AAfCW 2018 Volunteer Update #8

This is the eighth regular weekly update by the Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds (AAfCW) for the 2018 season. Today's update includes reports of Piping Plover, American Oystercatcher, Least Tern and Common Tern from July 10 through 8:00pm on July 16 with sightings of birds by volunteers and staff spanning the period.

Informational updates:

Over the next week we should see mostly seasonable conditions and continued good beach weather for our birds and the many visitors to our shores. Your education of beachgoers is always welcome and greatly appreciated. We have heard a lot of great and positive stories from interactions with the public this year amidst the typical disturbances, so please keep including all in your reports. Thank you so much for helping to clean our beaches as well and removing trash from *outside* of string fenced areas.

If you visit Pleasure Beach or Sandy/Morse Points you may see our WildLife Guards crew also conducting outreach and monitoring - please do say hello!

See more about the WildLife Guards on the Audubon Connecticut and Roger Tory Peterson Institute websites:
http://ct.audubon.org/conservation/coasts/wildlife-guards
http://rtpi.org/education/wildlife-guards/

And check out their Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/AudubonWildlifeGuards/

While we have the WildLife Guards visiting our shores, they are not there all the time and your observations and continued monitoring is still needed as usual through the end of August.

Survey and monitoring updates:

Piping Plover
1 adult, 1 hatchling at Shell Ave. Milford on 7/10
1 adult, 1 hatchling at Silver Sands State Park on 7/10
1 adult at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/10
5 pairs, 2 hatchlings, 7 fledglings at Milford Point on 7/10
3 adults, 2 hatchlings, 4 fledglings at Milford Point on 7/10
10 pairs, 14 fledglings at Long Beach on 7/10
1 adult at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/10
1 adult, 1 hatchling at Shell Ave. Milford on 7/11
7 adults, 1 hatchling, 3 fledglings at Bluff Point on 7/11
1 adult, 1 hatchling at Silver Sands State Park on 7/11
1 adult, 1 hatchling at Shell Ave. Milford on 7/12
9 adults, 8 fledglings, 2 hatchlings at Milford Point on 7/12
1 adult, 1 hatchling at Silver Sands State Park on 7/12
1 pair, 1 adult, 4 fledglings at Hammonasset on 7/12
5 pairs, 7 fledglings, 2 hatchlings at Milford Point on 7/12
1 adult, 1 fledgling at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/12
2 pairs, 3 adults, 2 hatchlings at Bluff Point on 7/13
1 adult, 1 fledgling at Silver Sands State Park on 7/14
1 fledgling at Silver Sands State Park on 7/14
1 fledgling, 1 juvenile at Long Beach on 7/14
2 pairs, 3 adults, 3 hatchlings, 5 fledglings at Long Beach on 7/15
11 adults, 7 fledglings at Milford Point on 7/15
1 pair, 1 hatchling at Griswold Point on 7/16
1 adult, 1 fledgling at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/16
1 adult, 2 hatchlings at Waterford Town Beach on 7/16
15 adults, 4 juveniles at Long Beach on 7/16
1 adult, 1 hatchling at Shell Ave. Milford on 7/16
2 pairs, 6 adults, 5 fledglings, 7 juveniles at Long Beach on 7/16

American Oystercatcher
1 adult at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/10
2 pairs, 1 adult at Milford Point on 7/10
2 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/10
2 pairs, 1 adult at Long Beach on 7/10
2 pairs, 1 fledgling at Bluff Point on 7/11
1 pair at Long Beach on 7/11
2 pairs, 4 adults at Milford Point on 7/12
1 pair at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/12
4 pairs at Milford Point on 7/12
1 pair at Hammonasset on 7/12
11 pairs, 10 fledglings at Sandy Point Island on 7/12
1 pair at Lewis Island on 7/13
1 pair at Cedar Island on 7/13
3 adults at Hen Island on 7/13
1 adult at East Stooping Island on 7/13
1 pair, 1 adult, 1 hatchling at Bluff Point on 7/13
1 pair, 1 adult at Long Beach on 7/14
4 pairs at Milford Point on 7/15
1 pair at Griswold Point on 7/16
1 pair at Long Beach on 7/16
2 adults at Silver Sands State Park on 7/16
1 pair at Long Beach on 7/16

Least Tern
5 adults at Milford Point on 7/10
25 adults, 2 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/10
3 pairs, 1 adult at Milford Point on 7/10
4 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/10
4 adults, 1 nest at Milford Point on 7/12
3 adults at Hammonasset on 7/12
4 adults, 1 nest at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/12
1 adult at Bluff Point on 7/13
12 adults at Milford Point on 7/15
6 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/16
5 adults at Long Beach on 7/16

Common Tern
10 adults at Milford Point on 7/10
1 pair at Long Beach on 7/10
5 adults at Milford Point on 7/10
6 adults at Hammonasset on 7/12
13 adults at Thimble Islands on 7/13
3 adults at Bluff Point on 7/13
1 pair at Long Beach on 7/14
8 adults at Milford Point on 7/15
1 adult at Silver Sands State Park on 7/16

This concludes update #8 through 7/17/18 as of 7:30 a.m.