AAfCW 2023 - Unhealthy Air Quality/West Haven access

Good afternoon everyone! Here are a couple quick updates...

1) Connecticut's poor to now unhealthy air quality from the Canadian wildfires continues today, and is forecast to potentially linger in our state through the end of the week. It is best to stay home from monitoring in these conditions for your own health and well-being given the current status. If tomorrow or Friday the air quality index moderates or clears out with some more westerly or southerly winds, we will be back in action (assuming no rain or thunderstorms, which are also in the forecast). 

It was hoped that this might be a one or two day event, but clearly these poor conditions are persisting, and it is best to skip your trip to the beach. Summer in Connecticut means an occasional day or two of air quality alerts given south/westerly flows and our proximity to New York City and large cities, but this level of fine particulate matter from the fires clearly goes beyond even those days.

2) The City of West Haven recently changed their parking system. We did not have prior knowledge, and thought the mailed passes placed in cars would be the process for this season once again. Nevertheless, we have been told this new automated system has all of the volunteer and staff license plates in it, and that we are permitted to park through the end of our bird season at Sandy/Morse Points in West Haven.

However, now a portion of Sandy's parking lot and nearby roadways are closed in part due to construction for the City's road raising project. We do not yet have additional information on long-term parking, the duration of the project/closures, etc. Our staff is reaching out to City contacts today to gather information in hopes of advising you all on the best course of action for parking. We want to be sure everyone is safe, not ticketed, parking in areas where we are not upsetting residents, and knowing the City of West Haven is in agreement with our plans.

We apologize for these unforeseen circumstances, and hope everyone stays safe and well.

Thanks all and best,
Scott Kruitbosch
AAfCW Volunteer Coordinator

AAfCW 2023 Field Update #5

This is the fifth field update for the AAfCW in 2023 with data provided from volunteer monitors spanning May 31 through June 5. We have a lot of chicks on our beaches with young Piping Plovers and American Oystercatchers starting to grow up. Please keep assessing their age as best as you can, and remember that data is secondary to their safety as well as that of the nest. 

If you cannot see or find all of them, or see if a bird is on a nest, do not worry about it! That is why we have so many wonderful volunteers to help our staff. The same goes for terns in larger colonies when it is very difficult to see if they have nests or young. Our collective data helps us to discover what is going on at the beach seven days a week. 

Keep in mind this is only one role, and your vigilance in reporting disturbances or threats, from weather to predators to people, is vital. Additionally, positive and caring education and outreach to beachgoers can go a long way in helping us all share the shore.

Please keep in mind that we are to do as the public does at all times. While we have a badge and are collecting data, educating beachgoers, and viewing our focal species, we want to keep out of fenced areas no matter the circumstances, never linger near nests, remain in the wet sand area, and be mindful of birds alarmed by our presence and/or attempting to move us. Loud calling, broken-wing displays, terns dive bombing - these are all signs to move cautiously out of the area along the water. We are no different than any other scary predator in their eyes. 

Thank you all for your help!

Species	Date	Location	Pairs	Adults	Nests	Hatchlings
AMOY	May 31	Sandy/Morse Points	4	2
PIPL	May 31	Sandy/Morse Points	4	25		3
LETE	May 31	Sandy/Morse Points		148
COTE	May 31	Long Beach	1
AMOY	May 31	Long Beach	2	1	2
PIPL	May 31	Long Beach	7	5	6	7
PIPL	May 31	Long Beach	2	1	4
AMOY	May 31	Long Beach	2		2
PIPL	May 31	Sandy/Morse Points	12	16	5	12
AMOY	May 31	Sandy/Morse Points		6	1
LETE	May 31	Sandy/Morse Points		60	22
PIPL	May 31	Bluff Point		7		2
PIPL	June 1	Short Beach		2
PIPL	June 1	Long Beach			2	7
AMOY	June 1	Long Beach	2		1
AMOY	June 1	Griswold Point	1
PIPL	June 1	Griswold Point	1
LETE	June 1	Griswold Point		6
AMOY	June 1	Milford Point	4			3
PIPL	June 1	Milford Point	8	2	5	16
COTE	June 1	Milford Point	10	55	3
COTE	June 1	Milford Point		2
PIPL	June 1	Long Beach		2	2	3
PIPL	June 2	Milford Point		29	3	11
AMOY	June 2	Milford Point		5
AMOY	June 2	Milford Point		5
LETE	June 2	Milford Point	1	46	1
AMOY	June 2	Griswold Point		1	1
PIPL	June 2	Griswold Point		2	1
PIPL	June 2	Milford Point	1	5	3	4
AMOY	June 2	Milford Point	1	4		1
LETE	June 2	Milford Point	10	16	12
PIPL	June 3	Bluff Point	1	5		1
AMOY	June 3	Sandy/Morse Points	2		1
PIPL	June 3	Sandy/Morse Points	4	5	6	5
LETE	June 3	Sandy/Morse Points	6	20	24
PIPL	June 3	Sandy/Morse Points	3	24	4	3
AMOY	June 3	Sandy/Morse Points	2
LETE	June 3	Sandy/Morse Points		55
PIPL	June 4	Long Beach	6	3	2	5
AMOY	June 4	Long Beach	1
PIPL	June 4	Griswold Point	1
PIPL	June 5	Milford Point		4	2
AMOY	June 5	Bluff Point		1
LETE	June 5	Bluff Point		1
PIPL	June 5	Bluff Point	2
PIPL	June 5	Bluff Point	2		2	1