AAfCW 2019 Volunteer Update #5

This is the fifth regular weekly update by the Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds (AAfCW) for the 2019 season. Today's update includes reports of Piping Plover, American Oystercatcher, Least Tern and Common Tern from June 5 through 12:00pm on June 21 with sightings of birds spanning the period.

Informational updates:

This weekend should be some of the best beach weather of the year, and we can expect many people to visit our beaches. Please monitor as much as possible and engage the public in positive, educational interactions. We have many young hatchlings running around, too. They need a lot of space and extra care. Accurate chick counts are vital to know how they are all doing during such a busy part of the season. Silver Sands State Park is a very important site to visit, as is Long Beach, Milford Point, Bluff Point, and Sandy/Morse Points.

While the vast majority of our birds can be classified as hatchlings, there will soon be fledglings - young birds capable of flight becoming more independent of their parents. This typically takes around three to four weeks depending on the species. Birds that are only running around the beach and larger than when first hatched are not yet "fledged", even if they have some more room from their parents now. Check out this helpful guide on aging our birds: https://rtpi.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/DEEP-PloverTern-Aging.pdf

Please once again remember that distraction displays are seen when birds feel they and their young are in danger, and you should carefully exit the area immediately while staying near the water. It is tempting to want to pursue and photograph all of our birds, but this becomes a dangerous activity without a very long lens and extreme care. They have a tremendous amount of pressure from other humans and natural predators 24 hours a day, and we want to always be a help, not a hindrance, to their success.

Finally, if you are able to assist as a volunteer for fireworks coverage at Sandy/Morse Points in West Haven on the evening of July 3, please email us and let us know. We will be staffing the site but could use extra eyes as well. Thank you all!

Survey and monitoring updates:

Piping Plover
1 pair, 1 nest at Silver Sands on 6/5

1 pair at Peck Ave. West Haven on 6/5

1 adult at Waterford Beach on 6/5

2 adults, 1 nest at Milford Point on 6/5

7 adults, 2 nests, 3 hatchlings at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/5

6 adults, 7 hatchlings at Milford Point on 6/6

1 pair, 3 adults, 3 nests, 5 hatchlings at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/6

6 pairs, 2 adults, 4 nests, 1 hatchling at Bluff Point on 6/7

8 adults, 5 hatchlings at Milford Point on 6/7

4 pairs, 5 adults, 1 hatchling at Bluff Point on 6/7

1 pair at Waterford Beach on 6/8

3 pairs, 2 nests, 3 hatchlings at Milford Point on 6/8

7 adults, 3 nests, 3 hatchlings at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/8

7 pairs, 3 adults, 9 nests, 14 hatchlings at Long Beach on 6/8

1 pair, 1 nest at Silver Sands on 6/9

1 adult, 1 nest at Silver Sands on 6/9

1 pair, 1 nest at Silver Sands on 6/9

3 pair, 3 adults, 6 nests, 9 hatchlings at Long Beach on 6/9

1 pair, 1 nest at Silver Sands on 6/11

2 pairs, 2 hatchlings at Long Beach on 6/11

1 pair, 1 nest at Silver Sands on 6/11

9 adults, 8 hatchlings at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/12

1 pair, 1 nest at Waterford Beach on 6/12

14 adults, 2 nests, 4 hatchlings at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/12

1 pair, 3 adults, 1 nest, 2 hatchlings at Milford Point on 6/12

4 pairs, 7 adults, 3 nests, 5 hatchlings at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/12

3 pairs, 5 adults, 3 hatchlings at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/12

1 pair, 1 nest at Silver Sands on 6/12

1 pair, 1 nest at Waterford Beach on 6/14

1 adult, 2 hatchlings at Long Beach on 6/14

10 adults, 3 hatchlings, 2 nests at Milford Point on 6/14

5 pairs, 3 adults, 4 nests, 1 hatchling at Bluff Point on 6/14

2 pairs, 7 adults, 2 nests at Milford Point on 6/14

3 pairs, 2 adults, 1 nest, 1 hatchling at Milford Point on 6/15

2 adults, 5 hatchlings at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/15

1 pair, 2 adults, 3 hatchlings at Bluff Point on 6/15

5 pairs, 1 adult, 1 nest, 7 hatchlings at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/15

1 adult, 1 hatchling at Silver Sands on 6/16

8 pairs, 2 adults, 2 nests, 11 hatchlings at Long Beach on 6/16

6 pairs, 5 adults, 19 hatchlings at Long Beach on 6/16

1 pair, 11 adults, 1 nest, 8 hatchlings at Milford Point on 6/17

5 pairs, 2 adults, 2 nests, 5 hatchlings at Bluff Point on 6/17

4 pairs, 1 adult, 2 nests, 3 hatchlings at Milford Point on 6/17

1 adult, 1 hatchling at Silver Sands on 6/17

3 pairs, 10 adults, 10 hatchlings at Long Beach on 6/17

4 adults, 1 hatchling at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/17

1 adult, 1 nest at Waterford Beach on 6/18

14 adults, 17 hatchlings at Long Beach on 6/19

3 pairs, 8 adults, 3 nests, 5 hatchlings at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/19

7 adults, 1 nest, 3 hatchlings at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/19

3 pairs, 2 adults, 1 nest at Milford Point on 6/19

12 adults, 8 hatchlings, 3 nests at Milford Point on 6/20

American Oystercatcher
2 adults at Waterford Beach on 6/5

2 pairs, 1 adult, 5 hatchlings at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/5

4 pairs, 2 adults, 1 nest, 4 hatchlings at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/6

3 adults, 1 nest at Milford Point on 6/6

3 pairs, 1 adult, 1 nest, 3 hatchlings at Bluff Point on 6/7

1 pair, 2 adults, 2 hatchlings at Bluff Point on 6/7

3 pairs at Milford Point on 6/7

6 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/8

4 adults at Waterford Beach on 6/8

3 pairs at Milford Point on 6/8

1 pair, 1 nest, 2 hatchlings at Long Beach on 6/8

4 adults, 2 hatchlings at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/12

1 pair, 1 adult at Waterford Beach on 6/12

1 pair at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/12

5 adults, 2 hatchlings at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/12

1 pair, 4 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/12

1 adult at Waterford Beach on 6/14

2 pairs, 6 adults, 1 nest, 2 hatchlings at Bluff Point on 6/14

3 pairs, 1 nest at Milford Point on 6/14

7 adults, 1 nest at Milford Point on 6/14

3 pairs, 2 hatchlings at Milford Point on 6/15

1 pair, 1 adult at Bluff Point on 6/15

1 pair, 2 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/15

4 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/15

2 pairs, 2 hatchlings at Long Beach on 6/15

1 pair, 1 adult, 1 nest at Milford Point on 6/17

2 adults at Silver Sands on 6/17

3 pairs, 1 nest at Milford Point on 6/17

1 pair, 1 adult, 2 hatchlings at Bluff Point on 6/17

3 adults, 2 hatchlings at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/17

2 pairs, 1 adult, 2 hatchlings at Long Beach on 6/17

5 pairs, 1 nest, 3 hatchlings at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/19

2 pairs, 2 hatchlings at Long Beach on 6/19

3 pairs, 1 hatchling at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/19

3 pairs, 2 nests at Milford Point on 6/19

3 pairs, 10 adults, 1 nest at Milford Point on 6/20

Least Tern

30 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/5

7 adults, 2 nests at Milford Point on 6/6

8 pairs, 7 adults, 7 nests, 3 hatchlings at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/6

6 pairs, 14 adults, 1 nest at Bluff Point on 6/7

2 adults at Milford Point on 6/7

6 pairs, 12 adults at Bluff Point on 6/7

59 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/8

50 adults, 15 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/12

11 pairs, 40 adults, 9 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/12
30 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/12

50 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/12

7 pairs, 6 adults, 4 nests at Bluff Point on 6/14

5 adults at Milford Point on 6/14

18 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/15

1 pair at Milford Point on 6/15

8 adults at Bluff Point on 6/15

4 pairs, 26 adults, 3 nests, 1 hatchling at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/15

2 pairs, 20 adults at Bluff Point on 6/17

20 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/17

7 adults at Milford Point on 6/17

4 adults at Long Beach on 6/17

4 adults at Long Beach on 6/19

6 pairs, 33 adults, 9 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/19

30 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/19

1 pair, 1 adult, 1 nest at Milford Point on 6/19

2 pairs at Milford Point on 6/20

Common Tern
2 adults at Waterford Beach on 6/8
1 adult at Bluff Point on 6/14

1 adult at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/15

35 adults at Milford Point on 6/17

55 adults at Long Beach on 6/19

13 adults at Milford Point on 6/19

7 adults at Milford Point on 6/20

This concludes update #5 through 6/22/18 as of 3:00 a.m.