AAfCW 2015 Volunteer Update #13

This is the thirteenth weekly update by the Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds (AAfCW) for the 2015 season. Today's update includes reports of Piping Plover, American Oystercatcher, Least Tern and Common Tern from June 22 through 4:00 p.m. on June 29 with sightings of birds by volunteers and staff spanning that period.

Informational updates:

Fireworks displays for the 4th will be in full swing beginning this week. As of now we are only requesting volunteers for specific help at Sandy/Morse Points on the evening of Friday, July 3, with a rain date of Sunday, July 5. CT DEEP's Rebecca Foster will be on site to coordinate. We would love to have several volunteers join us. Volunteers should aim to be at the Sandy Point parking lot by 6:30. Volunteer roles would be to educate the public and be an extra set of eyes and ears for the police officer who should be enforcing the closure of Sandy Point to protect the birds. AAfCW staff will also be on hand. The area should be cordoned off as it usually is. The event will begin at 9:15. Even if you can only join us until then that would be a terrific help.

If the worst case happens and you find a dead chick anywhere during this busy weekend...

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  - DEEP 24hr Emergency Dispatcher 860-424-3333, USFWS Agent Tom Ricardi cell 860-280-4894 or USFWS officer Doug Beaudreau cell 401-354-9329 (or all 3 if you get no response).

Step 3. Take a breath and fill out the Incident Observation Report. 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.

Overall this holiday weekend we could use some extra help monitoring at plover and tern beaches, especially Bluff Point, Milford beaches, Long Beach, Pleasure Beach and Sandy/Morse Points. CT DEEP is particularly interested in chick counts as chick survival during the holiday weekend is problematic given all the beach parties and crowds. Any additional presence on the beach educating people about the birds and getting us information on chick survival would be wonderful. 

Lastly, please join us for a Pleasure Beach trail clean-up day on Sunday, July 5, from 9am-2pm at Pleasure Beach in Bridgeport! You will be helping to build the first nature trail on Pleasure Beach, allowing thousands of visitors to better enjoy the bountiful wildlife and beautiful plants the unique habitat holds. Getting to Pleasure Beach is easy with free parking at the water taxi pier, 144 Seaview Avenue, Bridgeport. The water taxi will bring visitors to and from Pleasure Beach, and is also free. Many of the species on Pleasure Beach are rare or threatened, including our Piping Plovers. Thank you so much to everyone who has stepped up to help monitor them at this critical time, and thank you to everyone who can join us at Pleasure Beach for the trail clean-up day on July 5.

Thank you for any assistance in any of these areas during the extremely busy upcoming week!

Survey and monitoring updates:

Piping Plover
19 adults, 13 fledglings at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/22
12 adults, 15 fledglings, 2 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/23
4 pairs, 2 adults, 20 fledglings, 1 nest at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/23
9 adults, 13 fledglings, 1 nest at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/23
4 adults, 6 hatchlings at Long Beach on 6/23
6 pairs, 6 fledglings, 1 nest at Bluff Point on 6/23
1 adult, 1 fledgling at East Broadway Milford on 6/24
1 pair, 4 hatchlings at Pleasure Beach on 6/24
1 pair, 4 hatchlings at Pleasure Beach on 6/24
1 pair, 2 adults at Long Beach on 6/24
1 pair, 1 nest at Menunketesuck Island on 6/25
5 adults, 8 fledglings at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/25
1 adult, 1 fledgling at East Broadway Milford on 6/25
16 adults, 7 hatchlings, 4 fledglings at Milford Point on 6/25
1 pair, 2 adults, 5 hatchlings, 1 nest at Long Beach on 6/25
1 pair, 4 hatchlings at Pleasure Beach on 6/25
1 pair, 1 fledgling at East Broadway Milford on 6/26
7 adults, 6 fledglings at Long Beach on 6/26
3 pairs, 3 nests at Sandy Point Island on 6/26
1 pair, 1 fledgling at East Broadway Milford on 6/27
2 pairs, 7 hatchlings at Hammonasset on 6/27
2 pairs, 2 hatchlings, 2 fledglings at Cedar Island on 6/27
2 pairs, 4 adults, 6 hatchlings, 2 fledglings at Long Beach on 6/28

American Oystercatcher
2 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/22
1 adult at Sixpenny Island on 6/22
1 adult at Ram Island on 6/22
1 pair, 1 nest at Bluff Point on 6/23
3 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/23
3 pairs at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/23
3 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/23
1 pair, 4 adults at Long Beach on 6/23
1 pair at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/23
1 adult at Great Captain's Island on 6/24
1 adult at Griswold Island on 6/24
1 adult at South Brother on 6/24
7 adults at Stratford Point on 6/24
1 pair, 1 adult at Long Beach on 6/24
3 pairs, 1 nest at Milford Point on 6/24
1 pair, 1 nest at Bluff Point on 6/25
1 pair, 1 nest at Hammonasset on 6/25
3 pairs, 1 nest at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/25
3 pairs, 4 adults, 1 nest at Milford Point on 6/25
5 pairs, 2 fledglings at Menunketesuck Island on 6/25
2 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/25
5 adults at Long Beach on 6/26
10 pairs, 1 adult, 13 fledglings, 1 nest at Sandy Point Island on 6/26
1 pair, 1 nest at Hammonasset on 6/27
1 pair at Long Beach on 6/28

Least Tern
6 pairs, 12 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/22
1 pair, 1 nest at Sasco Hill Beach on 6/22
45 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/23
20 pairs at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/23
30 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/23
60 adults, 20 nests at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/23
3 adults at Stratford Point on 6/23
1 pair at Bluff Point on 6/23
6 adults at Stratford Point on 6/24
118 adults, 86 nests, 6 hatchlings at Menunketesuck Island on 6/25
25 adults at Sandy/Morse Points on 6/25
30 adults at Milford Point on 6/25
2 adults at Stratford Point on 6/25
2 adults at Long Beach on 6/25
1 adult at Long Beach on 6/26
2 adults at Hammonasset on 6/27
1 adult at Cedar Island on 6/27

Common Tern
5 adults at Stratford Point on 6/23
1 pair at Great Captain's Island on 6/24
2 adults at Milford Point on 6/24
3 adults at Stratford Point on 6/24
4 adults at Stratford Point on 6/25
24 adults at Sandy Point Island on 6/26
3 adults at Hammonasset on 6/27

This concludes update #13 through 6/29/15 as of 5:00 p.m.

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