End of season updates
Birds are on the move! Fall migration has officially begun and it will now only be a short time before the Connecticut shoreline is vacant of most bird activity. Piping Plovers numbers are shrinking, and American Oystercatchers are gathering in large staging groups before they begin their own southbound migrations. Least Terns and Common Terns will also follow suit in the coming weeks.
Volunteers needed for assistance with fencing removal
Thank you to all of our volunteers who assisted with fencing removal events in the beginning of August. We have several more days of fencing removal ahead of us, and it is always a huge help to have extra hands available during these events! If you are interested in assisting Audubon Alliance staff with fencing removal, please see below for details about upcoming fencing removal events and RSVP by emailing ctwaterbirds@gmail.com
- Long Beach (beaches 1 and 4): Wednesday, August 19th at 10am
- NEW: Griswold Point: Monday, August 24th at 1pm
- Sandy Point: Friday, August 28th at 10am (Please note: due to parking restrictions at Sandy Point, we can only accommodate volunteers who already monitor at this site or those who are West Haven residents)
During fencing removal, volunteer tasks include pulling wooden stakes out of the ground, wrapping spools of string, and carrying signage off of the beach. If you would like to join us, please bring sunscreen, a hat, work gloves, a pocketknife/multitool and LOTS of water (remember that it can get very hot on the beach in the middle of the day!) Do not attempt to carry too many stakes as there will be enough staff and volunteers that no one should overexert themselves. Also please remember to take breaks when needed.
Upcoming Event
Join us for our next Salt Marsh Day at the Meigs Point Nature Center on August 15th, 10am-4pm. This month's theme: Terns!
Audubon Alliance Field Staff Spotlight: Chloe Flagler-Hess
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| Chloe holding at American Oystercatcher. Photo: Tayler Grimm/Audubon |
Where do you monitor shorebirds?
I conduct shorebird monitoring the most at Bluff Point State Park and the attached Mumford Cove. I also visit Sandy Point, Silver Sands State Park, Hammonasset State Park, and Harkness Memorial State Park, as well as Waterford Town Beach and Ocean Beach nearby.
When did you begin working for CT DEEP?
I began my current role as a shorebird monitor for the CT Department of Energy and Environmental Protection at the end of March this year. This is my second season with CT DEEP. I originally started in the Fisheries Division last summer, where I was conducting public outreach on aquatic invasive species.
How did you get here? What would you like to do next?
I started studying at Unity Environmental University in Unity, Maine - a small campus focused entirely on environmental studies. I truly enjoyed my time there, but when COVID-19 hit the school transitioned to doing everything online with plans for a hybrid structure later on. That format didn’t work so well with my hands-on degree, so my husband and I decided to transfer to the University of Wyoming for their amazing geology and wildlife science programs. I graduated in 2024 with a Bachelor's in Zoology and Wildlife & Fisheries Biology and Management.
Right after graduating, I volunteered with UWYO's Wyoming Initiative for Bird Resilience and Diversity to monitor Tree Swallow nest boxes over the season and band nestlings before they fledged. This data contributed to a research paper on climate sensitivity among Tree Swallows that was just recently published. This experience really sparked my love for birds and working with them.
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| Chloe taking measurements on a Tree Swallow. Photo: Kimberly Jordan |
I was also able to take part in some fieldwork with the Fisheries Division in my last role with DEEP once the boating season had passed. I helped out with spawning in a salmon hatchery, used seine netting and electrofishing to sample fish communities, and trapped eels in water reservoirs to release them further downstream on their migration out to sea.
Looking ahead, I am eager to gain more experience across all areas of the Wildlife Division and would absolutely love to return to this role next year. I've also been browsing graduate program openings around New England to pursue a Master's degree. In the long-term, my goal is to build a career in wildlife research and management, especially focusing on birds or mammals, while incorporating the public outreach and education side of the field - which I love just as much.
What is your favorite part about this job?
My absolute favorite part of the job is getting to witness the full avian nesting process firsthand - all the way from territory establishment and courting to building nests, laying eggs, and watching the chicks grow. It's incredibly rewarding to watch a chick fly for the first time, knowing that I directly contributed to its success and the recovery of an endangered species. Being out in nature all the time brings some awesome surprises too, like watching a juvenile Peregrine Falcon learn how to hunt in one of our tern colonies and spotting a Wood Stork far out of its native range.
Who was the biggest influence that led to your career working with wildlife?
My biggest influence was definitely my animal biology professor, Dr. Amy Krist at UWYO. She taught the invertebrate portion of the course, and her passion was infectious. Her class was highly interactive - we would take a general group like mollusks and pick whichever specific animal sounded the coolest to research. That freedom made learning so much fun and completely changed my perspective, giving me a much deeper appreciation for those creatures. We would talk outside of class for hours, and she still continues to support me with references and encouragement today. She is an amazing mentor and the reason I am genuinely considering pursuing teaching in the future.
What do you like to do outside of work?
This summer, I completed the Master Wildlife Conservationist Program through DEEP - a certification focused on CT's specific wildlife ecology, management, and conservation issues. The goal is to act as an informed liaison between DEEP and the public, helping to educate the community on coexistence with and stewardship of the environment. Between work, the classroom, and volunteering, I haven't had too much free time lately! When I do, you can still find me in the outdoors hiking, kayaking, camping, hunting, and birdwatching. At home, I channel my love for wildlife into digital art. I also play plenty of both tabletop and video games.
Volunteer Monitoring Data
Here is a summary of all volunteer-collected data submitted between July 31st and August 13th, 2026.
- Number of volunteer reports submitted: 59
- Total volunteer monitoring hours: 99
- Number of beachgoers engaged in conversations about birds/conservation: 63
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| Piping Plover. Photo: Susan Allen/Audubon Photography Awards |
Piping Plover Individual Adult Observations
There were Piping Plover individual adults observed at Long Beach, Milford Point, Silver Sands, Sandy Point, Griswold Point, and Bluff Point between July 31st and August 13th, 2026.
*Since there are no more active nests/broods at this point in the season, I have omitted the nest count table that I normally include here. Throughout the next month, staff will be reviewing nest fate data, and we will share the final productivity numbers for Piping Plovers once that data is finalized in September.
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| American Oystercatcher. Photo: Danny Savageau/Audubon Photography Awards |
American Oystercatcher Individual Adult Observations
*Nest count table has been omitted. Stay tuned for finalized numbers in September!
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| Least Tern. Photo: Janelle Hollis/Audubon Photography Awards |
Least Tern Adult Observations
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| Common Terns. Photo: Meryl Lorenzo/Audubon Photography Awards |
Common Tern Data Summary
Common Tern Adult Observations
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Thank you to our volunteers for all that you do to help us protect our nesting shorebirds!
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