PIPL

PIPL

Thursday, July 18, 2019

Heat Safety

We wanted to remind all of you terrific monitors as well as our staff to put your safety first when it comes to being on the beach. Temperatures in the 90s tomorrow and this weekend will make it hazardous to be outdoors with that extreme heat worsened by high dew points. Heat index values will near 100 tomorrow and exceed 105 on Saturday.

We definitely want to keep an eye on our birds, but their safety during such conditions is a consideration, too. This magnitude of heat plus the sun on eggs or very young birds can be fatal. The less traffic we have out there the better so that the adults can tend to nests without being disturbed in the slightest. This goes for all of our birds - Piping Plovers, American Oystercatchers, Least Terns, and Common Terns. Please feel free to disregard any monitoring and take a well deserved rest. Thank you all again for a stupendous job thus far in 2019. We have had a great deal of success because of your efforts, and we are certain it will continue through the end of August.

Forest Great Egret

The notorious forest-dweller: a Great Egret (Ardea alba) enjoying a recent afternoon in the, um, coastal woodlands of Stratford Point. They actually feed on far more than fish and marine life, also hunting for small mammals, amphibians, invertebrates, reptiles, and even birds.



Tuesday, July 9, 2019

AAfCW 2019 Volunteer Update #6

This is the sixth 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 22 through 8:00pm on July 8 with sightings of birds spanning the period.

Informational updates:

We continue to have sensational beach weather, and we can expect many people to visit our beaches on a regular basis. Please monitor as much as possible and engage the public in positive, educational interactions. We have many hatchlings, fledglings, and now juveniles running around, too. Accurate chick counts and correct aging are vital, bearing in mind their safety - at the expense of data and certainly photos - takes precedence. Please give them a wide berth. If you are causing adults to call out, perform distraction displays, or separating family groups, you are too close.

There is a tremendous amount of pressure on our birds 24 hours a day from beachgoers, predators, weather and tides, and more. We never want to add to that. Please do read through this helpful guide on aging our birds: https://rtpi.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/DEEP-PloverTern-Aging.pdf

Beyond the birds, your safety is paramount! Please do not monitor on very hot and humid days, especially midday. Take plenty of water, a snack, a phone, and wear sunblock. Long sleeves, pants, and a hat are advisable to protect yourself from the sun and heat. Be mindful of who you engage in stewardship efforts, and always stay home if thunderstorms are in the forecast. We never want anything to happen to you, so please exercise good common sense in all regards. Thank you very much for all your help!

Survey and monitoring updates:

Piping Plover
18 hatchlings/fledglings, 13 adults at Long Beach on 6/22
1 adult, 1 nest at Waterford Beach on 6/22
1 adult, 1 nest at Milford Point on 6/22
5 pairs, 2 adults, 1 nest, 13 hatchlings at Long Beach on 6/22
3 adults, 5 fledglings, 5 hatchlings at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/22
1 adult, 1 hatchling at Silver Sands on 6/23
3 pairs, 7 adults, 2 hatchlings, 4 juveniles at Long Beach on 6/23
1 adult, 1 hatchling at Silver Sands on 6/23
2 adults, 4 hatchlings at Milford Point on 6/24
2 pairs, 7 adults, 1 nest, 9 hatchlings at Long Beach on 6/24
1 pair, 4 adults, 2 nests at Milford Point on 6/24
1 pair, 1 nest at Waterford Beach on 6/24
1 adult, 1 hatchling at Silver Sands on 6/25
11 adults, 3 hatchlings at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/25
1 adult, 1 hatchling at Silver Sands on 6/25
3 pairs, 6 adults, 1 nest, 5 hatchlings at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/26
10 adults, 21 hatchlings, 1 fledgling, at Milford Point on 6/26
1 adult, 1 hatchling at Silver Sands on 6/26
10 adults, 10 hatchlings, 2 nests at Long Beach on 6/26
5 adults, 3 juveniles, 2 chicks at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/26
11 adults, 8 hatchlings, 6 fledglings at Milford Point on 6/27
1 pair, 1 nest at Waterford Beach on 6/27
1 pair, 2 adults, 4 hatchlings at Short Beach on 6/27
1 pair, 4 adults, 1 hatchling at Bluff Point on 6/28
3 pairs, 6 adults, 9 fledglings at Long Beach on 6/28
4 pairs, 2 adults, 2 nests, 2 hatchlings, 1 fledgling at Bluff Point on 6/28
1 pair, 1 nest at Waterford Beach on 6/28
5 pairs, 17 adults, 3 nests, 2 hatchlings, 2 fledglings at Bluff Point on 6/28
1 adult, 1 hatchling at Silver Sands on 6/29
9 adults, 14 chicks at Milford Point on 6/29
1 pair, 4 hatchlings at Short Beach on 6/29
6 pairs, 1 hatchling at Milford Point on 6/29
1 hatchling at Silver Sands on 6/30
5 pairs, 1 adult, 2 hatchlings, 10 fledglings at Long Beach on 6/30
1 adult, 1 hatchling at Silver Sands on 6/30
2 pairs, 3 adults, 1 nest, 1 fledgling at Bluff Point on 7/1
4 pairs, 4 adults, 8 hatchlings at Long Beach on 7/1
1 pair, 7 adults, 1 nest, 1 fledgling, 4 hatchlings, 2 juveniles at Milford Point on 7/1
1 adult, 1 hatchling at Silver Sands on 7/2
1 adult, 1 hatchling at Silver Sands on 7/3
1 pair, 5 adults, 3 hatchlings, 3 fledglings at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/3
3 pairs, 3 adults, 1 fledgling at Bluff Point on 7/5
4 pairs, 2 adults, 1 nest, 4 hatchlings, 1 fledgling at Bluff Point on 7/5
1 adult, 1 hatchling at Silver Sands on 7/6
2 adults at Milford Point on 7/6
1 adult, 1 hatchling at Silver Sands on 7/7
7 adults, 2 hatchlings, 6 juveniles at Long Beach on 7/7
2 pairs, 8 adults, 1 nest, 7 fledglings at Long Beach on 7/8

American Oystercatcher
4 individuals at Long Beach on 6/22
1 pair, 1 adult at Milford Point on 6/22
1 pair, 2 hatchlings at Long Beach on 6/22
3 adults at Waterford Beach on 6/22
2 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/22
3 adults at Griswold Point on 6/23
1 adult at Long Beach on 6/23
1 pair, 2 hatchlings at Long Beach on 6/24
3 pairs, 1 nest at Milford Point on 6/24
3 pairs, 1 hatchling, 1 juvenile at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/25
5 adults at Milford Point on 6/26
2 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/26
1 pair, 2 hatchlings at Long Beach on 6/26
3 individuals at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/26
15 adults, 1 nest at Milford Point on 6/27
1 pair, 1 adult, 2 fledglings at Bluff Point on 6/28
2 pairs, 2 adults, 2 fledglings at Bluff Point on 6/28
2 adults at Waterford Beach on 6/28
1 pair, 2 adults, 2 juveniles at Bluff Point on 6/28
1 pair, 1 adult at Milford Point on 6/29
4 adults at Milford Point on 6/29
2 pairs, 5 adults, 1 fledgling at Long Beach on 6/30
1 pair, 2 fledglings at Bluff Point on 7/1
3 adults at Milford Point on 7/1
2 pairs, 4 adults, 1 hatchling, 4 fledglings at Long Beach on 7/1
3 adults, 1 fledgling at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/3
1 pair, 2 hatchlings at Bluff Point on 7/5
1 pair, 2 adults, 4 hatchlings at Milford Point on 7/5
2 pairs, 1 adult, 2 fledglings at Bluff Point on 7/5
2 adults at Milford Point on 7/6
1 pair, 1 juvenile at Long Beach on 7/7
1 pair, 1 adult, 1 fledgling at Long Beach on 7/8

Least Tern
21 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/22
1 adult at Milford Point on 6/22
2 adults at Griswold Point on 6/23
4 adults, 1 nest at Milford Point on 6/24
30 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/25
7 pairs, 33 adults, 9 nests, 3 hatchlings at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/26
10 adults at Milford Point on 6/26
58 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/26
20 adults, 5 nests at Milford Point on 6/27
7 adults at Long Beach on 6/28
20 adults at Bluff Point on 6/28
32 adults, 2 nests at Bluff Point on 6/28
30 adults at Milford Point on 6/29
2 pairs, 8 adults at Bluff Point on 7/1
2 pairs, 5 adults at Long Beach on 7/1
30 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/3
1 adult at Silver Sands on 7/3
3 pairs, 10 adults at Bluff Point on 7/5
8 adults at Milford Point on 7/6
25 adults at Long Beach on 7/7
3 pairs, 3 adults at Long Beach on 7/8

Common Tern
6 adults at Waterford Beach on 6/22
14 adults at Griswold Point on 6/23
40 adults at Silver Sands on 6/23
7 adults at Long Beach on 6/23
5 adults at Long Beach on 6/24
23 adults at Milford Point on 6/24
1 adult at Silver Sands on 6/25
5 adults at Milford Point on 6/26
8 adults at Long Beach on 6/26
3 adults at Waterford Beach on 6/27
63 adults at Milford Point on 6/27
3 adults at Bluff Point on 6/28
2 adults at Bluff Point on 6/28
1 adult at Bluff Point on 6/28
7 adults at Milford Point on 6/29
17 adults at Milford Point on 6/29
5 adults at Bluff Point on 7/1
2 pairs, 7 adults, 1 juvenile at Long Beach on 7/2
5 adults at Silver Sands on 7/3
2 pairs, 5 adults at Bluff Point on 7/5

This concludes update #6 through 7/9/18 as of 4:30 a.m.