Waterbird Working Group Meeting
This past Monday the Southern New England‐Long Island Sound Waterbird Working Group annual meeting was convened for the first time since 2013. A couple dozen representatives from government agencies and NGOs from Maine to New York, including RTPI Conservation & Outreach Coordinator Scott Kruitbosch, met in Connecticut to discuss the last season and prepare for the coming nesting season both in person and via webinar. It takes an enormous group effort to protect and save some of our most threatened birds. Photo by Audubon Connecticut Director of Bird Conservation Patrick...
Read MorePiping Plover Record Setting Success
It is our tremendous pleasure to announce that in 2014 we helped the Connecticut population of Piping Plovers set an all-time record for the number of successfully fledged chicks at 116! Born from 51 pairs across Connecticut these young birds shattered the old state record of 101 fledged young in 2008. This is an astonishing success due to the efforts of over 400 volunteers across Connecticut and multiple partners including the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS), the Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (CT DEEP), and the Audubon Alliance for...
Read MoreRed Knots Federally Threatened
Last week the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service announced that the rufa subspecies of Red Knot was officially added to the United States Endangered Species Act, designated as “threatened”. In this photo by Twan we have a group of Red Knots in front of some Black-bellied Plovers on a beach in Stratford, Connecticut in September 2011. They are an uncommon shorebird in the state but there can be pockets of them found, especially in the fall. Many times one records a handful of birds occasionally mixed in with larger congregations of other shorebird species, like in the shot. We have...
Read MoreIllegal Snake Collection
This story from USFWS Northeast Region concerning the illegal collection and sale of wild reptiles is precisely the reason that we as an organization and as scientists are so careful about disclosing sensitive biological information. It is why I was and will be extremely secretive about locations of species like Timber Rattlesnakes whether it is to protect them from collection or from death. While most people are certainly considerate of life in the world around us there will always be a select misguided few who seek to profit or lash out from ignorance. I am hopeful our constant education...
Read MoreAAfCW thank you party
Here are some of our guests arriving as we set up earlier this evening at the beautiful Short Beach Park in Stratford, Connecticut to celebrate and thank all of the tremendous volunteers at the Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds for their work in helping Audubon Connecticut, CT DEEP, USFWS and RTPI all spring and summer. We had at least 379 volunteers assist us in surveying, monitoring, outreach and education thus far in CT in 2014! It was a great evening with a lot of good friends and stories. Thank you again to all who have helped AAfCW in our first three years and thanks to the Town...
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