Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds update #9

This is the ninth update by the Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds (AAfCW) for the 2012 season. It includes reports of Piping Plover, American Oystercatcher, Least Tern, and Common Tern received from 12:00 p.m. on May 7 through 4:00 p.m. on May 14 with sightings of birds spanning May 7 through May 14 by our staff and volunteers.


Survey and monitoring updates:

Piping Plover
Volunteer and staff surveys:
1 pair, 1 nest at East Broadway Milford on 5/7
3 pairs, 1 adult, 4 nests at Milford Point on 5/7
4 pairs, 1 adult, 4 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/7
5 pairs, 5 nests at Griswold Point on 5/8
1 adult, possible nest at Grass Island on 5/8 (FIRST OF SEASON LOCATION)
7 adults, 5 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/8
3 pairs, 3 adults, 4 nests at Long Beach on 5/8
2 pairs, 3 adults, 4 nests at Long Beach on 5/8
1 adult, 1 nest at East Broadway Milford on 5/8
5 pairs, 1 adult, 4 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/8
6 adults, 4 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/8
5 pairs, 3 adults, 2 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/9
1 adult, 1 nest at East Broadway Milford on 5/10
3 pairs, 1 adult, 4 nests at Long Beach on 5/10
5 pairs, 5 nests at Milford Point on 5/10
2 pairs, 1 adult, 3 nests at Long Beach on 5/11
5 pairs, 1 adult, 6 nests at Griswold Point on 5/11
6 pairs, 1 adult, 5 nests at Bluff Point on 5/11
1 pair, 1 adult, 2 nests at Harkness Memorial State Park on 5/11
1 pair at Silver Sands State Park on 5/12 (FIRST OF SEASON PAIR)
1 pair, 4 adults, 3 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/12
5 adults, 4 nests at Long Beach on 5/12
6 pairs, 4 nests at Bluff Point on 5/12
6 adults at Long Beach on 5/12
5 pairs, 4 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/12
3 pairs, 3 adults, 5 nests at Milford Point on 5/13
4 pairs, 1 adult, 5 nests at Milford Point on 5/13
5 pairs, 3 nests at Long Beach on 5/13

American Oystercatcher
Volunteer and staff surveys:
2 pairs, 1 adult, 1 nest at Milford Point on 5/7
1 pair at Griswold Point on 5/7
1 pair at Gull Rock on 5/8
1 pair at Grass Island on 5/8
1 pair at Griswold Point on 5/8
1 adult, 1 possible nest at Bluff Point on 5/8
2 pairs, 1 adult, 2 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/8
2 pairs, 2 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/8
2 adults at Long Beach on 5/8
1 pair, 1 nest at Griswold Point on 5/8
2 pairs at Long Beach on 5/8
3 pairs, 1 adult, 3 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/9
2 pairs, 2 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/10
2 pairs, 1 adult, 2 nests at Milford Point on 5/10
1 pair at Long Beach on 5/10
1 pair, 1 nest at Griswold Point on 5/11
1 pair at Bluff Point on 5/11
2 pairs, 1 nest at Milford Point on 5/11
2 pairs, 2 nests at Long Beach on 5/11
1 pair, 3 adults, 2 nest at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/12
4 adults at Long Beach on 5/12
2 adults at Bluff Point on 5/12
4 adults at Long Beach on 5/12
2 pairs at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/13
2 pairs at Milford Point on 5/13
2 pairs, 1 nest at Milford Point on 5/13
1 pair, 3 adults at Long Beach on 5/13
1 pair at Barn Island on 5/14
1 pair, 1 adult at Bluff Point on 5/14
2 pairs, 1 nest at Griswold Point on 5/14
2 pairs, 1 adult at Menunketesuck Island on 5/14
1 adult, 1 nest at Branford on 5/14
2 pairs, 2 nest at Milford Point on 5/14
1 pair at Long Beach on 5/14

Least Tern 
Volunteer and staff surveys:
15 adults at Long Beach on 5/8
18 adults at Long Beach on 5/8
4 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/9
12 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/10
31 adults at Long Beach on 5/10
1 adult at Milford Point on 5/10
4 adults at Stratford Point on 5/11
12 adults at Griswold Point on 5/11
8 adults at Bluff Point on 5/11
34 adults at Long Beach on 5/11
20 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/12
30 adults at Long Beach on 5/12
18 adults at Long Beach on 5/12
20 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/13
7 adults at Milford Point on 5/13
42 adults at Long Beach on 5/13
7 adults at Lewis Gut on 5/13

Common Tern
Volunteer and staff surveys:
2 adults at Long Beach on 5/8
6 adults at Stratford Point on 5/8
2 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/9
8 adults at Stratford Point on 5/11
1 adult at Bluff Point on 5/11
96 adults at Stratford Point on 5/12
2 pairs, 2 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/12
1 adult at Silver Sands State Park on 5/12
3 adults at Long Beach on 5/12
13 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/13
11 adults at Long Beach on 5/13
18 adults at Stratford Point on 5/14


There have been no reports of terns other than Common or Least and the early Caspian, but there should be more very soon. Be on the lookout for Roseate Tern!

The first two Black Skimmer were reported by a trusted observer at the mouth of the Farm River on the East Haven/Branford border. Please keep an eye out for the unique species at a beach near you! Long-legged waders can now often be seen feeding in high numbers such as the 37+ Great Egret observed along Long Beach on May 14 along with 3 Snowy Egret, 1 Great Blue Heron, 1 Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, and 1 Black-crowned Night-Heron.

Shorebirds of all species are now passing through the state in appropriate and expected numbers, and nearly any can be seen at coastal sites and other appropriate stopover habitat. As an example of what can be spotted, feeding and resting at Stratford Point on the morning of May 14 was an impressive group containing: 91 Black-bellied Plover, 17 Semipalmated Plover, 8 Spotted Sandpiper, 1 Willet, 38 Ruddy Turnstone, 1 Red Knot, 98 Sanderling, 127 Semipalmated Sandpiper, 29 Least Sandpiper, 249 Dunlin, 2 Short-billed Dowitcher.

This concludes update #9 through 5/14/12 as of 4:45 p.m.


Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds, Audubon Connecticut and the Connecticut Audubon Society partnering to improve conditions for coastal waterbirds in Connecticut.

Piping Plover distraction displays and disruptions

Some of the most important aspects of Piping Plover behavior that all beachgoers and monitors should be cognizant of are their distraction displays, alarm calls, and other threatened actions. We are now firmly entrenched in breeding season, and with that comes vigilant adults seeking to protect their eggs and young at any cost. The more they have to work at safeguarding them against predators, unknowing people wandering near nests and fledglings, overzealous onlookers, or intentionally malicious troublemakers, the greater the risk to the parents and this next generation.

The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection website lists out some very important and educational information concerning the Piping Plover here, and here is a good passage concerning behavior:

Interesting Facts: When humans or enemies come too close to a plover nest, the adults will try to distract them by flapping around like a wounded bird. This is sometimes referred to as a "broken wing" display. Plovers have a defined beachfront territory. Beachgoers are met at the beginning of the territory by the plover and escorted along by the walking bird until the territory ends. Unlike their nesting neighbors, the least terns, that fly and dive at enemies, adult plovers walk and stop, walk and stop to avoid detection by visually blending into the background. 

As well as...

What You Can Do: Respect all plover nesting areas that are fenced or posted for the birds' protection. Do not approach or linger near piping plovers or their nests. If pets are permitted on beaches used by plovers, keep pets on a leash. Keep housecats in the house, especially at night, during the nesting season. Don't leave or bury trash or food scraps on beaches. Garbage attracts predators which may prey upon piping plover eggs and chicks.

If anyone ever sees a Piping Plover doing the "broken wing" display they should immediately stop and cautiously yet quickly exit the area. Here is a photo of such a display taken quickly for educational purposes while working on an exclosure - this is not something we want to see.

The same goes for overly excited or agitated birds, those with young in tow or nearby, and any making loud rapid alarm calls. Piping Plover adults can also shake and wiggle, attempting to draw you away in hopes that you will follow them away from the nest or young, or crouch down in the sand. You should not even regularly encounter birds following you in the quoted manner described above if you are maintaining a safe distance.

We want to monitor the birds, not survey them thoroughly at all costs, and even staff is instructed to keep their distance at the expense of data and information in order to better protect the birds and their eggs or young. Here is a fantastic illustration of where you should walk on the beach whenever possible in order to prevent any disruptions or incidents.

For the most part the wet sand is always a safe zone, and even if birds are feeding in it or along it you should be able to pick them out easier and thus be able to give them more room, or allow them space to retreat easily back into the higher sand and dunes. Thanks to Bird Studies Canada/Environment Canada for that, and to all of you for your constant efforts. They are unbelievably and unequivocally appreciated.

Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds, Audubon Connecticut and the Connecticut Audubon Society partnering to improve conditions for coastal waterbirds in Connecticut.

Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds update #8

This is the eighth update by the Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds (AAfCW) for the 2012 season. It includes reports of Piping Plover, American Oystercatcher, Least Tern, and Common Tern received from 12:00 p.m. on April 30 through 12:00 p.m. on May 7 with sightings of birds spanning April 29 through May 7 by our staff and volunteers.

Informational updates:

The terns have returned to Connecticut, and with them come additional responsibilities in monitoring. We need all of the data and information on Least Tern and Common Tern, and much more rarely Roseate Tern, that you can provide to us, just as you do with Piping Plover and American Oystercatcher. These are priority species that should be tracked in an identical way. We hope we will end up with many tern colonies that require our monitoring and care, especially Least Tern on beaches such as Morse/Sandy Points in West Haven, Long Beach or Pleasure Beach in Stratford or Bridgeport, and so forth. Please provide us with all of the data you can including precise numbers of birds seen, breeding status, location, nests or eggs, age, behavior, threats, bands, etc. Thank you as always!

Survey and monitoring updates:

Piping Plover

Volunteer and staff surveys:

5 adults at Griswold Point on 4/29

1 adult at Fort Trumbull Beach on 4/30

1 at Silver Sands State Park on 4/30

1 pair, 3 adults, 4 nests at Long Beach on 5/1

5 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/2

1 adult at Silver Sands State Park on 5/2

3 pairs, 1 adult, 2 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/2

3 pairs, 1 adult, 3 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/2

5 pairs, 4 nests at Milford Point on 5/3

1 adult (male) at Silver Sands State Park on 5/3

4 adults on 4 nests at Milford Point on 5/3

4 adults, 1 nest at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/4

2 adults on 2 nests at Harkness Memorial State Park on 5/4

1 adult at Stratford Point on 5/4

6 pairs, 5 nests at Long Beach on 5/4

4 pairs, 4 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/4

2 pair, 5 adults, 3 nests at Long Beach on 5/5

1 adult on Pleasure Beach on 5/5

3 pairs, 3 adult, 2 nests at Long Beach on 5/5

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

1 pair, 1 nest at East Broadway Milford on 5/6

3 pairs, 1 adult, 4 nests at Milford Point on 5/6

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

4 pairs, 4 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/6

1 adult at Silver Sands State Park on 5/6

American Oystercatcher

Volunteer and staff surveys:

2 pairs, one 3-egg nest and one 4-egg nest at Sandy/Morse Points on 4/30

3 pairs, 1 nest at Milford Point on 4/30

1 pair, 1 nest in Branford on 5/2

1 pair, 1 adult, 1 nest at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/2

1 pair, one 3-egg nest and one 4-egg nest at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/2

1 pair, 1 adult at Barn Island on 5/3

4 pairs, at least 2 nests at Menunketesuck Island on 5/3

2 pairs, 2 nests at Milford Point on 5/3

3 pairs, 2 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/3

1 pair, 1 nest at Milford Point on 5/3

1 pair at Bluff Point on 5/3

1 adult at Tuxis Island on 5/4

3 pairs, 1 nest at Menunketesuck Island on 5/4

1 pair at Stratford Point on 5/4

4 pairs, one 3-egg nest and one 1-egg nest at Milford Point on 5/4

1 adult at Long Beach on 5/4

2 pairs, 2 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/4

1 pair at Long Beach on 5/5

1 pair seen copulating at Long Beach on 5/5

1 pair, 1 adult, 2 nests at Milford Point on 5/6

1 pair at Bluff Point on 5/6

2 pairs, 2 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/6

1 pair, one 1-egg nest at Griswold Point on 5/6

4 pairs, 1 adult, 2 nests at Sandy Point in Stonington 5/7

1 adult at Bluff Point on 5/7

Least Tern 

Volunteer and staff surveys:

1 adult at Long Beach on 5/1

1 adult at Stratford Point on 5/4

1 adult at Long Beach on 5/5

4 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/6

8 adults at Long Beach on 5/7

Common Tern

Volunteer and staff surveys:

2 adults at Russian Beach Stratford on 5/2

16 adults at Stratford Point on 5/4

2 adults at Milford Point on 5/4

10 adults at Stratford Point on 5/5

8 adults at Long Beach on 5/5

3 adults at Pleasure Beach on 5/5

5 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/6

4 adults at Bluff Point on 5/6

70+ adults at Stratford Point on 5/7

There have been no reports of Black Skimmer in 2012, but they should be spotted soon. All long-legged waders are in expected breeding areas at this point and frequently encountered foraging at many of our monitoring locations as well. Semipalmated Sandpiper are slowly growing in number, but Least Sandpiper, and Semipalmated Plover are now regular sightings with numbers into the dozens at times. A high number of 51 Semipalmated Plover were seen at Stratford Point on 5/4, with many other spots recording groups and singles of these birds. We make a special note of this because observers should be aware not to confuse these birds with Piping Plovers as both share some identification points.

This concludes update #8 through 5/7/12 as of 4:00 p.m.

Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds, Audubon Connecticut and the Connecticut Audubon Society partnering to improve conditions for coastal waterbirds in Connecticut.

Weather conditions and monitoring

While we want our staff and monitors on the beaches across Connecticut as much as possible, there are a few times when we would rather have no one there at all. This is when the weather conditions are potentially hazardous to the birds we are working to protect, survey, and educate the public on. As you can imagine the threat increases at times when the birds are incubating eggs or tending to young. This goes for Piping Plover, American Oystercatcher, Least Tern, Common Tern, and all of the species we are monitoring this season.

We request that everyone please keep the conditions in mind and only survey when the temperature is not overly hot or cold, there is no rain, and the wind is not strong. If gusts are strong enough that you notice them pushing you around, especially on a cool or cloudy day, it may be better to stay home. When the temperature is below 50 at any time, or perhaps even 60 when the birds are on eggs, or over 90, you may want to exercise caution and skip a monitoring session. Lastly, when there is rain falling it is also best not to go on to the beach.

The key is that we do not want incubating adults coming off eggs for too long of a time so that they are exposed to extreme conditions. With the weather we have had in the past two weeks it seems appropriate to reiterate this philosophy. Also, for your own safety, watch out for any forecast for thunderstorms so that you are not on the beach at such a time as we enter the severe season.

Thank you all for your constant efforts and for being mindful about when to hit the beaches this spring and summer.


Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds, Audubon Connecticut and the Connecticut Audubon Society partnering to improve conditions for coastal waterbirds in Connecticut.

Exclosure work at Bluff Point

In the past couple of weeks AAfCW's Sean Graesser has helped the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (CT DEEP) set up exclosures for Piping Plovers across the state. These exclosures keep predators of all sorts away from the nest and help protect the eggs from harm. The wonderfully talented crew from CT DEEP works on erecting these structures at dozens of nests across the Connecticut coast following a carefully crafted protocol during what is a stressful but ultimately beneficial time for the adults.

They also ensure that the parents return to each nest within a certain amount of time or they will remove the exclosure so as not to dissuade them from tending to the eggs. However, this is very rare, and the system works wonderfully. The hardest part is often spotting the nest itself, even with an adult on it! If you are an experienced volunteer you know how difficult it can be to find Piping Plovers when they are stationary on the sand, and it is no different for the experts.

Sean took these photos of the exclosures at Bluff Point, a couple of the birds, and a nest and eggs.

Keep in mind that shots like these can only be obtained when setting up an exclosure with those permitted to do so, as Sean was with CT DEEP. We should always stay very far from the exclosure, staff included. Even if someone was lucky enough not to disturb the birds, going near the nest could lead predators to it with their own tracks and scent. The exclosures work very well but are not entirely foolproof, and nothing more than a visit from an unsuccessful predator can spell doom for the eggs.


Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds, Audubon Connecticut and the Connecticut Audubon Society partnering to improve conditions for coastal waterbirds in Connecticut.