AAfCW 2025 Season Update

Thank you to those who attended our shorebird monitoring zoom trainings last week and have signed up for a monitoring location for the 2025 season! This post contains important information regarding the start of our 2025 shorebird monitoring. Please read through this information and review the "Important Documents" section on the righthand side of this webpage. Please feel free to reach out to ctwaterbirds@gmail.com if you have any additional questions.

If you were unable to attend our zoom trainings last week for new or returning volunteers, recordings of the trainings can be found under "Important Documents"

For those who have not yet signed up for a monitoring location, please provide your preferred site and the days/times of the week (can be as broad as Tuesday mornings) you are available to monitor by emailing ctwaterbirds@gmail.com. The sites that are currently at the highest need for additional volunteers are Compo Beach in Westport, Sherwood Island State Park in Westport, Russian Beach in Stratford, Short Beach in Stratford, Silver Sands State Park in Milford, and Bluff Point in Groton.

We are working on getting our 2025 CT DEEP monitoring badges to the pickup locations at Milford Point and Roger Tory Peterson Estuary Center. We will update you as soon as 2025 badges are available for pickup. All volunteers must also sign the waiver that is located on the first page of the "2025 AAfCW Volunteer Monitoring Packet" found under Important Documents. You may drop off your signed waiver when you pick up your 2025 badge.

For new volunteers, we are hosting a field training from 1-4pm on Sunday, April 13th at Sandy Point in West Haven. If you would like to attend this training, please RSVP here.

Both new and returning volunteers may also use that link to RSVP for our remaining string fencing and beach cleanup events. Those events are as follows: 

• String Fencing at Bluff Point State Park - Friday April 4th, starting at 10am* (please note the time change from our original announcement)
• Sandy Point Beach Clean-up - Saturday April 5th (rain date April 6th), starting at 10am
• String Fencing at Sandy Point - Tuesday April 8th (rain date April 9th), starting at 10am

If you will be attending any events or monitoring at Sandy Point in West Haven, please do not forget to submit your license plate to us or else you will be ticketed in the parking lot.

If you will be monitoring at Griswold Point in Old Lyme, there is additional paperwork that must be completed before you begin monitoring. We are sharing your contact information with our partners at The Nature Conservancy. Please wait until you are contacted by our partners at The Nature Conservancy before visiting Griswold Point.

The data submission form is available under "Important Documents". If you have any trouble accessing this new form, please let us know.

As a reminder, we kindly ask our volunteers to refrain from visiting the beaches when it is precipitating, cooler than 50 degrees, or hotter than 90 degrees as this causes unnecessary stress on the birds.  

Once the season begins, we will be posting here regularly with updates on the valuable data that you all are collecting! Please check the website regularly to view those updates.

Thank you all so much for volunteering your time and energy towards this important project. We would not be able to do this work without you!

Marissa Ardovino

Audubon CT Volunteer Coordinator

 

We look forward to seeing many of you at next week’s beach-nesting bird monitor trainings. Just as a reminder,

The new volunteer training is on Tuesday March 25^th, 6:30-8pm

https://audubon.zoom.us/j/97129899748?pwd=Yx449sS3ykf2p2fbHGLOfAPwZGHhSB.1  

Meeting ID: 971 2989 9748 and passcode: 091299  

The returning volunteer training is Thursday March 27^th, 7-8pm 

https://audubon.zoom.us/j/96272612954?pwd=FGDnaconrvwbbrY0U3t0yJfj989ydD.1  

Meeting ID: 962 7261 2954 and passcode: 775219

 We will also be offering a field training for new volunteers on Sunday April 13^th from 1-4pm at Sandy Point Beach and Bird Sanctuary (Beach Street, West Haven).  This is a great opportunity to get firsthand training from CT DEEP Wildlife Biologist Laura Saucier and Piping Plover and Least Tern Research Assistant Rebecca Foster on beach-nesting bird biology and behavior, monitoring technique, and what data to collect.  Volunteer Coordinator Marissa Ardovino and I will also be on hand with brochures, tee-shirts, badges, etc. Bring a notebook and binoculars and dress for the weather

 There are four other opportunities in April to help beach-nesting birds.  First, in partnership with the Sandy Point Neighborhood Association and the Stewards of Sandy Point Bird Sanctuary, we will be hosting a beach clean-up at Sandy Point on April 5^th (rain date April 6^th), starting at 10am.  Trash can attract additional predators (Fish Crows, raccoons, opossums) to beaches, threatening eggs and hatchlings. The goal is to remove as much trash from Sandy Point as possible before the nesting season begins.

 We also could use your help during three string fencing events.  String fencing is set-up on beaches in the area where birds typically nest.  The fencing (wood posts, string, colorful flagging, and signs) alerts visitors to the beach that they are approaching a nesting area. There are many ways to help from carrying and putting up fence posts, to tying the string and flagging, to stapling signs to the fence posts.  These dates can double as a good time to drop off a CT DEEP liability form, pick up a badge/lanyard, and speak with staff about monitoring.

• Long Beach, Stratford - Tuesday, April 1st, 10:00am (rain date Wednesday, April 2th, 10:00am)

• Bluff Point State Park, Groton - Thursday, April 3rd, 10:00am (rain date Friday, April 4th, 10:00am)

• Sandy Point Beach and Bird Sanctuary, West Haven - Tuesday, April 8th, 10:00am (rain date Wednesday, April 9th, 10:00am)

 CT DEEP will make the final decision if there is forecasted rain, and we will let you know ASAP if a date is moved to the rain date. Griswold Point's fencing date will be provided soon, too. Fencing has been/will be placed at Milford Point, Silver Sands, Long Beach West/Pleasure Beach, and all other locations by staff only. 

 Any and all volunteers are welcome to participate in string fencing including those who are not regular trained AAfCW monitors. Volunteers should bring: work gloves, water, a snack, appropriate footwear, sunscreen, sunglasses, hats and whatever else you may need to avoid too much sun. These locations can either be quite cool or very warm depending on the day so dress for any weather. A pocket knife or multi-tool can be handy and a sledge hammer or mallet can be helpful to bring. Plan for heavy lifting and toting, but be mindful of your safety. Less intensive work includes stringing posts and putting up signs.

 Let us know if you plan to attend the field training, Sandy Point Beach Clean-up, and/or fencing events using our online form.  Thank you!

Corrie Folsom-O’Keefe, Director of Bird Conservation

 --

Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds

http://ctwaterbirds.blogspot.com

Volunteers Needed for Shorebird Monitoring 2025

 The Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds (AAfCW) and the CT Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, Wildlife Division, invite you to make a difference for threatened birds at the beach as an official volunteer monitor. This stewardship effort is focused on Piping Plovers, American Oystercatchers, Least Terns, and Common Terns at beaches statewide from April through August.

 Atlantic Coast populations of beach-nesting birds return to the Connecticut coast beginning in March from their wintering grounds, as far as the Caribbean. The cryptic nests of these birds are extremely susceptible to human disturbance, predation, and tidal washouts. To enhance the survival and productivity of Connecticut’s beach-nesting birds, volunteers monitor at locations across the state to observe shorebirds, record and report nesting data, and spread a “share the shore” philosophy encouraging positive actions everyone can take to help these birds successfully raise their young.

Training and orientation sessions will be held via Zoom webinars for new volunteers on March 25^th from 6:30-8:00 pm and returning volunteers on March 27^th  from 7:00 – 8:00 pm.  During the sessions, volunteers will learn about the biology of the Piping Plover, Least Tern, and American Oystercatcher, how to monitor breeding pairs and chicks, volunteer organization and logistics, and law enforcement information. Virtual attendance by everyone planning to join us for the 2025 season is important to discuss the birds. For more information on the training sessions, please email the Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds at ctwaterbirds@gmail.com. 

 This training session is co-sponsored by the Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds (Audubon Connecticut, the Connecticut Audubon Society, The Nature Conservancy), and the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, Wildlife Division. 

West Haven Fencing Removal

CT DEEP Wildlife has established the date for fencing removal with volunteer assistance at Sandy/Morse Points in West Haven. This effort will take place on: Thursday, September 12th, at 10:00am

The date is rain or shine, but a high chance of thunderstorms will cancel them. Assisting not only helps AAfCW but it also greatly aids CT DEEP staff and their busy schedules. It also limits the stress on migratory birds. Those who join us should remember a few things:

-wear sunscreen and a hat

-drink plenty of water or sports drink and bring a snack

-do not attempt to carry too many stakes as there will be enough volunteers and staff members so that no one should overexert themselves

-take a break when needed

In general we look for everyone we can to help out even if you are not a regular AAfCW monitor or volunteer - the more the merrier. It also makes for a more pleasant morning of bird watching and discussions on the beach.

Please email us at ctwaterbirds@gmail.com if you can join us, and thank you!

AAfCW 2024 Field Update #16

This is the sixteenth and final field update for the AAfCW in 2024 with data provided from volunteer monitors spanning August 7 through August 31st. We had a busy end to our season with birds nesting late, other migrating individuals coming through, and disturbances to deal with across Connecticut. 

Some surveys were skipped in the past few weeks due to the heat or rain, and some beaches not shown here were surveyed but only had negative data. Overall, we had a very strong season thanks to you!

Thank you all once again for your monitoring, helping with fencing, educating the public, and all of your efforts throughout 2024. We plan to hold a volunteer thank you party later this fall for everyone who helped us this year, and we will share those details with you soon as they are finalized.

Please submit any and all data and information you have for our season via our electronic form, and keep an eye out for more emails this fall and winter. We will be providing any more details on how you can help remove the final signage and fencing from our shores to some preliminary nesting numbers later on in the season. 

You are more than welcome to share Connecticut eBird checklists with shorebirds, terns, and long-legged waders year-round when you go birding with us via the eBird share function - just use ctwaterbirds@gmail.com, thanks!

Species	Date	Location	Pairs	Adults	Hatchlings	Fledglings	Juveniles
AMOY	August 6	Milford Point	0	1	0	0	0
AMOY	August 6	Milford Point	0	1	0	0	0
AMOY	August 7	Long Beach	0	1	0	0	0
AMOY	August 9	Milford Point	0	14	0	0	0
AMOY	August 10	Milford Point	0	6	0	0	0
AMOY	August 10	Griswold Point	0	0	0	0	0
AMOY	August 11	Compo Beach	1	0	0	0	0
AMOY	August 12	Long Beach	0	1	0	0	0
AMOY	August 12	Milford Point	0	5	0	0	0
AMOY	August 13	Milford Point	0	8	0	0	0
AMOY	August 13	Milford Point	0	11	0	0	0
AMOY	August 14	Long Beach	0	1	0	0	0
AMOY	August 14	Milford Point	0	18	0	0	0
AMOY	August 14	Milford Point	1	0	0	0	0
AMOY	August 15	Sandy/Morse Points	0	0	0	0	0
AMOY	August 16	Milford Point	0	24	0	0	0
AMOY	August 16	Fort Trumbull Beach	0	1	0	0	0
AMOY	August 17	Milford Point	1	20	0	0	0
AMOY	August 18	Bluff Point	1	0	0	0	0
AMOY	August 21	Milford Point	0	4	0	0	0
AMOY	August 23	Milford Point	3	0	0	0	0
AMOY	August 24	Milford Point	0	2	0	0	0
AMOY	August 24	Milford Point	1	23	0	0	0
AMOY	August 24	Griswold Point	1	1	0	0	0
AMOY	August 26	Milford Point	1	0	0	0	0
AMOY	August 26	Milford Point	4	6	0	0	0
AMOY	August 27	Milford Point	0	17	0	0	0
AMOY	August 28	Milford Point	0	40	0	0	0
AMOY	August 30	Milford Point	0	35	0	0	1
COTE	August 6	Milford Point	0	71	0	0	0
COTE	August 6	Milford Point	0	200	0	0	25
COTE	August 6	Milford Point	0	9	0	0	0
COTE	August 7	Long Beach	0	1	0	0	0
COTE	August 9	Milford Point	0	25	0	0	9
COTE	August 10	Milford Point	0	9	0	0	0
COTE	August 10	Milford Point	0	20	0	0	2
COTE	August 10	Sandy/Morse Points	0	9	0	0	3
COTE	August 10	Compo Beach	1	1	0	0	0
COTE	August 10	Griswold Point	0	60	0	0	0
COTE	August 11	Sherwood Island	0	2	0	0	0
COTE	August 12	Sandy/Morse Points	0	13	0	0	1
COTE	August 12	Milford Point	0	40	0	0	0
COTE	August 13	Milford Point	0	52	0	0	35
COTE	August 13	Milford Point	0	4	0	0	0
COTE	August 13	Long Beach	0	5	0	0	0
COTE	August 14	Milford Point	0	96	0	0	0
COTE	August 14	Sandy/Morse Points	0	6	0	0	0
COTE	August 14	Milford Point	0	60	0	0	0
COTE	August 15	Sandy/Morse Points	0	13	0	0	8
COTE	August 16	Milford Point	0	60	0	0	15
COTE	August 16	Fort Trumbull Beach	0	1	0	0	0
COTE	August 16	Milford Point	0	85	0	0	0
COTE	August 17	Milford Point	0	50	0	0	15
COTE	August 17	Griswold Point	0	65	0	0	0
COTE	August 18	Bluff Point	0	1	0	0	0
COTE	August 19	Long Beach	0	4	0	0	2
COTE	August 20	Milford Point	0	255	0	0	76
COTE	August 20	Milford Point	0	108	0	0	0
COTE	August 21	Long Beach	0	7	0	0	0
COTE	August 21	Long Beach	0	9	0	0	0
COTE	August 21	Milford Point	0	30	0	0	0
COTE	August 22	Sandy/Morse Points	0	2	0	0	0
COTE	August 23	Milford Point	0	5	0	0	0
COTE	August 23	Milford Point	0	4	0	0	0
COTE	August 24	Milford Point	0	215	0	0	15
COTE	August 27	Milford Point	0	16	0	0	0
LETE	August 6	Milford Point	0	13	0	0	0
LETE	August 6	Milford Point	0	60	0	0	15
LETE	August 6	Long Beach	0	50	0	0	6
LETE	August 6	Milford Point	0	3	0	0	0
LETE	August 7	Long Beach	0	15	0	0	11
LETE	August 9	Milford Point	0	16	0	0	2
LETE	August 9	Milford Point	0	10	0	0	0
LETE	August 10	Milford Point	1	10	0	0	5
LETE	August 10	Griswold Point	0	16	0	0	0
LETE	August 11	Long Beach	0	55	0	0	6
LETE	August 12	Long Beach	0	35	0	0	6
LETE	August 12	Milford Point	0	16	0	0	0
LETE	August 13	Milford Point	0	3	0	0	0
LETE	August 13	Long Beach	0	8	0	0	1
LETE	August 13	Long Beach	0	7	0	0	0
LETE	August 13	Sandy/Morse Points	0	80	0	0	0
LETE	August 14	Long Beach	0	50	0	0	0
LETE	August 14	Long Beach	0	20	0	0	5
LETE	August 15	Sandy/Morse Points	0	2	0	0	0
LETE	August 17	Long Beach	0	25	0	0	0
LETE	August 17	Griswold Point	0	6	0	0	0
LETE	August 18	Bluff Point	1	0	0	0	0
LETE	August 19	Long Beach	0	7	0	0	3
LETE	August 20	Long Beach	0	3	0	0	1
LETE	August 21	Long Beach	0	5	0	0	0
PIPL	August 6	Milford Point	0	2	0	0	4
PIPL	August 6	Milford Point	0	2	0	11	0
PIPL	August 6	Long Beach	0	0	0	0	1
PIPL	August 6	Milford Point	0	2	0	0	4
PIPL	August 7	Long Beach	0	1	2	0	1
PIPL	August 8	Sandy/Morse Points	0	4	0	0	4
PIPL	August 9	Milford Point	0	1	0	0	4
PIPL	August 10	Milford Point	0	4	0	0	0
PIPL	August 10	Milford Point	0	1	0	0	0
PIPL	August 10	Sandy/Morse Points	0	2	0	2	1
PIPL	August 10	Griswold Point	0	3	0	0	3
PIPL	August 11	Long Beach	0	0	0	0	8
PIPL	August 12	Long Beach	0	1	0	2	2
PIPL	August 12	Sandy/Morse Points	0	2	0	2	3
PIPL	August 12	Long Beach	0	1	2	0	0
PIPL	August 13	Long Beach	0	0	0	0	1
PIPL	August 13	Long Beach	0	0	0	0	6
PIPL	August 13	Bluff Point	0	1	0	0	0
PIPL	August 13	Sandy/Morse Points	0	0	0	0	2
PIPL	August 14	Long Beach	0	1	0	0	2
PIPL	August 14	Long Beach	0	0	2	0	1
PIPL	August 14	Milford Point	0	24	0	0	0
PIPL	August 14	Sandy/Morse Points	0	1	0	0	4
PIPL	August 15	Sandy/Morse Points	0	1	0	0	3
PIPL	August 15	Seaside Park	0	0	0	0	6
PIPL	August 16	Seaside Park	0	0	0	0	4
PIPL	August 16	Milford Point	0	0	0	0	2
PIPL	August 16	Milford Point	0	1	0	0	0
PIPL	August 16	Bluff Point	0	5	0	0	0
PIPL	August 17	Griswold Point	0	1	0	0	0
PIPL	August 18	Bluff Point	1	0	0	2	0
PIPL	August 19	Seaside Park	0	0	0	0	4
PIPL	August 19	Long Beach	0	0	0	0	1
PIPL	August 20	Sandy/Morse Points	0	0	0	0	3
PIPL	August 20	Sandy/Morse Points	0	2	0	0	3
PIPL	August 21	Long Beach	0	0	0	0	2
PIPL	August 21	Long Beach	0	0	0	0	2
PIPL	August 22	Sandy/Morse Points	0	0	0	0	2
PIPL	August 22	Sandy/Morse Points	0	0	0	0	3
PIPL	August 22	Long Beach	0	0	0	0	2
PIPL	August 24	Long Beach	1	0	0	0	0
PIPL	August 24	Milford Point	0	1	0	0	0
PIPL	August 24	Sandy/Morse Points	0	2	0	0	1
PIPL	August 26	Milford Point	0	18	0	0	0
PIPL	August 26	Sandy/Morse Points	0	0	0	0	2
PIPL	August 27	Sandy/Morse Points	0	1	0	0	2