Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds work underway

We have been mentioning the Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds (AAfCW) quite a bit recently. The AAfCW is made up of two organizations - Audubon Connecticut and the Connecticut Audubon Society - that are partnering to improve conditions for coastal waterbirds in Connecticut in an effort to aid the already tremendous work done by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. The AAfCW has its own blog that we hope you will ready frequently all season to keep up on monitoring efforts, bird surveys and counts, cool photos, important information, and more: http://ctwaterbirds.blogspot.com/

If you're interested in becoming a monitor or volunteer, you can read the updated information posted here in our blog last week and contact USFWS as described there, or the AAfCW at ctwaterbirds@gmail.com and we will provide further direction.

Below is the first weekly update, and you can expect more of the same if you bookmark or follow the blog.


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This is the first update by the Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds for the 2012 season. We will include weekly updates with data from our staff and volunteers on our four focal species - Piping Plover, Least Tern, American Oystercatcher, and Common Tern. There will be additional data listed on these species from trusted anecdotal sources. There may also be updates on long-legged waders and other shorebirds, if applicable.

Piping Plover
Volunteer and staff surveys:
2 adults at Milford Point on 3/13
1 adult at Milford Point on 3/15
2 adults at Long Beach West on 3/16
1 adult at Harkness Memorial State Park on 3/17
3 pairs at Milford Point on 3/19
1 adult at Long Beach on 3/19

Anecdotal reports:
2 adults at Griswold Point on 3/11
3 adults at Griswold Point on 3/12
3 pairs, 1 mounting and copulating, at Milford Point on 3/17


American Oystercatcher
Volunteer and staff surveys:
1 adult at Milford Point on 3/6
2 adults at Milford Point on 3/7
3 adults flying by Long Beach on 3/9
3 adults at Milford Point on 3/9
2 adults not far up Housatonic River on 3/9
3 adults at Milford Point on 3/15
3 adults at Milford Point on 3/18
2 pairs, 1 adult at Milford Point on 3/19
1 pair at Stratford Point on 3/19

Anecdotal reports:
3 adults near Branford Harbor on 3/9
2 adults at Haycock Point, Branford on 3/9
2 adults at Hammonasset State Park on 3/9
1 adult at the Norwalk Islands on 3/11
3 adults at Milford Point on 3/14
2 adults near Branford Harbor on 3/16
3 adults at the Norwalk Islands on 3/17
3 adults at Compo Beach in Westport on 3/17
2 adults at the Oyster River mouth on 3/17
1 adult at West Haven on 3/18


There have been no reports of Least Tern or Common Tern thus far in 2012.


Including anecdotal information, multiple Great Egret and a few Great Blue Heron have been seen migrating into Connecticut in the past week, both in groups on the coast and in locations otherwise not seen in this abnormally warm winter. Two Snowy Egret have been reported, one in East Lyme (Rocky Neck State Park) and one in Stonington (Quanaduck Cove). One Glossy Ibis was reported yesterday at Hammonasset State Park.


This concludes update #1 through 3/19/12 as of 5:00PM.


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

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Scott Kruitbosch
Conservation Technician