Cold and snow keeping birds south

I know I do not have to explain to all of our readers and volunteers that it has been a very cold and snowy winter here in Connecticut. This weather has continued into mid-March and in the next week we are looking at the potential for even more snow! Many species are still migrating into the state, from raptors to land birds, with the Fox Sparrow being a strong example of the latter as they have made a sizable movement in the last few days.

However, many of our waterbirds are being held to the south, staying away from our frigid beaches, marshes and islands for the moment. In the past two years we have had Piping Plovers here already - in 2013 the first bird arrived in Stratford at Long Beach on March 5! Now nine days after that we have had no reports yet in 2014.

Where are they now? Here's the current eBird map for 2014 Piping Plover sightings.

The blue point nearest Connecticut is a January report of a vagrant that was found on Long Island. The orange point next to it is Sandy Hook, New Jersey, the closest sighting otherwise from earlier this week.

A few American Oystercatchers have come into Connecticut which is not a surprise considering mid-February can be a return date for the species. They are still less numerous than usual at this point though. Here's their current eBird map for 2014.

We may not hit 50 degrees in the next week and the southerly migratory flow will not be very cooperative but I would expect the birds to move despite the conditions. It's time to get the breeding season started and spring will eventually come! Let's see how many we can find by this time next week.

Tern Banders Needed - Falkner Island Tech Announcement!

We are posting this exciting job opportunity on behalf of the United States Fish & Wildlife Service. An experienced tern bander is needed to be the crew leader at Falkner Island this summer. This job would be a part of the Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge in Westbrook, Connecticut. You can find complete information and apply here: https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/364123000

The job closes on March 25th. Please apply soon if you are interested and pass this along to anyone else who may be interested! Thank you.

Sanderlings feeding and banded birds

These Sanderlings were feeding along the gentle waves of Long Island Sound today at Long Beach in Stratford. Note that the bird on the far right has a silver federal band that I unfortunately could not read.

Please keep an eye out for any banded or flagged birds this spring. If you find birds such as this one with only a silver federal band and are able to read it you can report it on reportband.gov. If you can ever spot a color banded Piping Plover that would be phenomenal and you can visit this blog entry for instructions on what to do.

These three birds were part of a group of over 100 combined Sanderling and Dunlin. The two species are typically found together in Connecticut through the winter but after being in Jamestown, New York (Chautauqua County, the furthest Western New York county) for two very frigid months I was excited to see any shorebirds. More of our spring waterbirds will be arriving shortly, despite the conditions! I'll take a look at the upcoming weather and current status of our some of target species in my next blog entry.

Seasonal overview

It is still cold and snowy, continuing a theme for this frigid winter, but we are now at the unofficial beginning of field season for coastal waterbirds. March 1 is the first day of meteorological spring and the birds seem to feel the same way about Connecticut. Everything is going to happen quite quickly from here on out! We at the Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds are ready to go for our third season with much of the same staff in place that helped to make the first two so successful. Even more importantly we have so many of our master monitors returning to volunteer their time for our waterbirds.

For those new to the program, don't worry! The fast-paced schedule and busy activities have been successfully planned and managed by our talented friends at the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection for years. We are all more than ready for 2014 and you will be, too. Here is an overview of the coming months that can serve as a simple timeline of events.

March
American Oystercatchers returned to Connecticut in February! Despite the conditions the species usually arrives in small numbers before the snow is gone. They are the first of our four focal species (also Piping Plover, Least Tern, and Common Tern) to return each year. Piping Plovers are moving through the Carolinas at the moment. They seem to be a bit slower on the return than the past two years which were considerably warmer and featured better northbound migratory conditions. In 2013 they were already in New Jersey in February! I would guess we will still see a Piping Plover on a Connecticut beach at least by the midpoint of March even though the long-term patterns says below average temperatures will continue.

As we receive passage migrants please remember to watch for any color banded Piping Plovers and record and report as much information on them to us at ctwaterbirds 'AT' gmail.com as you can. This year March 15 is the training sessions for new monitors and refresher for past monitors. This course will be held at the CT DEEP Kellogg Environmental Center at 500 Hawthorne Ave. Derby, CT, a change from previous years. Once that is completed you will sign up with us for a monitoring site and then have some time to get to know your monitoring location before full monitoring commences on April 1. We will begin sending out weekly updates with bird data and general information. We will also begin to see the return of some more long-legged waders with Great and Snowy Egrets becoming common as the month passes by and Yellow-crowned Night-Heron plus Black-crowned Night-Heron beginning to move in as well.

April
In April we begin monitoring beaches across the state. This is when we will hope to have all of our monitors scheduled and set at a location on regular days and times. We still certainly welcome anyone to sign up throughout the season or to change their schedule when needed. We will also be requesting all of the data and information that you collect during your monitoring as soon as it is possible to report back to us. We really value what our volunteers discover and observe while walking beaches in Connecticut and it means a great deal in protecting our endangered waterbirds and ensuring their breeding success. Nesting is going to begin for both the Piping Plover and American Oystercatcher this month. CT DEEP will also be putting up string fencing around these nesting grounds and they will need all the help they can get from all of us. We will post specific dates for these fencing parties and ask that anyone who can contribute please do so.

More long-legged waders will be entering the state with the previously mentioned species widespread and abundant plus new arrivals like Glossy Ibis and Little Blue Heron showing up. Green Heron should be seen near the end of the month. Shorebirds will be coming through rapidly now. Black-bellied Plovers, Dunlin, and Sanderling spend the winter in Connecticut though they will become common. Semipalmated Sandpiper, Least Sandpiper, and Semipalmated Plover will become irregular sightings across the state. Birds like Short-billed Dowitcher, Spotted Sandpiper and Solitary Sandpiper may be seen uncommonly. Willets establish themselves quickly in April and the common Killdeers do as well.

May
Common Terns and Least Terns typically arrive in Connecticut around the first of the month in a few locations and quickly pour into Long Island Sound. All of our expected shorebirds are possible in the state during the month. The same can be said for other tern species including the more rare Roseate and migrant Caspian. May is most notable as the month where we can expect to see the first hatchling Piping Plover and American Oystercatcher. The dates can be variable depending on many factors that influence the success of nesting from tidal departures to storm systems to beach traffic to predation and much more. If the extremely cold conditions continue these nesting cycles may be later this year. Nevertheless, whether it is a handful or dozens, you can anticipate seeing the first young of the year in May. This means we will have to be even more attentive in monitoring and stewardship efforts. The weather will also be warming, beach weekends will become much more attractive, and holidays like Memorial Day will mean an influx of visitors to the Connecticut shoreline.

June
June is one of the busiest periods on the ground as we hit the official start of summer. This month has the most intensive breeding efforts going on by the highest number of species. It also coincides with the time that children and adults will be getting out of school and finding themselves on the beach even more. Our birds will be at a variety of breeding stages - there will be some young nearing the time to fledge, others just hatching and sticking close to their parents, and nests with eggs. Both Least Terns and Common Terns will have formed breeding colonies and be sitting on eggs. Migrant shorebirds will have mostly moved to the north for their brief nesting window. Long-legged waders will be busy with nesting activities on offshore islands and other coastal locations. It may seem quiet from a birding level but it is one of the most critical stretches we have.

July 
The beginning of July is always known for the Fourth celebrations and in birding circles this is no different. We will be monitoring beaches on various nights of fireworks displays across the state and we will need all the volunteers we can find to help us. If you know someone who is not an active monitor or has not volunteered previously but enjoys the beach or nature this is a good time to bring them out on a beautiful afternoon or evening and convince them to help us protect these amazing creatures. Fireworks can be stressful on birds, especially parents with the many young that will be present in July, and stewardship efforts are bolstered to compensate for this. Southbound shorebirds of all sorts hit Connecticut in substantial numbers beginning in the middle of July. These birds are already on their journey to wintering grounds to our south having completed their nesting season! It is also a time to be aware of the extreme heat and thunderstorms that can pose a danger to both humans and birds - please remember safety first and to stay home and do not monitor when the temperature surpasses the upper 80s or when the forecast is for severe weather.

August
When we reach August it will be hard to believe how much has happened in the past several months. CT DEEP will begin the process of taking down the string fencing on beaches throughout the month, once again with our help. Piping Plover adults will be making a rapid exit, though sometimes a few pairs still are nesting again after unsuccessful attempts. Small numbers of juveniles will likely be all that we see by the end of the month. American Oystercatchers will be making a similar but less significant drop. Shorebirds will be continuing to pour through the state in large numbers as they pass south with other members of locally breeding species included. Long-legged waders and their young will fan out and feed wherever they can.

Common Terns and Least Terns may have some nests and chicks but for the most part they will begin feeding together in large groups. Other more rare species should be watched for as well. At the beginning of the month you may see many juvenile terns being fed but by the end groups of birds over 1,000 individuals can be seen that will be mostly caring for themselves and readying to move to the south. It is a rewarding experience to know that you have helped all of these birds bring the next generation into the world!

We will see you in a couple of weeks and will update this blog regularly with information, photos, events, data, announcements, and more!

Volunteers Needed for Shorebird Monitoring

AAfCW is proud to continue our active conservation, education and outreach work for a third season with our state and federal partners due in part to funding from the NFWF Long Island Sound Futures Fund. Below is a news release from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service ahead of the 2014 shorebird monitoring season in Connecticut. You can also find the original document to download by clicking here. Please note that there will be two training sessions, one for past monitors and one for new volunteers, and that the location has changed from previous years. If you previously volunteered as a monitor you will be contacted by the USFWS for more information about the refresher session soon.

	United States Department of the Interior   FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE
	Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge 733 Old Clinton Road Westbrook, Connecticut 06498-1030 Phone: 860-399-2513 Fax: 860-399-2515

NEWS RELEASE
                                               

         To be Released: Immediately                                        Contact: Shaun Roche

                             Phone: (860) 399-2513

 

Subject:  Volunteers Needed for Shorebird Monitoring

Spend your summer days at the beach and help protect a federally threatened species! The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and its partners are seeking volunteers to monitor piping plovers and other shorebirds from early April until late August at beaches across our state.  A training and orientation session for new volunteers will be held on Saturday, March 15^th 2014 from 10:30am to 12:00noon at the Kellogg Environmental Center at 500 Hawthorne Ave. Derby, CT; past volunteers will be offered a refresher from 9:00 to 10:15am.  The sessions will review the following: biology of the piping plover, how to monitor breeding pairs and chicks, volunteer organization and logistics, and law enforcement information.

Atlantic Coast populations of piping plovers return to the Connecticut coast in March from their wintering grounds on the Gulf Coast and Caribbean.  The cryptic nests of the piping plover are extremely susceptible to human disturbance, predation, and tidal wash outs. To enhance the survival and productivity of birds breeding in Connecticut, an annual monitoring partnership is cooperatively sponsored by Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service), Audubon Connecticut, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, the Connecticut Audubon Society, the Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History and The Nature Conservancy.  

Working at locations across coastal Connecticut, our volunteers observe the shorebirds, record and report nesting data, and educate the beach-going public about the monitoring program. Volunteers work 4 hour shifts from April until the end of the breeding season (usually in August) and must donate a minimum of 4 hours per month. The work can be very rewarding, as volunteers will have the opportunity to positively impact nesting success for threatened shorebirds across the state.

For more information on the training session or for directions, please email USFWS Visitor Services Manager Shaun Roche at shaun_roche@fws.gov.  Reservations are not required; but an e-mail letting us know you will be attending is appreciated. 

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Detailed directions to the CT DEEP Kellogg Environment Center can be found on their website in this PDF file. Below is a Google map of where the site is. Click the route arrow in the upper right of the white box with the address below to be taken to Google Maps to plug in your starting address for specific and complete directions.