American Oystercatchers in Flight
That is one chatty American Oystercatcher! I wonder if the other two had nothing to say or didn’t even bother talking to me, knowing they wouldn’t be heard over their friend…our work in the Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds continues seven days a week. We had the first American Oystercatcher chicks of 2015 hatch at Milford Point this week! Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
Read MoreElementary School Students Saving Birds
Last year the Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds helped to teach elementary school children about some of Connecticut’s most imperiled avian species, ensuring that they learn about why it is so important to share the shore with these conservation-priority waterbirds. Respecting wildlife is a fundamental aspect of our species stewardship of the Earth – at least if we want to survive on it! These students gave back to their world by creating wonderful, unique art to teach and inspire beachgoers as they flock to the shore for the summer. You can see some of these signs focused...
Read MoreAmerican Oystercatchers Relaxing
American Oystercatchers have been pairing off across Connecticut, and a few sites and birds have been reported as copulating. However, like the Piping Plover, we still have no confirmed nests likely because of the continuing cold conditions at times. With the warm-up of the last few days and late April coming there will be eggs soon. Until then these birds were relaxing on the beach out of the wind and tucking in their bills for a midday nap.
Read MoreShorebird Monitor Training Completed
On Saturday, March 14, the Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds (Audubon Connecticut and the Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History), U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection completed successful training sessions for many of our fantastic past and new volunteer monitors. These citizen scientists and educators will hit the beaches come April, monitoring Piping Plovers and American Oystercatchers with other species like the Least and Common Terns soon to come. If you would like to join us on the Connecticut shore this...
Read MoreAmerican Oystercatchers Returning
It’s that time! The American Oystercatchers are returning to the Northeast, and today in Connecticut we had our first bird in Westbrook. This is three or four weeks later than the first Oystercatcher sighting occurs in some years, with the historic cold keeping migrants at bay until now. Other species are also arriving more slowly than expected. Now it is all systems go for the Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds as the threatened shorebird species is one of our focal birds. If you are going to be in Connecticut this spring and summer please email ctwaterbirds@gmail.com to sign up...
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