Jim Deneven

The recent Trefz post made me think of Jim Deneven, who's story is one of the standout segments of 'Thread'. Jim of course has gone on to deserved recognition and some serious projects. The obviously icy one is part of a Winter 2010 piece on the surface of Lake Baikal in Siberia- a giant Fibonacci curve on the deepest lake in the world. The fact that someone not only came up with that idea but got to actually do it makes me very happy.

Piping Plover chick foraging

Check out some more awesome photos from Timothy L. Thompson of this Piping Plover chick at Bluff Point! In the third and seventh shots see if you can spot a sand fly, a tasty treat for the species. If we had more Piping Plovers we would have less flies annoying us while we were trying to enjoy a day at the beach. Thanks again to Timothy, and look for more of his photos coming up soon.

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 #11

This is the eleventh 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 21 through 12:00 p.m. on May 29 with sightings of birds spanning May 21 through May 28 by our staff and volunteers.

Informational updates:

Thank you all for your extra efforts over this holiday weekend! While all of us were in the field for extensive hours totaling into the hundreds by AAfCW staff alone, we are still calculating some of the data, writing up disturbances, examining our efforts, talking to state and federal agencies, looking at some photos and video, and so on. With that said, losses seem to have been minimal despite wonderful beach weather and heavy traffic in many places. We cannot do this without you, and we need you on the beach as much as possible still going forward, so thank you all once again.

Please bear in mind that the data below does not represent our full coverage in the last several days. We are often monitoring sites but not surveying them fully, or have not yet entered it all into our database. Watching over the birds and talking with beachgoers sometimes took precedence over recording data at all. Essentially, if you do not see a site listed below on a given day it definitely does not mean that we were not present, and many times our staff took repeated trips to a given place, made a series of quick visits to multiple locations, or spent several hours in one spot even if they did not collect data. There are also some repetitions resulting from double or triple coverage (which is a good thing for monitoring the birds and collecting accurate data).

Survey and monitoring updates:

Piping Plover
Volunteer and staff surveys:
1 adult, 1 nest at East Broadway Milford on 5/21
10 adults, 5 nests at Milford Point on 5/21
10 adults, 4 nests, 1 chick at Bluff Point on 5/21
2 pairs, 1 adult, 3 nests at Long Beach on 5/23
5 pairs, 2 adults, 3 chicks, 5 nests at Milford Point on 5/23
5 pairs, 1 adult, 2 chicks, 5 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/23
2 pairs, 6 adults, 5 chicks, 2 nests at Bluff Point on 5/23
2 pairs, 1 adult, 3 nests at Harkness Memorial State Park on 5/23
2 pairs, 6 adults, 5 chicks, 2 nests at Bluff Point on 5/23
3 pairs, 3 adults, 1 chick, 5 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/23
1 pair, 3 chicks at East Broadway Milford on 5/24
5 pairs, 4 chicks, 3 nests at Milford Point on 5/24
2 pairs, 6 adults, 1 chick, 4 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/24
4 pairs, 3 adults, 8 chicks, 3 nests at Bluff Point on 5/24
1 pair, 1 adult, 2 nests at Harkness Memorial State Park on 5/24
1 pair, 1 adult, 3 chicks at Milford Point on 5/25
4 pairs, 1 adult, 4 chicks, 4 nests at Milford Point on 5/25
1 pair, 3 chicks at East Broadway Milford on 5/25
1 pair, 3 chicks at East Broadway Milford on 5/25
1 pair, 4 adults, 3 chicks, 4 nests at Milford Point on 5/25
3 pair, 2 adults, 3 chicks, 5 nests at Long Beach on 5/25
1 pair, 3 chicks at East Broadway Milford on 5/25
1 pair, 3 adults, 3 chicks, 3 nests at Milford Point on 5/25
2 pair, 2 adults, 3 chicks, 2 nests at Long Beach on 5/25
5 adults, 2 nests at Harkness Memorial State Park on 5/25
12 adults, 8 chicks, 2 nests at Bluff Point on 5/25
1 pair, 1 adult, 3 chicks at East Broadway Milford on 5/26
1 pair, 7 adults, 3 nests, 4 chicks at Milford Point on 5/26
1 pair, 3 chicks at Long Beach entrance only on 5/26
1 adult at Stratford Point on 5/26
5 pairs, 8 chicks, 3 nests at Milford Point on 5/26
1 pair, 3 adults, 2 chicks, 2 nests at Long Beach on 5/26
3 adults, 2 nests at Harkness Memorial State Park on 5/26
5 pairs, 11 chicks, 3 nests at Milford Point on 5/27
1 pair, 3 chicks at East Broadway Milford on 5/27
1 pair, 3 adults, 3 chicks, 3 nests at Milford Point on 5/27
1 adult, 3 chicks at East Broadway Milford on 5/27
2 pairs, 1 adult, 4 chicks, 2 nests at Milford Point on 5/27
1 pair, 3 chicks at East Broadway Milford on 5/27
2 pairs, 2 adults, 4 chicks at Long Beach on 5/27
3 pairs, 3 adults, 2 chicks, 4 nests at Long Beach on 5/27
17 adults, 1 chick at Griswold Point on 5/27
1 pair, 3 chicks at East Broadway Milford on 5/28
2 pairs, 2 adults, 5 chicks, 1 nest at Milford Point on 5/28
1 pair, 3 adults, 2 chicks, 3 nests at Long Beach on 5/28
4 pairs, 8 chicks, 1 nest at Milford Point on 5/28
1 pair, 3 chicks at East Broadway Milford on 5/28
2 pairs, 3 adults, 6 chicks, 1 nest at Long Beach on 5/28
1 pair, 3 chicks at East Broadway Milford on 5/28
2 pairs, 2 adults, 4 chicks, 2 nests at Harkness Memorial State Park on 5/28
6 pairs, 12 chicks, 2 nests at Bluff Point on 5/28

American Oystercatcher
Volunteer and staff surveys:
2 pairs at Milford Point on 5/21
1 pair, 1 nest at Bluff Point on 5/21
2 pair, 2 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/22
1 pair, 1 nest at Milford Point on 5/22
1 pair at Long Beach on 5/22
1 pair, 1 nest at Bluff Point on 5/23
1 pair at Ram Island Mystic on 5/23
1 pair at Griswold Point on 5/23
3 pairs, 2 nests at Menunketesuck Island on 5/23
2 pairs, 1 adult, 2 nests at Cockenoe Island on 5/23
1 pair, 1 chick, 1 egg at Bluff Point on 5/23
1 pair at Long Beach on 5/23
3 pairs at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/23
1 pair, 2 chicks at Bluff Point on 5/23
3 pairs at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/23
1 pair at Bruce Johnson Marina Branford on 5/24
2 pairs at Milford Point on 5/24
1 pair at Long Beach on 5/24
2 pairs at Milford Point on 5/24
3 pairs, 1 possible chick at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/24
1 pair at Bluff Point on 5/24
1 pair, 2 chicks at Bluff Point on 5/25
1 adult at Milford Point on 5/25
4 adults at Milford Point on 5/26
4 adults at Milford Point on 5/26
1 pair at Long Beach on 5/26
1 adult at Harkness Memorial State Park on 5/26
1 pair at Stratford Point on 5/27
2 pairs at Milford Point on 5/27
1 pair on Long Beach on 5/27
1 adult on Long Beach on 5/27
4 adults at Griswold Point on 5/27
2 adults at Milford Point on 5/28
2 adults on Long Beach on 5/28
2 pairs, 2 nests on Cockenoe Island on 5/28
1 pair, 1 nest on Long Beach Island on 5/28
1 pair, 2 chicks at Bluff Point on 5/28
2 pairs, 2 nests at Mumford Cove Bluff Point on 5/28

Least Tern 
Volunteer and staff surveys:
20 adults at Milford Point on 5/21
16 adults at Bluff Point on 5/21
48 adults at Long Beach on 5/23
41-50 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/23
17 adults at Bluff Point on 5/23
6 adults at Harkness Memorial State Park on 5/23
30 adults at Bluff Point on 5/23
25 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/23
6 adults at Stratford Point on 5/24
24 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/24
19-29 adults at Bluff Point on 5/24
4 adults at Harkness Memorial State Park on 5/24
1 pair at Harkness Memorial State Park on 5/25
1st egg noted by staff at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/25
4 pairs, 10 adults, 1 nest with 2 eggs and likely 2 more nests at Long Beach section 1 only on 5/26
18 adults at Pleasure Beach on 5/26
5 adults at Stratford Point on 5/26
4 adults at Milford Point on 5/26
38 adults, 2 nests at Long Beach on 5/26
4 adults at Harkness Memorial State Park on 5/26
4 adults at Milford Point on 5/27
3 adults at Stratford Point on 5/27
76 adults at Long Beach on 5/27
52-62 adults at Long Beach on 5/28
1 pair at Harkness Memorial State Park on 5/28
40 adults at Bluff Point on 5/28

Common Tern
Volunteer and staff surveys:
2 adults at Bluff Point on 5/21
500+ adults at Cockenoe Island on 5/23
15-20 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/23
2 adults at Bluff Point on 5/23
9 adults at Stratford Point on 5/24
20 adults at Pleasure Beach on 5/24
4 adults at Milford Point on 5/24
4 adults at Bluff Point on 5/24
6 adults at Long Beach on 5/26
17 adults at Stratford Point on 5/26
8 adults at Milford Point on 5/26
6 adults at Milford Point on 5/27
69 adults at Stratford Point on 5/27
1 adult at Silver Sands State Park on 5/27
6 adults at Long Beach on 5/27
5 adults at Milford Point on 5/28
8 adults at Long Beach on 5/28
3 adults at Long Beach on 5/28
100+ pairs, 200+ nests, 600+ adults at Cockenoe Island on 5/28


This concludes update #11 through 5/29/12 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.

Piping Plover hatchlings at Bluff Point

A big thank you to Timothy L. Thompson for sending us these awesome Piping Plover hatchling shots from Bluff Point. That one photo in particular showing the four newly-hatched little ones piled together is really incredible.

Those are some very young birds! Timothy has a wonderful talent and a very long lens, so please enjoy these images and binocular and scope views when you're on the beach, but maintain a safe distance from the chicks as much as you can. We will post more images from our staff soon.


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

Wibz' Waves

My mate Paul Whibley in South Australia is a total legend. He's as surf stoked as it gets, has boards from Ekstrom and Mackie among many other fine craft, so you know he's copasetic with the interesting stuff, and he puts some effort into getting where the waves are (which is often times his local breaks). Now he's got a blog and there will be another place to gaze at really nice surf photos when it's 2 foot and onshore where you are. Onya Paul. Oops- the blog link didn't work. Sorry- it's here and on the sidebar and worth a regular look.

CT DEEP Memorial Day weekend message

Here is a message from Laura Saucier of the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection concerning Piping Plovers and Memorial Day weekend, an instance when we really need your help more than ever! Please consider spending even a small amount of time monitoring this weekend outside of your usual schedule. We thank you all for your constant efforts. There will be Piping Plover chicks lost to heavy beach traffic this weekend - this is a sad reality - but the more people we have on the beach the lower these losses will be.


Priority sites to monitor should be Bluff Point State Park, Sandy and Morse Points in West Haven, Long Beach in Stratford and Pleasure Beach in Bridgeport, and the Milford Point cluster (sandbar, Cedar, Silver Sands State Park, Myrtle, Walnut, Laurel, East Broadway). I would encourage including Friday into coverage plans given it is supposed to be nice and warm.

Volunteers should be warned that eggs are hatching and there are chicks a-foot. There are already 4 chicks at Sandy Point. By the end of the week there will be chicks at Bluff Point (5 nests), Milford Point (2 nests), and Cedar (2 nests).

Secondary sites that could be checked if there is enough manpower would be Sherwood Island State Park, Hammonasset State Park's main beach, Harkness State Park, and Sasco Hill/Town Beach in Fairfield. Again, I’d like to see the priority sites covered well given the number of chicks slated to be running around them.

Please let volunteers know, if the worst case happens and they find a dead chick (not dead from a gull or cat) that they think someone stepped on…

Step 1.  DON'T DISTURB THE SITE - only if the person who stepped on the chick is present and belligerent so that you feel unsafe - CALL 911 - otherwise

Step 2. Call law enforcement - either DEEP 24 hour Emergency Dispatcher 1-800-842-HELP (4357), USFWS Agent Tom Ricardi cell 860-280-4894 or USFWS Refuge officer Doug Beaudreau cell 401-354-9329 (or all 3 if needed).

See your volunteer ID tags for call information in the event of a take.

Step 3. Take a breath and fill out the Incident Observation Report (the PDF form can be downloaded here). There are a lot of things to look around at to report on for this form, so take your time, it may be needed for the future. Try to keep other beach-goers away from the area if law enforcement is coming so that the scene remains as you found it. If you have a camera - take photos. If law enforcement is NOT coming ask them how you should proceed, especially if there is a dead chick, otherwise DON'T TOUCH or PICK UP the chick - and don't let others touch it.

Thank you all once again, and good luck this weekend.  Our staff will be working tirelessly all weekend long and we will see you out there! Stay tuned in to our blog (http://ctwaterbirds.blogspot.com/) for photos of hatchling Piping Plovers.


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

Help us on Memorial Day weekend

Warm and sunny weather has arrived in Connecticut! With it comes a greater responsibility and need to be out on the beaches monitoring our coastal waterbirds. On holiday weekends, the increase in beach traffic requires more monitoring by staff and volunteers. This is also true for the offshore islands, and it would be great for any of our volunteers with boats or kayaks to be around their local islands this weekend. If you can please find the time to spend even an hour or two on the beach on Memorial Day weekend we would greatly appreciate it. You can go whenever you please, outside of your scheduled monitoring if applicable, and you do not even have to survey for birds or return data if this makes it easier during this extra holiday time and when you may have other plans as well.

We really need eyes and ears on the beaches who can report disturbances, talk to the many beachgoers about the birds, and make sure everything is going well for them. Remember to use the call information on your volunteer ID tags for disturbances of a take level. For other more minor issues please email us at ctwaterbirds@gmail.com. For issues with dogs and possible problems with beachgoers, it is best to contact the police department in the respective town. Even if you are going to report an off-leash dog it is our experience that the best way to do so is to the police department, and not animal control or the dog warden. The police can direct these people to the problems themselves when needed.

Thank you! If you are out on the beach this weekend you may very well see one of our staff members. Please feel free to come up and say hi or ask us any questions.


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 #10

This is the tenth 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 14 through 12:00 p.m. on May 21 with sightings of birds spanning May 14 through May 20 by our staff and volunteers.

Survey and monitoring updates:

Piping Plover

Volunteer and staff surveys:

1 pair, 1 adult, 2 nests at Harkness Memorial State Park on 5/14

8 adults, 5 nests at Milford Point on 5/14

1 pair, 1 nest at East Broadway Milford on 5/15

2 pairs, 2 adults, 4 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/15

1 pair at Silver Sands State Park on 5/15

1 pair, 1 nest at East Broadway Milford on 5/16

1 pair at Silver Sands State Park on 5/16

1 pair, 7 adults, 5 nests at Milford Point on 5/16

1 pair at Silver Sands State Park on 5/16

1 pair, 8 adults, 6 nests at Sandy/Morse Points 5/16

4 pairs, 1 adult, 5 nests at Sandy/Morse Points 5/17

1 pair, 6 adults, 5 nests at Milford Point on 5/17

1 pair at Silver Sands State Park on 5/17

1 pair, 4 adults, 6 nests at Sandy/Morse Points 5/17

6 pairs, 6 nests at Bluff Point on 5/18

1 pair, 1 adult, 2 nests at Harkness Memorial State Park on 5/18

7 adults, 2 nests at Long Beach on 5/19

2 pairs, 4 adults, 5 nests at Milford Point on 5/19

3 pairs, 2 adults, 3 nests at Long Beach on 5/19

6 pairs, 1 adult, 6 nests at Milford Point on 5/20

1 pair, 3 adults, 3 nests at Long Beach on 5/20

7 pairs, 1 adult, 5 nests, 4 hatchlings at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/20 – first hatchlings of 2012

American Oystercatcher

Volunteer and staff surveys:

2 pairs at Menunketesuck Island on 5/14

2 pairs, 1 nest at Milford Point on 5/14

3 pairs, 1 adult, 2 nests and 1 possible at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/15

1 pair, 1 nest at Milford Point on 5/16

1 adult at Fayerweather Island Bridgeport on 5/16

4 pairs, 2 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/16

3 pairs, 1 adult, 2 nests at Sandy/Morse Points 5/17

1 pair at Milford Point on 5/17

1 pair at Vincent Island on 5/17

1 pair at Cockenoe Island on 5/17

2 pairs, 1 adult at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/17

1 pair at Penfield Reef on 5/17

2 pairs at Duck Island on 5/17

3 pairs at Menunketesuck Island on 5/17

1 adult at Outer Island (Thimble Isands) on 5/18

1 adult at Grass Island (Guilford) on 5/18

1 pair at Bluff Point on 5/18

1 pair, 1 nest at Long Beach on 5/19

2 pairs at Milford Point on 5/19

4 adults, 1 nest at Long Beach on 5/19

2 pairs at Milford Point on 5/19

1 pair, 1 nest at Long Beach on 5/19

1 pair, 1 nest at Milford Point on 5/20

3 pairs, 2 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/20

Least Tern 

Volunteer and staff surveys:

4 adults at Menunketesuck Island on 5/14

6 adults at Milford Point on 5/14

27 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/15

22 adults at Silver Sands State Park on 5/15

3 adults at Stratford Point on 5/16

2 pairs, 13 adults at Long Beach on 5/16

25 adults at Silver  Sands State Park on 5/16

28 adults at Milford Point on 5/16

7 adults at Sandy/Morse Points 5/17

2 adults at Cockenoe Island on 5/17

50 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 5/17

11 adults at Bluff Point on 5/18

66 adults at Long Beach on 5/19

36 adults at Long Beach on 5/19

50-75 adults at Milford Point on 5/20

70-80 adults at Long Beach on 5/20

Common Tern

Volunteer and staff surveys:

17 adults at Menunketesuck Island on 5/14

2 adults at Silver Sands State Park on 5/15

9 adults at Stratford Point on 5/16

3 adults at Long Beach on 5/16

5 adults at Silver Sands State Park on 5/16

4 adults at Silver Sands State Park on 5/16

65 adults at Fayerweather Island Bridgeport on 5/16

19 adults at Compo Beach Westport on 5/16

4 adults at Milford Point on 5/16

125 adults at Cockenoe Island on 5/17

2 adults at Silver Sands State Park on 5/17

2 adults at Bluff Point on 5/18

6 adults at Harkness Memorial State Park on 5/18

2 adults at Milford Point on 5/19

During a survey of Duck Island while USFWS and AAfCW staff set up signage and checked on conditions they were able to spot 7 Roseate Tern, the first of the season. 2 Black Skimmer were noted by volunteer Dave Zawisha on 5/17 at Penfield Reef in Fairfield. We would like information on both species whenever possible please.

We will soon be on the waters of Long Island Sound in greater frequency monitoring some of the offshore islands and other typically inaccessible areas for our four focal species, long-legged waders, other tern and shorebird species, and more. This passive monitoring will be by boat and not on any actual islands, ensuring the birds have sufficient space in order to continue their nesting unaffected. If you are interested in participating in some of these boat surveys please email us and we will be in contact with you.

This concludes update #10 through 5/21/12 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.

Some More Stubs

A few more racers from Mackie.

Video of Least Tern mating ritual

Here is the video of the Least Tern mating ritual mentioned in more detail in this post.



It is very encouraging to see this state-threatened species getting off to an early and decent start this season in terms of numbers of birds on several of Connecticut's beaches.


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

Classic!

TA with Glen's hardware. In the old days they would have sold that before the night was through, but they're mellower gentlemen now. Also via G.E.F. is this skateboarding clip which he rightly describes as 'some next level shit'

Least Tern mating ritual

The pair of Least Terns pictured below were on Long Beach in Stratford on May 16 as seen by AAfCW coordinator Scott Kruitbosch. They were in the middle of one of their mating rituals. In this case, the male captures a fish and brings it back to the female on the beach. He holds it while standing behind her, she hunching over flapping her wings quickly but only slightly up and down, veering her head back and forth. He performs the same left to right fast glances.

They also move closer to one another as this progresses...

This would go on for a few minutes in this case and typically end in copulation. However, none was seen at the time, and observation ended before this photography, while from a safe distance with a 24x zoom, became too much of an intrusion. The pictures show a great deal, but you look for HD video of this ritual in our next blog post. We hope you have Least Terns on their way to nesting at your beach, and we need to receive data and information about this threatened species just as much as the Piping Plover.

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

USFWS hosts Stewart B. McKinney Luncheon

This past Saturday the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service hosted a Stewart B. McKinney luncheon and awards ceremony at the Connecticut Audubon Society managed Stratford Point with the consent of the site owner, DuPont. The event was meant as a "thank you!" to all of their volunteers, Friends Groups, and staff of their partner organizations including Audubon Connecticut and Connecticut Audubon Society, the two organizations that make up the two halves of the Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds. The weather was very cooperative as it turned out to be an absolutely stunning day.

With 40-something people in attendance the event was a great success as everyone discussed conservation efforts, birds and birding, monitoring, and the progress of coastal waterbirds thus far in 2012.

Here is a photo of an award received by the Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge being named U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Endangered Species Recovery Champions for 2011, a testament to the hard work of all its volunteers.

Lining up at the grill on the beautiful day.

Everyone in attendance also kindly brought side dishes and desserts.

Refuge Manager Rick Potvin speaking to the group.

Rick and Ranger Shaun Roche giving out awards to volunteers.

One such recipient was Ewa Holland, a past volunteer who is now an AAfCW waterbirds technician.

We thank USFWS and all of our volunteers for the wonderful afternoon and for all of their constant and vigilant efforts on Connecticut's beaches.


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 #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.

A Trefz Deal

Here's a nice little offer for fans of fine surf art & film. We now have available copies of Patrick's debut film 'Thread' for a mere $10 including shipping to where ever in the world you are, and to sweeten the deal you can get Patrick's 'Thread' book (a collection of photography and stills from the making of the film) for $25, shipping included, and we'll throw in a copy of the movie as a bonus. Young Trefz hasn't been resting on his laurels either, after finishing 'Idiosyncrasies' (a very fine film and available for $25) he's been working on a new book titled 'Surfer's Blood' and from what I've seen it's a stunner. Also worth mentioning is that Mick Waters' excellent 'Little Black Wheels' is being screened at the San Diego Surf Film Festival which seems like it'd be worth a visit if you're in the lower part of California. Naturally you can still see Mick's film if you're not- signed copies are available for $25,shipping included of course. To ask questions, make a purchase or just tell us something interesting, email info @ foamandfunction.com. Our thanks for those of you that have purchased these things, you're helping support some interesting, creative and very independent artists.

Hope Island

 It's a short paddle from Ala Spit across to Hope Island, although there can be a lot of water moving through this passage, leading to some tricky rips and swirls.

AERIAL VIEW

The island is about a mile long and less than half a mile wide and is entirely managed as a Washington State Park (there's another Hope Island State Park in South Sound, just to keep things confusing).  There's a small primitive camping area on a protected cove (Langs Bay) on the north side - the camp sites are on a low bench that looks like it is several feet of shell midden sitting on several feet of clay.


The highlight of the island is the small 40' high promontory at the southeastern corner, which is connected to the main island by an isthmus that is part bedrock ridge and part tombolo.  Most of the rock appears to be serpentinite and some of the exposures are pretty complicated.  There's a wonderful gravel beach extending west along the southern shore - backed by serpentinite cliffs and a dense band of very large wood (a south facing beach north of the mouth of the Skagit is a natural trap for large wood).

The metamorphic bedrock on the island is mantled in some places with till or other Pleistocene materials. A small bluff at the northeast corner of the island displays a series of gravelly shell-rich beds - are these old beaches (but why so tilted?) or are they reworked deposits - sort of a shell-conglomerate or coquina?  To the south, there are even more complex deposits that include fossil shells.

Smith Island

Two weeks ago, I had an opportunity to fly up to Friday Harbor.  On the way I saw plenty of familiar beaches and took an awful lot of crummy pictures.  But I thought it might be an opportunity to highlight a shoreline that few people (myself included) have ever visited, but for which I have some interesting historical views.

Smith Island lies west of Whidbey Island and is sometimes called Battleship Island due its appearance from land - five miles away.  It's a lighthouse station and now a portion of the San Juan Island National Wildlife Refuge.  It's the remaining subaerial portion of one of several large shoals in the western Strait of Juan de Fuca.  Waves coming down the Strait from the west erode the bluff on the west side, redistributing the coarse sediment in a long tail to the east, ending in Minor Island.


The first two shots are mine from late April.  The next photo is a nice one taken in 2007 by Jeff Bash - the wave refraction patterns are worth checking out. The map is from Ralph Keuler's 1988 USGS Map (Misc Invest 1198E) - that's a 69cm/yr average erosion rate on the west side. 

The Lighthouse was reportedly 200' from the bluff when it was built in 1858 (Wikipedia).  In the 1960s, a new tower was constructed when folks realized the old lighthouse might not last.  By the end of the 1990s, it was gone.

1948 (National Archives and Wikipedia)

1970s (Wolf Bauer)

1980s (Gerald Thorsen)

AERIAL VIEW