Fencing & Signage Operations Complete

Last week we finished string fencing and signage operations for the Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds on our Connecticut beaches. We had a tremendous volunteer turnout at some of the most difficult and critical sites including Sandy/Morse Points in West Haven, Bluff Point State Park in Groton, and Long Beach in Stratford. It was a gorgeous April day for this work at Long Beach, and most of it was completed in only a few hours thanks to the terrific help.

First we carry out and hammer in stakes around important nesting areas and then string them off to protect nesting birds and sensitive habitat

Bright flagging is added to the string to make it more visible to both people and birds

Signs are erected to let beachgoers know what this is all about

Laura Saucier, Wildlife Biologist from the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, hard at work

Stratford’s Long Beach is a vital barrier beach protecting the Stratford Great Meadows Marsh and providing a home to numerous rare or endangered plants and animals – thankfully we can share the beach with all of this wildlife and coexist peacefully

This work was completed just in time as we now have the first Piping Plover and American Oystercatcher nests of 2016 appearing at multiple locations in Connecticut. Our volunteer monitors and staff are hard at work educating the public and surveying for these birds seven days a week. We are also looking forward to the return of the terns as both Least and Common Terns should be back in the state around May 1. It has been difficult to establish viable Least Tern breeding colonies in Connecticut in recent years, but we will be vigilant and do our best to help all of these birds have the most successful nesting season that they can. If you would like to join this effort as a shorebird and tern monitor please email us at ctwaterbirds@gmail.com today, and thanks again to all of our volunteers!

AAfCW 2016 Volunteer Update #5

This is the fifth weekly update by the Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds (AAfCW) for the 2016 season. Today's update includes reports of Piping Plover and American Oystercatcher from April 19 through 12:00 p.m. on April 25 with sightings of birds by volunteers and staff.

Informational updates:

We are now seeing the first nests for both Piping Plovers and American Oystercatchers across our beaches. Please keep in mind that we do not want to flush them off any eggs during our monitoring, and that cold or rainy mornings are now a threat to the safety of these eggs, so giving them lots of room and skipping monitoring during inclement weather is for the best. Please report any new nests to us as well as CT DEEP's Laura Saucier (laura.saucier@ct.gov) and Rebecca Foster (rsuzf@hotmail.com) as soon as possible.

Many of you have reported dogs on our beaches whether they be loose, on a leash, or recent tracks. While education of beachgoers is certainly welcome, please do report dogs on beaches where they are not permitted to the municipal animal control. This is a town issue, and one that must be raised by everyone if we are to get more awareness, response and enforcement. As long as dogs are not involved in a take of our birds or causing a direct threat it is the local animal control department's responsibility, and we ask that you please contact them. See more information on laws and contact numbers for various towns in this CT DEEP PDF document: http://rtpi.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/WHO-TO-CONTACT-IN-AN-EMERGENCY_CT-Dog-Laws.pdf

Please also continue to let us know about any and all disturbances so that we can log them. However, it does make a difference if you do contact local authorities on issues as described in the document. Thank you!

Survey and monitoring updates:

Piping Plover
2 pairs, 3 adults at Griswold Point on 4/19
7 pairs at Sandy/Morse Points on 4/19
3 adults at Griswold Point on 4/19
4 pairs, 8 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 4/19
6 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 4/20
7 pairs, 2 adults at Milford Point on 4/20
1 pair at East Broadway Milford on 4/20
4 pairs at Long Beach on 4/20
1 pair at Pleasure Beach on 4/20
1 pair, 3 adults at Long Beach on 4/20
5 pairs, 1 adult at Milford Point on 4/20
1 pair, 1 adult at Griswold Point on 4/20
3 pairs, 1 adult at Bluff Point on 4/21
6 pairs at Milford Point on 4/21
1 adult at Long Beach on 4/21
1 pair, 5 adults at Long Beach on 4/21
1 pair at Pleasure Beach on 4/22
7 pairs, 2 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 4/22
1 pair at Peck Ave/East Ave/Beach St on 4/22
1 pair, 7 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 4/22
7 pairs, 2 adults at Milford Point on 4/22
3 pairs at Long Beach on 4/22
2 adults at Long Beach on 4/23
3 pairs, 2 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 4/23
1 pair, 5 adults at Griswold Point on 4/24
1 pair at Silver Sands State Park on 4/24
3 pairs, 2 adults at Long Beach on 4/24
8 pairs at Sandy/Morse Points on 4/24

American Oystercatcher
1 pair at Griswold Point on 4/19
2 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 4/19
1 pair at Sandy/Morse Points on 4/19
1 pair at Sandy/Morse Points on 4/19
1 pair at Sheffield/Shea Island on 4/19
4 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 4/20
3 pairs, 1 nest at Milford Point on 4/20
1 pair at Long Beach on 4/20
1 pair at Pleasure Beach on 4/20
1 pair at Long Beach on 4/20
3 pairs, 1 adult at Milford Point on 4/20
12 pairs at Norwalk Islands on 4/21
3 pairs at Milford Point on 4/21
1 pair, 1 adult at Long Beach on 4/21
1 pair, 1 adult at Sandy/Morse Points on 4/21
2 pairs, 3 adults at Hammonasset on 4/21
2 pairs at Bluff Point on 4/21
1 pair, 2 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 4/22
1 pair at Pleasure Beach on 4/22
2 pairs at Sandy/Morse Points on 4/22
1 pair at Long Beach on 4/22
1 adult at Oyster River Mouth, West Haven/Woodmont on 4/22
2 pairs at Sandy/Morse Points on 4/23
1 pair, 1 adult at Sandy/Morse Points on 4/24

This concludes update #5 through 04/25/16 as of 1:00 p.m.

CT DEEP AAfCW Beach Training 2016

A big thank you to the volunteers who attended Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection training on how to monitor Piping Plovers and Least Terns at Sandy/Morse Points in West Haven this past Sunday. CT DEEP Wildlife Biologist Laura Saucier was joined by AAfCW Waterbird Technician Ewa Holland and AAfCW Volunteer Coordinator Scott Kruitbosch. We gathered with our monitors on the beach on a truly beautiful Sunday morning with the sun shining brightly on the shore. Laura discussed the finer points of how to approach these birds, their biology, the best method to count them safely, why we need to educate the public, and more. While terns do not arrive until around May 1, we had several pairs of Piping Plovers and American Oystercatchers to view.

Piping Plover

Nearly all Connecticut beaches do not allow dogs on them at any time of the year due to the public health and safety risk, let alone endangered species. We love dogs, but they are one of the biggest issues we face each season.

Signs by young students, like this one about an American Oystercatcher, are more effective in transmitting our message and less likely to be ripped down

Checking out Piping Plovers within the fenced areas of the dune

Walking along the water near the tidal line is usually the safest place to be to protect our birds and their nests

A wonderful habitat amidst a developed and urban environment

If you would like to join us on the Connecticut shore this spring and summer please email us at ctwaterbirds@gmail.com to sign-up. Even if you cannot regularly monitor a beach you may be able to assist in outreach or education, lend a hand at string fencing and signage parties, or survey for other waterbird species. We usually have at least 200, and sometimes 300 or 400, dedicated, caring volunteers each year, and we would love to have you become one of them. Thank you!

AAfCW 2016 Volunteer Update #4

This is the fourth weekly update by the Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds (AAfCW) for the 2016 season. Today's update includes reports of Piping Plover and American Oystercatcher from April 11 through 12:00 p.m. on April 19 with sightings of birds by volunteers and staff.

Informational updates:

A huge thanks to all who joined us for fencing operations yesterday at Long Beach and last Friday at Bluff Point. For those new monitors who attended beach training this past Sunday please email us if you would still like additional training or assistance from our staff. This should be a terrific week of weather as both Piping Plovers and American Oystercatchers begin the nesting season. Please keep reporting all the details you can on these birds along with any disturbances or other pertinent information. Please remember to email Laura.Saucier@ct.gov and rsuzf@hotmail.com along with us if you find any new nests or see any banded or flagged Piping Plovers.

Least Terns and Common Terns, two more of our focal species, typically return right near May 1, so we should be seeing them in a couple weeks. Please keep in mind some of the sites mentioned in these reports are monitored by CT DEEP or AAfCW staff only and are not open for public monitoring. Good birding to you!

Survey and monitoring updates:

Piping Plover
1 adult at Peck Ave. West Haven on 4/11
4 pairs, 2 adults at Bluff Point on 4/11
2 pairs, 5 adults at Griswold Point on 4/11
3 pairs, 2 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 4/11
1 pair at Harkness Memorial State Park on 4/13
6 pairs, 1 adult at Sandy/Morse Points on 4/13
1 pair, 7 adults at Milford Point on 4/13
2 pairs, 4 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 4/13
1 pair at Pleasure Beach on 4/14
7 pairs at Milford Point on 4/14
3 pairs, 1 adult at Long Beach on 4/14
1 pair, 2 adults at Long Beach on 4/14
1 pair, 2 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 4/14
6 pairs at Milford Point on 4/14
1 pair at Peck Ave. West Haven on 4/15
3 pairs, 3 adults at Griswold Point on 4/15
3 pairs at Sandy/Morse Points on 4/15
6 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 4/15
7 pairs at Milford Point on 4/16
4 pairs, 2 adults at Hammonasset on 4/16
1 pair, 1 adult at Long Beach on 4/16
5 pairs, 2 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 4/17
8 pairs at Sandy/Morse Points on 4/17
4 pairs at Long Beach on 4/17
1 adult at Silver Sands State Park on 4/18
4 pairs at Long Beach on 4/18
1 pair, 1 adult at Pleasure Beach on 4/18
4 pairs at Long Beach on 4/18
3 pairs, 2 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 4/18

American Oystercatcher
2 adults at Peck Ave. West Haven on 4/11
2 pairs at Sandy/Morse Points on 4/11
2 pairs at Bluff Point on 4/11
2 adults at Griswold Point on 4/11
2 pairs, 1 adult at Sandy/Morse Points on 4/11
1 adult at Pleasure Beach on 4/12
2 pairs at Sandy/Morse Points on 4/13
1 adult at Sandy/Morse Points on 4/13
2 pairs, 3 adults at Milford Point on 4/13
1 pair at Sandy/Morse Points on 4/13
1 adult at Pleasure Beach on 4/14
3 pairs at Milford Point on 4/14
1 pair, 1 adult at Long Beach on 4/14
1 adult at Short Beach on 4/14
1 pair at Long Beach on 4/14
1 pair at Sandy/Morse Points on 4/14

2 pairs at Milford Point on 4/14

1 pair at Sasco Hill Beach on 4/15
1 pair at Bluff Point on 4/15
2 adults at Griswold Point on 4/15
2 pairs at Sandy/Morse Points on 4/15
2 adults at Shore Rock on 4/15
2 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 4/15
3 pairs at Hammonasset on 4/16
3 pairs at Milford Point on 4/16
2 pairs at Sandy/Morse Points on 4/17
2 pairs, 1 adult at Sandy/Morse Points on 4/17
1 pair at Long Beach on 4/17
1 pair, 1 adult at Long Beach on 4/18
1 pair, 1 adult at Long Beach on 4/18
3 pairs at Milford Point on 4/18
2 pairs, 1 adult at Sandy/Morse Points on 4/18

This concludes update #4 through 04/19/16 as of 1:00 p.m.

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Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds

http://ctwaterbirds.blogspot.com

Piping Plover Feeding

I photographed this likely female Piping Plover while she was feeding along the surf recently on another chilly day. The nesting season looked as if it was going to start early for us this year, but the April cold snap that followed the warmth of March has delayed everything for two or three weeks, if not more! That makes both their jobs and ours more difficult as a slower beginning means more people will be around more nests and young birds when the “beach season” starts around Memorial Day with a negative impact on their overall success. It also narrows their available nesting window and re-nesting attempts that would have more young hatching in June become more difficult, too. However, in this moment, all I saw was a cute bird feeding on a beautiful beach.

The waves, the sand and the flotsam never looked any better! There is a reason we do all that we do in the Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds, and it is for these wonderful creatures. Now that the temperature has skyrocketed we are going to be very busy as nesting season finally commences. If you would like to help please email ctwaterbirds@gmail.com as our work is now fully in 24/7 mode through the end of August. See you on the beach…

Scott Kruitbosch
AAfCW Volunteer Coordinator