Nesting season is ending soon!
As we enter August, we are rapidly approaching the end of the shorebird nesting season. At this point, we are focused on getting the final Piping Plover and American Oystercatcher chicks to fledge at several sites along the shoreline. Least Tern colonies are also shrinking in size as birds fledge and begin to prepare for their southbound migrations.
Despite these changes, we ask volunteers to continue monitoring throughout the month of August. During this time, birds are often moving around more frequently and "staging" at certain sites to rest and refuel before they begin to migrate. For American Oystercatchers in particular, observing birds during staging can be a great time to look for banded birds that may not have nested at that site (or in this state!). If you are able to get photos of banded birds, please send them to ctwaterbirds@gmail.com
You may begin to see string fencing and signage removed from areas that no longer have nesting activity. Other times, fencing and signage will remain in place until the fall in order to allow birds to access shoreline habitat at certain vital locations. If you are currently monitoring at a beach that does not have any activity from our four focal species, you are welcome to continue monitoring there through the end of August, or you may switch to a beach where birds are still active. Please send an email to ctwaterbirds@gmail.com if you would like to switch to a different site for the remainder of the season.
Volunteers needed for assistance with fencing removal
During fencing removal, volunteer tasks include pulling wooden stakes out of the ground, wrapping spools of string, and carrying signage off of the beach. If you would like to join us, please bring sunscreen, a hat, work gloves, a pocketknife/multitool and LOTS of water (remember that it can get very hot on the beach in the middle of the day!) Do not attempt to carry too many stakes as there will be enough staff and volunteers that no one should overexert themselves. Also please remember to take breaks when needed.
If you are interested in assisting Audubon Alliance staff with fencing removal, please see below for details about upcoming fencing removal events and RSVP by emailing ctwaterbirds@gmail.com
- Bushy Beach: Friday, August 7th at 10am
- Long Beach (beaches 2 and 3): Thursday, August 13th at 10am
- Long Beach (beaches 1 and 4): Wednesday, August 19th at 10am
- Sandy Point: Friday, August 28th at 10am (Please note: due to parking restrictions at Sandy Point, we can only accommodate volunteers who already monitor at this site or those who are West Haven residents)
*Fencing removal will take place rain or shine, but lightning or thunder will cancel the event
Upcoming Event:
TOMORROW Great Meadows Marsh History Walk: Saturday, August 1st at 10am
Discover how this incredible marsh survived decades of development plans—and emerged as a wildlife haven for migratory birds, terrapins, and more. Take a walk, hear the stories, and see why protecting places like this matters now more than ever. Led by Audubon’s hard-working Salt Marsh Stewards. Meet at 10am at approximate address - 600 Long Beach Blvd, Stratford, CT 06615.
Audubon Alliance Field Staff Spotlight: Duncan O'Leary
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| Duncan holding a Purple Martin chick at Milford Point. Photo: George Amato |
When did you begin working for the Connecticut Audubon Society?
I began working with the Connecticut Audubon Society this past April. This is my first position with them though prior to this I frequently visited their sites to go birding.
What does a typical work day look like for you?
Being one of the shorebird monitors a typical day will start around 8-9 AM on the sandbar at Milford Point. Here, I will survey mainly our three focal species which are the Piping Plovers, American Oystercatchers and Least Terns. This includes counting nests, chicks, and adults, while also observing their behaviors. My favorite part is it also includes looking at all the other shorebirds and other bird species that stop at our site because we have an amazing habitat for migrating birds to rest and forage. During my survey I will also speak with everyone I see on the beach. Sometimes it’s a brief hello, but when given the opportunity I will tell visitors about the site, the habitat, the wildlife and why it is important. The outreach component of this job is really important to connect local people with the wildlife and raise awareness about the work we do and why it is important. Typically around noon I will take my lunch and then I will return to the sandbar for a few more hours of surveying. Most of my days are typically spent on the sandbar which is something I really love.
What is the coolest or most interesting thing that you’ve observed during this work?
The coolest part to me is watching the flocks of migratory shorebirds that roost on the sandbar. Some days you’ll get thousands of sandpipers that will form a carpet on the beach as they rest. To me it's always special seeing a natural phenomenon firsthand. This place is just a brief stopover site in their great migration. The sandbar is such a small area, yet it acts as such an important step in these birds' journey. Observing the massive flocks as they murmur over the sandbar and the Long Island Sound is something that will never cease to amaze me.
How did you get here? What would you like to do next?
I graduated from the University of Vermont in May of 2024 with a degree in Biology and a minor in Chemistry. I never knew what career path I wanted to take and throughout my undergraduate studies I worked in an environmental testing lab. My passion for birds and fieldwork came very late in my college career (spring semester of senior year), and at that moment I made a switch. After graduation I started applying for field positions involving birds. This was an extremely difficult process. I did not have a background for doing field work, and despite only applying to entry level positions I had to apply to over forty jobs just to get a single interview. Thankfully that position worked out and I landed a job working at a reservoir for a year doing point-count surveys and mitigation on waterfowl. I gained a lot of practical field experience, but it got stale and I needed something new. Then I found a long-term volunteer project in Tambopata, Peru. This position was a huge step for me. It was completely outside my comfort zone and in an incredibly remote area, but I still went ahead and took the risk. The adjustment was really difficult, but I really found my stride and it was the best decision of my life. During my time there I led a study on psittacine foraging ecology that aimed to see how their diets seasonally changed due to alterations in seasonal plant phenology due to climate change. This work involved walking in the jungle and taking detailed notes and photographs of all foraging parrots - and of course enjoying all the other wildlife the Peruvian Amazon had to offer! Other projects we did were the building, maintenance and checking of Scarlet Macaw nest boxes. This involved climbing trees up to 120 feet tall and handling their nestlings.
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| Duncan holding a Scarlet Macaw during a nest check. Photo: Roshan Tailor |
We also did claylick observations where massive groups of psittacines would go in the morning to consume clay as a sodium supplementation in their diet. I could talk about this experience forever, but I will end it there for the sake of being brief! This was my first experience doing conservation work and it was really where I fell in love with it. After my time in Peru I desired a more local conservation position and that is where I landed my job at Milford Point. Being born and raised in Newtown, CT it has been amazing helping out local species and connecting with my more local community.
This past week I accepted a new position as a crew lead on a project in central and southern Florida working with the endangered Snail Kite. This will include population monitoring, nest-searching, and banding of birds. Ultimately, I still am unsure of where I want my career to end up, but at this point I am okay with that. I love doing conservation work and being in the field and so far I have had a really great career path and know that eventually I will end up where I want to be.
Who or what was the biggest influence that led to your career working with wildlife?
My biggest influence was not a person, but rather my love for nature. Living in such a developed time, it seems that progress only comes at the cost of losing our natural world. Getting into this field meant helping the bits of our natural world we have left. We’ll never be able to undo the damage we have caused, but we can help to preserve what we have left. I hope to have a career that helps make a positive change for the wildlife on earth even if it is a small one. To me, a career should be something you are passionate about. Every day I get to do work that I love and matters to me and that has been the best part about my career in wildlife.
What do you like to do outside of work?
Despite working with birds five days a week, birding is one of my biggest hobbies. Roaming around alone and just experiencing nature and observing what I see is one of my favorite things. When I am not birding, I will regularly play soccer and basketball with my friends. I also really enjoy working out and usually I do that with my brother. Aside from those I really love building LEGOs (exclusively Star Wars) and jigsaw puzzles as more relaxing hobbies. I don’t play many video games anymore but I still love playing old Pokemon games on my DSI and Gameboy. I also do not watch many movies or shows, but my favorite show of all time is One Piece and I have watched that a lot!
Volunteer Monitoring Data
Here is a summary of all volunteer-collected data submitted between July 17th and July 31st, 2026.
- Number of volunteer reports submitted: 104
- Total volunteer monitoring hours: 178
- Number of beachgoers engaged in conversations about birds/conservation: 280!!
We have seen a HUGE increase in the number of beachgoers engaged in conversations about birds this month! Thank you to all of our volunteers who are out there on the beaches talking to folks about birds and encouraging everybody to share the shore!
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| Piping Plover. Photo: Merri-Lee Metzger/Audubon Photography Awards |
Piping Plover Data Summary
Piping Plover Individual Adult Observations
Piping Plover nest counts:
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| American Oystercatcher. Photo: Douglas Duncan/Audubon Photography Awards |
American Oystercatcher Data Summary
American Oystercatcher Individual Adult Observations
American Oystercatcher nest counts:
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| Least Terns. Photo: Steve Dimock/Audubon Photography Awards |
Least Tern Adult Observations
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| Common Tern. Photo: Bruce E. Wendorff/Audubon Photography Awards |
Common Tern Adult Observations
Note: there were multiple reports of 100+ Common Terns seen just offshore from Griswold Point over the last two weeks. This is a great example of an important staging area for this species!
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Thank you to our volunteers for all that you do to help us protect our nesting shorebirds!
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