AAfCW 2016 Volunteer Update #5

This is the fifth weekly update by the Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds (AAfCW) for the 2016 season. Today's update includes reports of Piping Plover and American Oystercatcher from April 19 through 12:00 p.m. on April 25 with sightings of birds by volunteers and staff.

Informational updates:

We are now seeing the first nests for both Piping Plovers and American Oystercatchers across our beaches. Please keep in mind that we do not want to flush them off any eggs during our monitoring, and that cold or rainy mornings are now a threat to the safety of these eggs, so giving them lots of room and skipping monitoring during inclement weather is for the best. Please report any new nests to us as well as CT DEEP's Laura Saucier (laura.saucier@ct.gov) and Rebecca Foster (rsuzf@hotmail.com) as soon as possible.

Many of you have reported dogs on our beaches whether they be loose, on a leash, or recent tracks. While education of beachgoers is certainly welcome, please do report dogs on beaches where they are not permitted to the municipal animal control. This is a town issue, and one that must be raised by everyone if we are to get more awareness, response and enforcement. As long as dogs are not involved in a take of our birds or causing a direct threat it is the local animal control department's responsibility, and we ask that you please contact them. See more information on laws and contact numbers for various towns in this CT DEEP PDF document: http://rtpi.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/WHO-TO-CONTACT-IN-AN-EMERGENCY_CT-Dog-Laws.pdf

Please also continue to let us know about any and all disturbances so that we can log them. However, it does make a difference if you do contact local authorities on issues as described in the document. Thank you!

Survey and monitoring updates:

Piping Plover
2 pairs, 3 adults at Griswold Point on 4/19
7 pairs at Sandy/Morse Points on 4/19
3 adults at Griswold Point on 4/19
4 pairs, 8 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 4/19
6 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 4/20
7 pairs, 2 adults at Milford Point on 4/20
1 pair at East Broadway Milford on 4/20
4 pairs at Long Beach on 4/20
1 pair at Pleasure Beach on 4/20
1 pair, 3 adults at Long Beach on 4/20
5 pairs, 1 adult at Milford Point on 4/20
1 pair, 1 adult at Griswold Point on 4/20
3 pairs, 1 adult at Bluff Point on 4/21
6 pairs at Milford Point on 4/21
1 adult at Long Beach on 4/21
1 pair, 5 adults at Long Beach on 4/21
1 pair at Pleasure Beach on 4/22
7 pairs, 2 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 4/22
1 pair at Peck Ave/East Ave/Beach St on 4/22
1 pair, 7 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 4/22
7 pairs, 2 adults at Milford Point on 4/22
3 pairs at Long Beach on 4/22
2 adults at Long Beach on 4/23
3 pairs, 2 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 4/23
1 pair, 5 adults at Griswold Point on 4/24
1 pair at Silver Sands State Park on 4/24
3 pairs, 2 adults at Long Beach on 4/24
8 pairs at Sandy/Morse Points on 4/24

American Oystercatcher
1 pair at Griswold Point on 4/19
2 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 4/19
1 pair at Sandy/Morse Points on 4/19
1 pair at Sandy/Morse Points on 4/19
1 pair at Sheffield/Shea Island on 4/19
4 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 4/20
3 pairs, 1 nest at Milford Point on 4/20
1 pair at Long Beach on 4/20
1 pair at Pleasure Beach on 4/20
1 pair at Long Beach on 4/20
3 pairs, 1 adult at Milford Point on 4/20
12 pairs at Norwalk Islands on 4/21
3 pairs at Milford Point on 4/21
1 pair, 1 adult at Long Beach on 4/21
1 pair, 1 adult at Sandy/Morse Points on 4/21
2 pairs, 3 adults at Hammonasset on 4/21
2 pairs at Bluff Point on 4/21
1 pair, 2 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 4/22
1 pair at Pleasure Beach on 4/22
2 pairs at Sandy/Morse Points on 4/22
1 pair at Long Beach on 4/22
1 adult at Oyster River Mouth, West Haven/Woodmont on 4/22
2 pairs at Sandy/Morse Points on 4/23
1 pair, 1 adult at Sandy/Morse Points on 4/24

This concludes update #5 through 04/25/16 as of 1:00 p.m.