AAfCW 2023 Field Update #7

This is the seventh field update for the AAfCW in 2023 with data provided from volunteer monitors spanning June 21 through July 5. It has been a very busy period for our birds, with more nests and young on the way with hatchlings, fledglings, and juveniles already dispersing and leaving their beaches. We have moved through the July 4th weekend and holiday with a lot of success, educating beachgoers, preventing disturbances, and having positive interactions. Our staff has been walking the beaches, visiting the islands, and attending fireworks displays to help keep an eye on our birds at critical locations.

We have also seen some unfortunate losses of nests and young including in West Haven in staggering numbers thanks to dozens of Fish Crows persistently sitting on nest exclosures, chasing down hatchling Piping Plovers, and disrupting the nesting Least Tern colony. We worked to have the City of West Haven and assisted in reducing trash and cleaning the beach safely to discourage the predators.

Hopefully, some of those Least Terns will find success in Milford, where a colony is now growing in size there. We have also had to contend with extremely difficult weather at times with severe thunderstorms, heavy rain and tides, wind, and heat. Please remain home from monitoring if rain or thunderstorms are likely, or the temperature is above 90 degrees. 

Please also remember to hydrate, bring a snack, wear sunblock, and follow the tips provided in our training sessions and with your volunteer packet. You'll also want to refer back to training and the volunteer packet to find dog ordinances, what to do in case of various disturbances, how to age our birds, and much more. These resources are definitely necessary throughout the season as a reference.

Click on each to open them:

CT DEEP 2023 volunteer packet (in PDF form)
New Volunteer Monitor Training 2023 - YouTube

Returning Volunteer Monitor Training 2023 - YouTube

Thank you to all for the extra monitoring help over the holiday period. Remember our staff is in the field every single day across Connecticut, nearly from dawn to dusk, but we are still limited in number. Your monitoring helps us tremendously in every aspect of conservation!

Species	Date	Location	Pairs	Adults	Nests	Hatchlings	Fledglings	Juveniles
PIPL	June 21	Long Beach	2	7	1	8
AMOY	June 21	Long Beach	1		1
AMOY	June 21	Sandy/Morse Points	2			2	2
PIPL	June 21	Sandy/Morse Points		28		8	8
LETE	June 21	Sandy/Morse Points		84
AMOY	June 21	Long Beach	2		2
PIPL	June 21	Long Beach	2	4	2		3
PIPL	June 21	Sandy/Morse Points	15	8	2	17	15
AMOY	June 21	Sandy/Morse Points	3
LETE	June 21	Sandy/Morse Points	15	25	10
PIPL	June 21	Milford Point	3	1		3
AMOY	June 21	Milford Point		1
PIPL	June 21	Long Beach	2	9		9
AMOY	June 21	Long Beach	2	15	1
AMOY	June 22	Long Beach	1
PIPL	June 22	Long Beach		3			1
AMOY	June 22	Milford Point	3	4		5	2
PIPL	June 22	Milford Point	5	10	2	8	2
COTE	June 22	Milford Point	1	1
LETE	June 22	Milford Point	10	30
	June 22	Sandy/Morse Points	8	14		8
AMOY	June 22	Sandy/Morse Points	2	1		3
LETE	June 22	Sandy/Morse Points		30
PIPL	June 23	Griswold Point	1		1
AMOY	June 25	Sandy/Morse Points	3			3
PIPL	June 25	Sandy/Morse Points	7	4		4	4
LETE	June 25	Sandy/Morse Points	10	20	10
AMOY	June 25	Long Beach	1
PIPL	June 25	Long Beach	5	3	1		3	8
LETE	June 25	Long Beach	1
AMOY	June 25	Griswold Point	1
PIPL	June 25	Griswold Point	1		1
PIPL	June 26	Milford Point	4	4				1
AMOY	June 26	Compo Beach		1
AMOY	June 26	Griswold Point	1
PIPL	June 26	Griswold Point	2		1
LETE	June 26	Griswold Point		3
PIPL	June 27	Long Beach	1	4		1
LETE	June 27	Long Beach		12
AMOY	June 27	Long Beach	3	1	1
PIPL	June 27	Long Beach	2	2		3		2
AMOY	June 27	Long Beach	2	1	1
PIPL	June 27	Long Beach	4	1		1	7
COTE	June 27	Long Beach Island	1
PIPL	June 28	Griswold Point	1			3
AMOY	June 28	Griswold Point		5
AMOY	June 28	Long Beach	2		2
PIPL	June 28	Long Beach		2			1
PIPL	June 29	Long Beach	4	7		15
AMOY	June 29	Long Beach	2
COTE	June 29	Long Beach		9
PIPL	June 29	Sandy/Morse Points	5	10		12
AMOY	June 29	Sandy/Morse Points	4			3
LETE	June 29	Sandy/Morse Points		5
AMOY	June 29	Milford Point	3	10		3	4
PIPL	June 29	Milford Point	4	13		6	2
COTE	June 29	Milford Point	1	2
LETE	June 29	Milford Point	30	90	10
LETE	June 29	Sandy/Morse Points	2
AMOY	June 29	Long Beach	4	1	1
PIPL	June 29	Long Beach		12		1	11
LETE	June 29	Long Beach		1
PIPL	June 30	Milford Point	1	4	3	3
AMOY	June 30	Milford Point	1			1
LETE	June 30	Milford Point	5	59	4	12
AMOY	June 30	Sandy/Morse Points	1	2		3
PIPL	June 30	Sandy/Morse Points	4	10	1	6	6
LETE	June 30	Sandy/Morse Points		8
PIPL	June 30	Milford Point		16	4		6
LETE	June 30	Milford Point	4	95	7
AMOY	June 30	Milford Point	1	13				2
AMOY	July 1	Sandy/Morse Points	2	1		3
PIPL	July 1	Sandy/Morse Points	3	12		6	3
AMOY	July 1	Sandy/Morse Points	2				3
PIPL	July 1	Sandy/Morse Points	3	17
LETE	July 1	Sandy/Morse Points		10
LETE	July 3	Bluff Point	2
PIPL	July 3	Bluff Point	3				2
PIPL	July 3	Bluff Point		1		1
PIPL	July 3	Sandy/Morse Points		11	1	7		4
AMOY	July 3	Sandy/Morse Points	4					3
LETE	July 3	Sandy/Morse Points		3			1
PIPL	July 3	Griswold Point		1
AMOY	July 4	Griswold Point	1	1
AMOY	July 4	Sandy/Morse Points	2	2				5
PIPL	July 4	Sandy/Morse Points	5	4				3
LETE	July 4	Sandy/Morse Points		4
AMOY	July 5	Long Beach		4	1
LETE	July 5	Long Beach	1
PIPL	July 5	Long Beach		5		3	17
PIPL	July 5	Sandy/Morse Points		15		6
AMOY	July 5	Sandy/Morse Points	3			3
LETE	July 5	Sandy/Morse Points		3
AMOY	July 5	Long Beach	5	2				15