the third field update for the AAfCW in 2023 with data provided from volunteer monitors spanning May 11 through May 21. We are now at the point of the season where we will have American Oystercatchers and Piping Plovers hatching all over Connecticut. At the same time, we are seeing our Least Terns and Common Terns laying eggs and establishing colonies across the state as well. This is the beginning of the most critical time of the year for our birds.

Please give chicks as wide a berth as possible, using binoculars and/or spotting scopes to identify and observe them. The closer we are, the more of a threat we become - to nests, young, adults, all of our birds. Ideally, our birds should act as if no one is around. Please heed alarm calls and remember that chicks may freeze in place if frightened. Taking careful steps and staying below the high tide line is all the more important. Photographs or videos of birds and chicks are not necessary and can often stress them more now. Please refer back to our YouTube training session for new monitors for more on observing young: https://youtu.be/qJTW2WsyUYE

Memorial Day weekend is traditionally the first busy beach weekend of the year, and it typically coincides with the first hatchling Piping Plovers and American Oystercatchers running around our shoreline, as is the case in 2023. We need all the help we can get to monitor beaches and speak to beachgoers during this vital period. This weekend's weather should feature a mix of clouds and sun with mostly slightly cooler to near-normal temperatures. While it may not be a hot holiday, it will still be busy at the shore. 

If anyone can help and put in some extra time at your location(s) with beach stewardship, especially on Memorial Day, we would greatly appreciate it! If you have your monitoring ID and your beach is closed to residents only, you can use the ID to enter if you explain you are there to monitor the shorebirds for CT DEEP. You do not have to schedule extra Memorial Day weekend monitoring in advance. Thank you again for all your hard work!

Species	Date	Location	Pairs	Adults	Nests	Hatchlings
AMOY	May 11	Sandy/Morse Points	1	3	1
PIPL	May 11	Sandy/Morse Points		21	4
COTE	May 11	Sandy/Morse Points		3
LETE	May 11	Sandy/Morse Points		12
AMOY	May 11	Milford Point	3	2	3	3
PIPL	May 11	Milford Point	11	1	10
COTE	May 11	Milford Point		2
LETE	May 11	Milford Point		6
LETE	May 11	Long Beach		33
AMOY	May 11	Long Beach	1	2	1
PIPL	May 11	Long Beach		8	4
AMOY	May 11	Griswold Point	1
PIPL	May 11	Griswold Point	1	1
LETE	May 11	Griswold Point		1
AMOY	May 12	Griswold Point	1
PIPL	May 12	Griswold Point	1	1
AMOY	May 12	Milford Point	2			1
PIPL	May 12	Milford Point		4	3
PIPL	May 12	Milford Point	1	7	9
AMOY	May 12	Milford Point	1	2	3
LETE	May 12	Milford Point	2	1
AMOY	May 12	Griswold Point		1	1
PIPL	May 12	Griswold Point	1	1
LETE	May 12	Griswold Point	1
PIPL	May 12	Milford Point	1	4	1
AMOY	May 12	Milford Point		16	2
COTE	May 12	Milford Point		17
LETE	May 12	Milford Point		4
AMOY	May 13	Sandy/Morse Points	2		1
PIPL	May 13	Sandy/Morse Points	2	6
LETE	May 13	Sandy/Morse Points		5
PIPL	May 14	Sandy/Morse Points	6	3	7
AMOY	May 14	Sandy/Morse Points	3	2	1
LETE	May 14	Sandy/Morse Points		50
COTE	May 14	Sandy/Morse Points		2
AMOY	May 14	Sandy/Morse Points	2	1	1
COTE	May 14	Sandy/Morse Points		4
PIPL	May 14	Sandy/Morse Points	16	17	3
LETE	May 14	Sandy/Morse Points	4	55
PIPL	May 14	Griswold Point		1
LETE	May 14	Griswold Point	1
LETE	May 15	Compo Beach		10
LETE	May 15	Bluff Point	1
AMOY	May 15	Bluff Point	1	2
PIPL	May 15	Bluff Point	1	5
AMOY	May 16	Milford Point		3	2
PIPL	May 16	Milford Point		20	10
LETE	May 16	Milford Point	5	36
PIPL	May 16	Bluff Point	3	1	2
AMOY	May 16	Bluff Point	1	2
PIPL	May 16	Long Beach		11	5
AMOY	May 17	Sandy/Morse Points	5	1
PIPL	May 17	Sandy/Morse Points		22
LETE	May 17	Sandy/Morse Points		4
PIPL	May 17	Sandy/Morse Points	1	22	1
AMOY	May 17	Sandy/Morse Points		5
LETE	May 17	Sandy/Morse Points		1
AMOY	May 17	Long Beach	1	1	1
PIPL	May 17	Long Beach		4	4
PIPL	May 17	Long Beach	1	6	4
COTE	May 17	Long Beach		14
LETE	May 17	Long Beach	1	9
COTE	May 17	Long Beach	1
AMOY	May 17	Long Beach	3	1	1
AMOY	May 17	Milford Point		1
PIPL	May 17	Milford Point		5	5
AMOY	May 17	Griswold Point	1
PIPL	May 17	Griswold Point		1
LETE	May 17	Griswold Point		10
AMOY	May 18	Milford Point	3	1	1	1
COTE	May 18	Milford Point		4
LETE	May 18	Milford Point	5	20
COTE	May 18	Milford Point		4
AMOY	May 18	Griswold Point	1
PIPL	May 18	Griswold Point	1
LETE	May 18	Griswold Point		5
AMOY	May 18	Long Beach	2	1	2
PIPL	May 18	Long Beach	5	2	6
COTE	May 18	Long Beach		3
LETE	May 18	Long Beach		41
AMOY	May 18	Sandy/Morse Points	1	3	1
PIPL	May 18	Sandy/Morse Points		16	5
AMOY	May 19	Compo Beach	1
PIPL	May 19	Milford Point	2	13	11
AMOY	May 19	Sandy/Morse Points	2
AMOY	May 19	Milford Point	2	3	3
PIPL	May 19	Sandy/Morse Points	2	16	2
LETE	May 19	Milford Point	5	8
LETE	May 19	Sandy/Morse Points	5	8	3
PIPL	May 19	Milford Point	2	10	4	1
AMOY	May 19	Milford Point	1	3	3	2
LETE	May 19	Milford Point		3
COTE	May 19	Milford Point		8
AMOY	May 19	Griswold Point		2
PIPL	May 19	Griswold Point	1	4
LETE	May 19	Griswold Point		4
AMOY	May 19	Griswold Point	1
PIPL	May 19	Griswold Point	2	1
LETE	May 19	Griswold Point	3
AMOY	May 21	Hammonassett State Park		3
PIPL	May 21	Long Beach	4	4	3
AMOY	May 21	Sandy/Morse Points	2		1
PIPL	May 21	Sandy/Morse Points	4	13	5
LETE	May 21	Sandy/Morse Points		40