Waddell Bluffs

High hills reach the ocean just north of Waddell Creek, on the coastline between Santa Cruz and Ana Nuevo, forcing Highway 1 to follow to the beach.  The roadway is protected from El Nino storms by an impressive riprap revetment and from the still-collapsing bluff by a high fence of cable netting.

Google Maps:  AERIAL VIEW



There's an impressive ledge of exposed rock on the platform that appears to act like a big groin, influencing the shape of the local shoreline.  I suppose it makes it a little easier to protect the road to the north, a little more difficult to protect the road to the south.

Pleasure Point

Much of the shoreline between Capitola and Santa Cruz consists of bluffs cut into Tertiary siltstone and sandstone (and overlying more Pleistocene coastal deposits) of the eroding marine terrace. Pleasure Point and the Opal Cliffs have now been heavily armored to protect both homes and Cliff Drive. Rock or concrete protects the base. Sprayed and textured concrete protects the upper portion, lending to a Disneyland effect.

Google Maps: AERIAL VIEW

Capitola

The village of Capitola is built at the mouth of Soquel Creek, which like many of the streams along this coastline sometimes flows to the ocean and sometimes runs out of steam before it gets there.  Compare my photo (the creek ends in a closed lagoon) with the Google Maps aerial photo below (the creek flows to the ocean).

Apparently there's sufficient connectivity in the nearshore that Capitola suffered from the construction of the jetties at the mouth of Santa Cruz harbor several miles to the west. These trapped large amounts of sand that otherwise would have been transported eastward past Capitola, leading to rapid erosion.  This in turn led to the construction of a large groin at the east end of Esplanade Beach, which saved the village beach, but further exacerbated erosion on the bluffs to the east.  I've seen pictures of this same bluff with apartments perched on the edge - apartments since removed.



go to Google Maps

Watch for flagged Piping Plovers

Below is a message passed along to us by Environment Canada, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. You can report banded or flagged Piping Plovers following the directions below but please also include us at ctwaterbirds@gmail.com in any email chain. Alternatively if you would like we can take care of reporting them for you entirely. Thank you!

With the help of local Piping Plover monitors in New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, researchers from Environment Canada captured 28 adult plovers on nest (14 males and 14 females) in June 2013, uniquely marking them with a metal band on the left upper leg and a coded black or white flag on the other upper leg.  Codes are 2 characters, of letters and/or numbers, on the flag tab.  (Flags are colour bands with a tab sticking out slightly from the leg – see attached photo).

The code is unlikely to be read without the use of a telescope or telephoto lens.  If you see one of these birds and are able to read the flag (or take a photo of the flag), please report the sighting to Dr. Cheri Gratto-Trevor at cheri.gratto-trevor@ec.gc.ca or 306-975-6128.  Please note the flag colour and behaviour and location of the bird, as well as the date.  The work in 2013 was intended to test the effectiveness of the flags on Piping Plovers, for a potential future study aimed at determining why Eastern Canada plover numbers are still declining, even though productivity is usually high.

Additionally, please be on the lookout for other Piping Plovers bearing coded flags. 

Per the message above, coded white and black flags (with alphanumerics) were applied in New Brunswick and should be reported to Cheri Gratto-Trevor (cheri.gratto-trevor@ec.gc.ca).

Sightings of Piping Plovers with green flags should be reported to Virginia Tech.  Some of the green flags are also coded, so all green flag sightings (both with and without lower leg bands) should be sent to  vt.plover@gmail.com(regardless of whether the flag is readable or not).  The green coded flags have 2 characters (white on green). 

Observations of Piping Plovers with color bands on only the upper legs (some of these have one band on each upper leg, some have two bands per upper leg) and no flags should be reported to both Virginia Tech (vt.plover@gmail.com) and to Michelle Avis at State University of NY (mlavis@syr.edu).

Please provide a detailed description of the bands and flags (their colors and positions on the legs), the location where the bird was sighted (latitude and longitude are the best) and the date of the sighting.   Photos of the bird are always the best documentation of the band combination.  Please report sightings of Piping Plovers that you believe carry coded flags, even if you are unable to read the alphanumerics, as that information may help us assess the utility of this marking system.


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

Water hunting by numbers

On Sunday afternoon I waded back out to an offshore ledge where I found a nice 18K gold wedding band and some old silver coins a couple of days earlier.
I had a three hour window of opportunity to recover more targets in the area using my Minelab CTX 3030, to help me avoid digging and wasting time on the 12 FE-36 CO penny signals.
The last time I searched the ledge I used my Minelab Excalibur, but decided I needed a little help with the pennies that I was afraid to leave behind because I know large encrusted 10K gold class rings often respond with a high tone.
I normally always hunt by ear, but this time I used one of my metal detectors visual target identification features to help in my quest to find more gold.
As you can see by this photo of two gold class rings weighing a combines 1.1 ounces of gold, I used my time wisely instead of digging too many pennies.

Target recovery is everything when you are searching in rocky stretches of water or on top of offshore ledges.
The more targets you can successfully recover in your allotted metal detecting time, the more chance you have of finding gold or silver.
The more versatile your metal detectors are, the more you are able to search in areas that other beach and water hunters have to leave alone. 
This is what one of the class rings looked like after I fanned the sand off the area, this target rich ledge in plain sight from a South Florida beach, had not been detected for a long time.

I saw many other shallow water hunters hitting the main sections of crowed beaches on the drive up to this beach.
Some of the same water hunters who are always posting that the beaches are badly sanded in on the internet metal detecting sites.
It still amazes me how many less hunted but target rich areas there are, and only a short distance away from the detecting crowds. 
The beaches are constantly changing, it makes treasure hunting sense that you constantly change your beach and water hunting tactics to find gold. 

a moroccan retreat here in so cal

this is on my list for our next weekend retreat....

the korakia pensione

   

via the korakia pensione

Ciao! Fabiana

AAfCW 2013 Volunteer Update #18

This is the eighteenth weekly update by the Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds (AAfCW) for the 2013 season. Today's update includes reports of Piping Plover, American Oystercatcher, Least Tern and Common Tern from July 22 through 4:00 p.m. on July 29 with sightings of birds by volunteers and staff spanning that period.

Informational updates:

AAfCW will host a beach cleanup at Sandy/Morse Points Important Bird Area in West Haven on Saturday, August 17, from 2-5PM. The cleanup will help prevent predators, attracted by trash, from visiting Sandy/Morse Points, one of the most important sites for Piping Plovers and other beach nesting bird species in the state of CT. We are looking for volunteers to help with the clean-up and also to keep an eye on the birds. Latex and leather work gloves will be provided and ice water will be available. Please bring sunscreen and a water bottle. Park in the Sandy Point parking lot on Beach St. Come for all or part of the time. Contact: Corrie Folsom-O’Keefe, 203-233-0535, cfolsom-okeefe@audubon.org if you would like to participate.

Survey and monitoring updates:

Piping Plover
1 adult, 1 hatchling at Bluff Point on 7/22
2 pairs, 2 adults, 1 fledgling at Griswold Point on 7/22
1 pair, 1 adult, 4 fledglings, 3 juveniles at Milford Point on 7/22
2 pairs, 4 hatchlings at Long Beach on 7/22
1 pair, 4 adults, 4 fledglings, 3 juveniles at Griswold Point on 7/22
1 pair, 7 adults, 4 juveniles at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/23
2 adults, 1 fledgling at Harkness Memorial State Park on 7/23
2 pairs, 2 adults, 4 hatchlings, 3 juveniles at Long Beach on 7/23
2 juveniles at Milford Point on 7/23
6 adults, 2 hatchlings, 6 fledglings at Long Beach on 7/24
2 pairs, 1 adult, 6 hatchlings, 5 juveniles at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/24
4 adults, 6 juveniles at Long Beach on 7/24
1 adult, 1 fledgling at Bluff Point on 7/24
7 adults, 1 hatchling, 14 juveniles at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/24
6 adults, 2 hatchlings, 4 fledglings at Long Beach on 7/24
1 adult, 1 hatchling at Bluff Point on 7/24
1 pair, 1 adult, 10 juveniles at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/24
6 adults at Sandy Point Stonington on 7/25
2 pairs, 4 hatchlings, 2 juveniles at Long Beach on 7/25
4 adults, 2 juveniles at Griswold Point on 7/26
1 adult, 2 fledglings at Milford Point on 7/27
1 adult, 2 hatchlings, 4 juveniles at Long Beach on 7/28
2 adults, 2 hatchlings, 2 fledglings at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/29

American Oystercatcher
1 pair, 1 juvenile at Salt Island on 7/22
3 pairs at Menunketesuck Island on 7/22
1 pair, 2 adults, 1 juvenile at Duck Island on 7/22
1 pair, 1 adult at Jacob's Beach Point, Guilford on 7/22
1 adult at Inner White Top, Guilford on 7/22
1 pair at Bluff Point on 7/22
1 adult at Griswold Point on 7/22
1 pair, 1 fledgling at Milford Point on 7/22
1 pair at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/23
2 adults at Shore Rock on 7/23
1 pair at Griswold Point on 7/23
1 pair at Uncus Point Guilford on 7/23
2 pairs, 2 fledglings at Milford Point on 7/23
1 pair, 1 fledgling at Milford Point on 7/23
1 pair, 1 fledgling at Great Captain's Island on 7/24
1 pair, 1 juvenile at Salt Island on 7/24
5 pairs, 2 hatchlings, 1 fledgling, 1 juvenile at Menunketesuck Island on 7/24
2 pairs, 1 fledgling, 1 juvenile at Duck Island on 7/24
2 pairs at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/24
1 pair, 1 fledgling at Milford Point on 7/24
2 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/24
3 pairs, 5 adults, 1 juvenile at Sandy Point Stonington on 7/25
1 pair, 3 juveniles at Governor Island Thimble Islands on 7/25
1 pair at Thimble Island on 7/25
1 pair, 1 juvenile at Umbrella Island on 7/26
1 pair, 1 juvenile at Pages Cove on 7/26
1 pair at Kelsey Island on 7/26
6 adults at Milford Point on 7/27
2 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/29

Least Tern
15 adults, 3 hatchlings, 1 fledgling, 3 nests at Menunketesuck Island on 7/22
1 adult at Silver Sands State Park on 7/22
5 pairs, 1 adult, 4 hatchlings, 2 fledglings at Bluff Point on 7/22
8 pairs, 31 adults, 6 hatchlings, 4 fledglings, 1 nest at Griswold Point on 7/22
4 adults at Long Beach on 7/22
6 pairs, 41 adults, 8 hatchlings, 4 fledglings at Griswold Point on 7/22
8 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/23
15 adults, 16 hatchlings, 2 fledglings at Harkness Memorial State Park on 7/23
6 pairs, 37 adults, 5 hatchlings, 2 fledglings, 1 nest at Milford Point on 7/23
1 adult at Sherwood Island State Park on 7/23
26 adults, 3 juveniles at Long Beach on 7/23
11 adults, 3 fledglings at Long Beach on 7/24
1 adult at Pleasure Beach on 7/24
21 adults, 2 hatchlings, 4 fledglings at Menunketesuck Island on 7/24
1 pair, 14 adults, 2 fledglings, 1 juvenile at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/24
10 adults, 2 juveniles at Long Beach on 7/24
2 adults at Bluff Point on 7/24
5 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/24
22 adults at Long Beach on 7/24
4 adults at Stratford Point on 7/24
1 pair, 3 hatchlings, 2 fledglings at Bluff Point on 7/24
6 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/24
13 adults, 3 juveniles at Long Beach on 7/25
4 adults at Pleasure Beach on 7/25
1 adult at Russian Beach on 7/25
1 pair at Silver Sands State Park on 7/25
17 adults at Griswold Point on 7/26
1 adult at Sasco Hill Beach on 7/28
4 adults, 2 fledglings at Long Beach on 7/28
7 adults, 2 juveniles at Stratford Point on 7/28
134 adults, 52 young at Milford Point on 7/29
4 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/29

Common Tern
40 adults, 5 fledglings, 1 juvenile at Menunketesuck Island on 7/22
3 adults at Silver Sands State Park on 7/22
1 adult at Bluff Point on 7/22
3 pairs, 14 adults, 4 fledglings at Griswold Point on 7/22
3 adults at Milford Point on 7/22
2 adults at Long Beach on 7/22
4 pairs, 13 adults, 4 fledglings at Griswold Point on 7/22
1 adult at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/23
10 adults at Milford Point on 7/23
3 adults at Sherwood Island State Park on 7/23
1 adult at Long Beach on 7/23
2 adults at Russian Beach on 7/23
1 adult at Long Beach on 7/23
75 adults at Menunketesuck Island on 7/24
6 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/24
15 adults at Milford Point on 7/24
1 adult at Long Beach on 7/24
7 adults, 4 juveniles at Stratford Point on 7/24
25 adults, 2 juveniles at Sandy Point Stonington on 7/25
1 adult at Pleasure Beach on 7/25
9 adults, 9 juveniles at Griswold Point on 7/26
4 adults at Penfield Reef on 7/28
3 adults at Long Beach on 7/28
5 adults, 3 juveniles at Stratford Point on 7/28
15 adults, 3 juveniles at Milford Point on 7/29
5 adults, 1 juvenile at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/29

This concludes update #18 through 7/29/13 as of 5:00 p.m.


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

Surfboards Pt. 6- Erle Pedersen

What I love is that you have a lot of the things that interest me in surfboard design going on here- channels, asymmetry, experimental fins- but it's all taken to such mad levels. Good old Erle, we need these guys out there exploring new frontiers. That's his website address watermarked on the photos, check it out. And according to one who knows, the answer is 'fast and tracky'

HOW ARE HEROES MADE

Some would say, "heroes are made when they live for something greater than themselves and then dies at the end."  But thank God, that is not how it always ends.  Here's one video that illustrates for us how heroes are made. 

(from Documentary Network: http://www.youtube.com/user/Documentary?feature=watch)

You probably know a few people who has the spirit of this paraplegic woman who dreams of big dreams.  They certainly inspire us by their achievements.  But rarer are those individuals who have qualities that are like those of the surfer, who willingly carried a 40-kilo woman on his back to help her attain her dreams.  Together, they both complemented each other with their own qualities, attaining something that is awe inspiring.  Heroes are made of individuals like these.

Don't you wish the world is full of heroes like these?  It can be, by beginning right where you are.

Most of the times you will realize that people around you just need a small act of ordinary kindness to achieve something extraordinary. 

Please do keep an eye for someone who just needs a little lift today.  I am sure the world would be a better place and much different than it was yesterday for you and everyone else.  There is a hero in you.

"Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers" (Galatians 6:10 NIV).

 

 

Ledge hunting

I took advantage of the extra low tide yesterday, by wading out to a coral ledge in the water. 
It was the kind of water hunting situation where you need a snorkel and mask to help you retrieve targets. 
Bobbing and fanning for targets in cracks and holes in the ledge, instead of using a long handled scoop. 
I found two silver rings, three silver dimes and an 18K gold wedding band using my Minelab Excalibur II. 

If you can get far enough out to search offshore ledges, they can be productive areas as they are only accessible to metal detect during extra low tides. 
I took a flat head screwdriver and a pair of needle nose pliers to help me recover coins and jewelry stuck in the cracks and holes along the ledge.
Because of the location of yesterdays ledge, all of my afternoon finds were probably lost by swimmers out in the normally deep water.  
Many water hunters do not have the patience to search ledges, but as you can see by the photo sometimes it pays to leave your scoop behind and try a different style of water hunting.
Anytime you can do something a little different from other water hunters in your area, you stand a chance of finding something good. 
Local knowledge of your beaches and any unusual coral or rock formations inside the water  will certainly help.
Using a metal detector with a small search coil is also important when spending time bobbing and fanning targets. 
The small search coil becomes your pin pointer in this type of underwater metal detecting situation. 
The more targets you can successfully recover the better, off shore ledge hunting is only possible during the low tide unless you scuba dive.
Ledge hunting is just another example of metal detecting outside the box. 

Lucky nickels and box hunting

I had a chance to go water hunting yesterday afternoon, to one of the sanded in south Florida beaches all the local detecting bloggers and forum posters are complaining about. 
Sure the beach was sanded in, but instead of moving on or going home I just moved around. 
One spot opposite a lesser used beach entrance had a few targets that I like to see, nickels and quarters.
Those two targets, especially nickels would never be found in numbers at a spot that had recently been hunted. 
I know other water hunters "box hunt" on this beach, the beach has a crowded area that is heavily hunted with two clear turn around marker points. 
I cannot mention the turn around points because it may give one of my favorite beach sites away.
This Tiffany & Co PT950 platinum ring was found only about 10 feet past one of the reference points many water hunters use as a turn around point.  

The other heavy 14K gold ring with a 3/4 carat diamond was found in the same area along with several quarters and nickels. 
Two nice rings and a bunch of coins,  instead of searching where the average water hunter would search, I searched outside the turn around points and it paid off. 
It also helped that I changed from my usual discrimination search mode to a wide open nearly all metal search mode. 
The next time you are searching a crowded stretch of beach and using the same turn around points, think about what jewelry you may be leaving behind by box hunting.
For example, a lifeguard tower may be a box hunters usual turn around point.
That same lifeguard tower may also be an enterprising jewelry hunters best friend only a few yards down the beach. 

Schools for the Performing Arts Database

For students who are interested in pursuing a college degree in the performing arts such as acting, directing, playing an instrument, etc., there is now a comprehensive database out there that can provide a ton of information and direction for these types of schools. This website will be run by Playbill and can be used by students and parents to help search for these types of programs and colleges. Check the following site out and enjoy: PlaybillEdu

Mr. Joseph Korfmacher, MA

Consultation over Esplanade 'possible' | Otago Daily Times

Consultation over Esplanade 'possible' | Otago Daily Times Online News : Otago, South Island, New Zealand & International News

A request for public consultation on the future of the Esplanade at St Clair is to be made to the Dunedin City Council, following a public meeting at the St Clair Surf Life Saving Club last night.

Dunedin Mayor Dave Cull recently said a decision on how best to protect St Clair Beach and the sea wall would be based on expert engineering advice, not ''expert public opinion''.

However, there was some hope when council roading network engineer Peter Standring told last night's meeting it was ''possible'' for the DCC to consult people in the community with knowledge of the beach.

More than 60 residents, business owners, surfers and regular beach users attended the meeting called by Dunedin South Labour MP Clare Curran, to discuss the next steps towards fixing the problems at the Esplanade.

Large sinkholes appeared in the paved Esplanade walkway in May during a period of high tides and heavy seas, when fill was sucked out from behind the wall after waves got under the structure.

The numerous problems with the sea wall over the century since it was built have always generated a healthy level of public opinion on how to resolve them.

Last night was no different.

Among the issues brought up at the meeting was a concern there was no safe access to the beach, and many surfers said they were just jumping over barriers to get to the water.

There was also concern the St Clair club's ramp was out of action, meaning there would be long delays in any surf rescue operations in the area.

It appeared there were no councillors at the meeting. However, Mr Standring said the council was looking at the issue as a matter of urgency.

Many at the meeting agreed all the problems at the Esplanade were caused by the reshaping of the ''corner'' by the St Clair Hot Salt Water Pool.

Some who had lived in the area for more than 30 years said they believed it was causing the sea currents to create a ''gouging effect'', which sucked sand away from the beach.

They believed the cheapest and easiest way to fix the problems would be to remove the corner.

The meeting concluded the council should recognise the knowledge of local residents, and they wanted to be consulted by the council before any final decision was made on the future of the Esplanade.

While Mr Standring's belief it could be done brought some hope to the meeting, there was also scepticism. Local resident Vince Ryan said there had been similar community meetings in the past where similar advice had been given but the DCC had not taken it.

Ms Curran said the public knew there was a DCC process in place, but the missing element in the equation was the opinion of the community.

The meeting voted to have Ms Curran approach the DCC and request regular meetings with the community, and to ask if the community could formally consult on any developments.

It was hoped another community meeting could be held, this time with council staff providing information.

A reference group will also be formed to liaise with the council on the issues.

Surfboards Pt. 5- Mick Mackie

The Ulladulla output is looking good- some very clean & elegant lines happening with these boards.

Get the lead out!

Just like searching for modern gold jewelry on tourist beaches, lead targets are usually a good sign for a Spanish treasure hunter searching for treasure coins on beaches with a little history of old shipwrecks. 
I always search in my Excalibur pinpoint mode or CTX 3030 Pattern 2 when searching for shipwreck artifacts. 
The added depth and the fact that most old shipwreck artifacts often have a lot of ferrous objects in the surrounding area, make the extra digging worthwhile. 
This photo shows a heavy discus shaped piece of lead which is a piece of lead bar shot. 

Two disc shaped pieces of lead were attached by a length of iron chain or bar and fired out of a cannon to take out another ships rigging. 
The long thick curved arrow head bronze ship nail is one of my favorite "ship spikes" and was attached to a clump of iron when originally found. 
If you look closely you can traces of ferrous objects on several of these lead objects. 
The encrusted musket balls and piece of lead in this photograph were all found on the same lower beach, the worked piece of lead  was probably a sounding weight or perhaps a crude fishing weight.  

If you are metal detecting on a beach known for old shipwrecks and you start to find old lead objects it is time to drop anchor and prepare to do some serious digging,  do not walk away from the area. 
Switch to an all metals mode and really clean the area of all metal objects, including iron. 
When mother nature puts old lead objects in treasure hunting play, never walk away as it may be your best chance of finding old gold or silver coins.
Use your scoop or spade to widen the area around the initial find.  If you have a big search coil, now is the time to put it on.  
Learn to recognize the importance of lead objects and how they settle in levels along with metals sharing the same weight or density. 
Even if you do not find any old gold, the old lead objects are cool and interesting finds. 
 

Prince William & Kate Middleton welcome a baby boy

 a future king   8lbs 6oz

Cheers! Fabiana

Traveling to detect

I just returned from a metal detecting event in Boston Massachusetts, and I learned a couple of very important lessons from my trip. 
I always believed that I was a well prepared treasure hunter, but I got caught short on this trip with a short window of opportunity to metal detect somewhere different.
The last time I used my two piece long handled travel scoop was on a Caribbean cruise, I did not break it down after washing and storing it for the last 7 months. 
My mistake led to the sleeve/ bolted connection completely locking up, caused by remaining sand and saltwater on the inside of the connection. 
Of course I did not discover my mistake until it was time to pack my suitcase, luckily a good friend was kind enough to lend me his spare scoop.
I will not get caught out again, and I will make sure I never forget to break down all of my metal detecting travel equipment, including my metal detector shafts.
Simple things make a big difference when you travel to beach or water hunt. 
Travel shafts, travel scoops and even find pouches have to be more compact, easier to pack and also lightweight to avoid extra baggage fees.
Another lesson I learned from my trip was one that I have written about in my treasure hunting books.
How a local beach hunter will always have the edge over strangers searching a beach for the first time. 
I experienced the local beach hunters edge first hand after spotting a guy hammering one site and quickly moving on to another spot much further from the first site he had just searched.
The wily treasure hunter showed all the signs of being a savvy local beach hunter, he knew where to hunt and when to move on. 
Even going so far as to avoid any kind of contact with me, I admired and respected his pirate style. 
On the other hand, I met a couple of local hunters who went out of their way to tell me ( a complete stranger) all about their finds in the area.
I may have been caught short with my travel scoop but my travel intel was spot on.
A little trick I relied on before traveling was to google posts by local beach hunters close to this beach on the metal detecting forums.
Thanks to the internet I learned that things had been slow for quite a while on the local beaches and the trend continued through my only early morning beach hunt. 
Lessons learned from my Boston trip, be better prepared to travel and detect, its good to be king of the local beach, and use the internet to find out what the locals are posting on the metal detecting forums. 

AAfCW 2013 Volunteer Update #17

This is the seventeenth weekly update by the Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds (AAfCW) for the 2013 season. Today's update includes reports of Piping Plover, American Oystercatcher, Least Tern and Common Tern from July 15 through 4:00 p.m. on July 22 with sightings of birds by volunteers and staff spanning that period.

Informational updates:

This week we should see temperatures around long-term averages and much better conditions for monitoring and our birds. Please try to keep an eye on the weather and radar as we may have rain or thunderstorms nearly any day this week. Thank you all for taking a break from monitoring during the heat wave or adjusting your schedules to get out to the beach in the early morning or evening. It was very helpful, and we appreciate all the work all our volunteers have done so far this year.

Survey and monitoring updates:

Piping Plover
1 pair, 9 adults, 6 hatchlings, 10 fledglings at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/15
1 pair, 4 adults at Bluff Point on 7/15
6 pairs, 1 adult, 9 fledglings at Griswold Point on 7/15
1 pair, 1 fledgling at Bluff Point on 7/15
6 pairs, 1 adult, 9 fledglings at Griswold Point on 7/15
1 pair, 1 fledgling at Bluff Point on 7/15
4 adults at Bluff Point on 7/15
3 pairs, 1 adult, 8 hatchlings, 11 fledglings at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/16
1 pair, 3 adults, 8 hatchlings, 2 fledglings at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/16
2 adults, 3 fledglings at Milford Point on 7/16
10 adults, 11 fledglings at Griswold Point on 7/16
2 pairs, 1 adult, 4 hatchlings, 7 juveniles at Long Beach on 7/17
3 adults at Milford Point on 7/17
9 adults, 1 juvenile at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/17
3 adults, 8 juveniles at Long Beach on 7/17
4 adults, 4 fledglings, 1 juvenile at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/18
6 adults, 5 juveniles at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/19
5 adults, 5 juveniles at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/19
3 pairs, 5 adults, 6 hatchlings, 13 juveniles at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/19
1 pair, 4 hatchlings at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/19
7 adults, 5 hatchlings at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/20
11 adults, 2 hatchlings at Long Beach on 7/20
2 adults, 3 fledglings at Milford Point on 7/20
1 adult, 9 juveniles at Griswold Point on 7/21
4 adults, 4 hatchlings, 1 fledgling at Long Beach on 7/21
4 adults, 2 juveniles at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/21

American Oystercatcher
2 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/15
2 adults at Chimon Island on 7/15
1 pair, 1 fledgling at Ram Island on 7/16
1 adult at Whale Rocks on 7/16
2 pairs at Menunketesuck Island on 7/16
2 pairs, 1 adult, 1 hatchling, 1 fledgling at Duck Island on 7/16
1 adult at Potato Island, Thimble Islands on 7/16
1 pair at Governor Island Thimble Islands on 7/16
1 adult at High Island on 7/16
1 adult at Horse Island on 7/16
1 pair, 1 adult at Thimble Island on 7/16
1 pair at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/16
1 pair at Milford Point on 7/16
2 pairs, 2 juveniles at Milford Point on 7/17
3 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/17
1 pair at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/17
2 pairs at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/18
1 pair, 1 adult at Milford Point on 7/18
1 pair, 1 juvenile at Umbrella Island on 7/18
1 pair, 1 juvenile at Pages Cove on 7/18
1 pair at Kelsey Island on 7/18
2 pairs, 1 adult at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/18
2 pairs, 1 adult at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/19
1 pair, 3 fledglings at Governor Island Thimble Islands on 7/19
1 pair at Thimble Island on 7/19
1 pair at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/19
2 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/20
1 pair, 1 juvenile at Salt Island on 7/20
4 pairs, 1 juvenile at Menunketesuck Island on 7/20
1 pair, 1 adult, 1 juvenile at Duck Island on 7/20
1 pair, 1 juvenile at Milford Point on 7/20
2 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/21

Least Tern
2 pairs, 21 adults, 2 hatchlings, 3 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/15
11 pairs, 7 hatchlings at Bluff Point on 7/15
15 pairs, 48 adults, 15 nests at Griswold Point on 7/15
10 pairs, 13 adults, 7 hatchlings, 7 nests at Bluff Point on 7/15
4 pairs, 30 adults, 2 hatchlings, 2 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/16
7 adults at Long Beach on 7/16
55 pairs, 4 hatchlings, 11 nests at Milford Point on 7/16
52 adults, 4 nests at Griswold Point on 7/16
2 adults at Russian Beach on 7/17
12 adults at Long Beach on 7/17
5 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/17
3 adults at Long Beach on 7/17
10 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/17
4 adults at Stratford Point on 7/18
5 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/18
7 adults at Stratford Point on 7/19
5 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/19
1 pair, 12 adults, 2 hatchlings at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/19
5 adults at Silver Sands State Park on 7/19
5 pairs, 1 adult, 2 fledglings, 1 nest at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/19
3 adults at Stratford Point on 7/20
4 adults at Long Beach on 7/20
8 adults, 3 hatchlings at Bluff Point on 7/20
42 adults, 3 hatchlings at Griswold Point on 7/21
5 adults at Stratford Point on 7/21
1 adult at Long Beach on 7/21
15 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/21

Common Tern
1 adult at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/15
22 adults at Griswold Point on 7/15
4 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/16
6 adults at Milford Point on 7/16
2 adults at Russian Beach on 7/17
4 adults at Long Beach on 7/17
10 adults at Milford Point on 7/17
45 adults at Umbrella Island on 7/18
9 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/18
3 adults at Stratford Point on 7/19
26 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/19
7 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 7/19
3 adults at Silver Sands State Park on 7/19
1 adult at Stratford Point on 7/20
18 adults at Griswold Point on 7/21
2 adults at Stratford Point on 7/21
3 adults at Long Beach on 7/21

This concludes update #17 through 7/22/13 as of 5:00 p.m.


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

the Sawdust Art Festival ~ Laguna Beach

Last Saturday night was my first visit ever to the Sawdust Festival.  Nestled between the mountains of Laguna Canyon, and only a couple of minutes from downtown Laguna Beach, the Sawdust Festival has been a tradition here in southern California since 1968.  The festival features 200 local artists, live entertainment, classes, art demonstrations, and outdoor cafes. 

Entering the festival...

Marcus Thesing has one of the most amazing booths showcasing his hand blown art glass.  Some of his pieces remind me of  genie bottles.

Gavin Heath also has an incredible booth. 

We enjoyed listening to two fun bands.

The Sawdust festival runs all summer long, until September 1st, and they are open from 10-10 everyday.  Come out for a visit! 

Here's more info about the Sawdust Festival and their facebook page.

Ciao!

Fabiana