Least Tern (Sternula antillarum)
Beautiful in flight shot of a Least Tern by Sean during our surveys this week for the Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds. It looks like Hurricane Arthur will be avoiding us in New England but wet weather is still on the way to our shores. It may help the little ones more than hurt them as this heat on the beach in the strong July sun can be deadly to the growing birds.
Read MoreEggs from the archives
There are dozens of pairs of Piping Plovers and American Oystercatchers currently with nests or young hatchlings across the Connecticut coast. We are working seven days a week as a partner in the Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds to provide stewardship and survey efforts for these birds with seasonal staff members, Audubon Connecticut staff and our tremendous volunteers, numbering well over 100 dedicated people. Least and Common Terns are also beginning to nest, a bit later than usual this year likely because of low prey populations (and maybe cooler water because of the extremely cold...
Read MoreBeach birds and volunteer monitoring
Yesterday I was a part of beach training for the new volunteer monitors of the Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds (AAfCW). This session, to help those entering the AAfCW program with how to safely monitor and survey Piping Plovers and Least Terns, was conducted by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection with staff from Audubon Connecticut and myself from RTPI on hand. AAfCW and our collective staff act as a bridge to aid the State of Connecticut and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, regulatory agencies for these state and, in the case of the Piping Plover,...
Read MoreBeach training
Beach training for Piping Plover and Least Tern monitoring with CT DEEP, Audubon Connecticut and RTPI for the Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds! Beautiful day at Sandy/Morse Point Important Bird Area in West Haven, Connecticut.
Read MoreRTPI & Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds
RTPI is proud to be a new partner in the Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds’ (AAfCW) third season, an active conservation, education and outreach project that provides stewardship and survey efforts by volunteers and staff working to help federal and state officials in an innovative joint initiative on Connecticut’s beaches, islands, and other coastal areas to monitor waterbirds like the Piping Plover, American Oystercatcher, Least Tern and many more. RTPI’s President & Executive Director Twan Leenders and I (Conservation & Outreach Coordinator Scott...
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