Piping Plovers hatching everywhere

As young Piping Plovers hatch across Connecticut beaches they are joining hatchling American Oystercatchers that have done well so far in 2013. Least Terns and Common Terns are just getting to nesting now. You can keep up to date with our literally 7 day a week 18 or so hours a day work by joining the Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds as a volunteer monitor. You will work with us as well as the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection as a steward for these threatened species as you survey and monitor them while speaking to beachgoers about how we can share the beach with these spectacular birds.

Here is the data collected by our field staff and those volunteers from the latest weekly update on our four focal species.

Piping Plover
1 pair, 3 adults at Long Beach on 5/20
5 pairs, 3 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/20
8 adults, 6 nests at Griswold Point on 5/20
1 pair, 1 nest at Shell Avenue Milford on 5/20
8 adults, 5 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/20
7 pairs, 6 nests at Milford Point on 5/20
2 pairs, 6 adults, 6 nests at Griswold Point on 5/21
4 adults, 3 nests at Bluff Point on 5/21
1 pair, 7 adults at Long Beach on 5/21
4 pairs, 3 adults, 6 nests at Griswold Point on 5/22
3 adults, 2 nests at Griswold Point on 5/22
1 adult at Long Beach on 5/22
7 adults at Long Beach on 5/23
2 pairs, 3 adults, 6 nests at Milford Point on 5/23
3 pairs, 5 adults, 4 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/23
6 pairs, 1 adult, 6 nests at Milford Point on 5/23
4 pairs, 4 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/23
2 adults at Long Beach on 5/26
5 pairs, 3 adults, 4 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/26
5 pairs, 10 adults at Bluff Point on 5/26
11 adults, 4 chicks at Milford Point on 5/26

American Oystercatcher
1 pair at Horse Island Guilford on 5/20
1 adult at Grass Island Guilford on 5/20
1 adult at Griswold Point on 5/20
1 pair, 1 nest at Branford Harbor on 5/20
2 pairs at Green Island Branford on 5/20
3 pairs, 1 nest at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/20
2 pairs, 1 adult, 1 nest at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/20
2 pairs, 1 adult, 2 hatchlings, 1 nest at Milford Point on 5/20
1 pair, 2 hatchlings at Salt Island on 5/20
2 pairs at Menunketesuck Island on 5/20
2 pairs at Duck Island on 5/20
2 adults at Griswold Island on 5/20
1 pair, 1 adult at Charles Island on 5/21
2 pairs, 2 hatchlings at Milford Point on 5/21
1 adult at Sherwood Island State Park on 5/21
1 adult at Griswold Point on 5/21
2 adults at Bluff Point on 5/21
3 adults at Griswold Point on 5/22
1 adult at Long Beach on 5/22
4 adults at Jordan Cove on 5/22
1 adult at Branford Harbor on 5/22
1 pair at Compo Beach on 5/22
5 adults at Silver Sands State Park on 5/22
1 adult at Tuxis Island on 5/22
2 pairs, 2 hatchlings at Milford Point on 5/23
2 pairs, 2 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/23
2 pairs, 5 adults at Milford Point on 5/23
2 pairs at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/23
12 adults, 1 chick at Cockenoe Island on 5/23
6 adults at Stratford Point on 5/24
2 adults at Sherwood Island State Park on 5/25
1 adult at Long Beach on 5/26
1 pair at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/26
1 pair, 4 adults, 1 hatchling at Milford Point on 5/26

Least Tern
6 adults at Russian Beach on 5/20
1 pair, 9 adults at Long Beach on 5/20
2 pairs, 40 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/20
2 adults at Horse Island Guilford on 5/20
10 adults at Griswold Point on 5/20
6 adults at Branford Harbor on 5/20
20 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/20
5 pairs, 4 adults at Milford Point on 5/20
1 adult at Menunketesuck Island on 5/20
4 pairs, 18 adults at Griswold Point on 5/21
5 adults at Bluff Point State Park on 5/21
10 adults at Long Beach on 5/21
20 adults at Griswold Point on 5/22
4 adults at Long Beach on 5/22
1 pair, 1 adult at Branford Harbor on 5/22
2 adults at Sherwood Island State Park on 5/22
23 adults at Silver Sands State Park on 5/22
3 pairs at Long Beach on 5/23
22 adults at Milford Point on 5/23
19 adults at Silver Sands State Park on 5/23
10 pairs, 21 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/23
50 adults at Milford Point on 5/23
20 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/23
13 adults at Stratford Point on 5/24
1 adult at Compo Beach on 5/24
2 adults at Long Beach on 5/24
10 adults at Russian Beach on 5/24
12 adults at Long Beach on 5/26
75 adults at Milford Point on 5/26
4 adults at Stratford Point on 5/27

Common Tern
6 adults at Russian Beach on 5/20
2 adults at Long Beach on 5/20
7 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/20
2 adults at Horse Island Guilford on 5/20
2 adults at Griswold Point on 5/20
10 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/20
17 adults at Menunketesuck Island on 5/20
2 pairs at Charles Island on 5/21
2 adults at Griswold Point on 5/21
3 adults at Bluff Point State Park on 5/21
4 adults at Long Beach on 5/21
2 adults at Long Beach on 5/22
3 pairs, 6 adults at Branford Harbor on 5/22
6 adults at Compo Beach on 5/22
10 adults at Sherwood Island State Park on 5/22
12 adults at Silver Sands State Park on 5/22
6 adults at Milford Point on 5/23
8 adults at Silver Sands State Park on 5/23
7 pairs, 6 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/23
6 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/23
300 adults, 50 nests at Cockenoe Island on 5/23
31 adults at Stratford Point on 5/24
22 adults at Compo Beach on 5/24
2 adults at Bluff Point on 5/26
6 adults at Stratford Point on 5/27

You can join or get more information by emailing AAfCW at ctwaterbirds@gmail.com or checking out the AAfCW blog here or the Facebook page here.


Scott Kruitbosch
AAfCW Coordinator
Conservation Technician
Connecticut Audubon Society