Severe Weather - Tropical Storm Elsa

The 2021 Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds season has been an extremely difficult one - perhaps the toughest in our decade of work. We started our year off where we left it in 2020 with the COVID-19 pandemic, once again not having in-person training sessions, remaining out of offices, and practicing all safe mask, social distancing, and hygiene standards in the field. A Memorial Day weekend storm wiped out an untold number of nests and chicks across Connecticut, right at the most critical time for young birds. It was one of the most devastating single events in recent memory.

People flocking to the beach and restarting group recreational activity in high numbers with declining COVID-19 rates and restrictions, while fantastic, has meant an staggering increase in illegal activity that hurts birds - dogs, fires, trespassing, trashing, violating fencing, fireworks, and outright aggression to wildlife. Mixing in heat waves, the usual wind and rain, and now high tides again with Tropical Storm Elsa, it is a wonder any species have been successful on the shore in 2021. Here's a video I compiled last night of another evening of natural fireworks with thunderstorms firing across western and central Connecticut thanks to a stalled cold front and a developing low to mid level jet.

I suspect Elsa, closing rapidly from South Carolina at the time, already started influencing our weather and enhanced the activity. Most storms seen here are 8-15 miles away. Note the unedited colors of the lightning - purple, pink, blue, orange, yellow, red, white, all depending on location, precipitation, intensity, and more. These are the natural perils our birds have to face before we even begin talking about fireworks and other human activity.

Elsa will bear down on the region and raise tides yet again while bringing severe wind and rain. It is so hard to see this happen to our birds, but they have to take care of themselves as best they can for now. All we can do is our part to monitor and educate when it's safe. One thing we try to keep in mind is that even without humans, the birds were meant to go through these situations. For example, hurricanes, tropical storms, and large systems like that on Memorial Day help reshape and even repair beach habitats for nesting. Even when it's a short-term “ugh!” it can be a long term benefit, and while it's so tough to see that in the moment, it can help us get by mentally.

Thanks again for all your hard work, and stay safe!