▶ Experts: Don’t forget to social distance from nesting birds, too.
With more Connecticut residents spending time outdoors these last several weeks, shorebird experts and advocates are urging the public to be mindful of nesting bird sites.
Vulnerable shorebirds, like piping plovers and American oystercatchers, are faced with the task of raising chicks on beaches and islands with high foot traffic in order for the populations to continue to grow.
Audubon Connecticut said there was a rocky start to the nesting season this year, with locals and out-of-state visitors headed outdoors for some fresh air during the COVID-19 pandemic.
There have also been “more off-leash pets than usual, horses, ATVs, and in one case, an impromptu boardwalk hair salon,” according to the Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds, a coalition working to protect piping plovers, American oystercatchers and least and common terns.
The pandemic brought the mainstream use of social distancing among residents not just in Connecticut, but across the globe. And, experts say, it is social distancing from these shorebird nesting areas and the birds themselves that will help them flourish.
“Beachgoers may not realize that by getting too close to these birds and scaring them off their nests, they put chicks’ lives at risk,” said Ana Paula Tavares, executive director of Audubon Connecticut. “We want everyone to know that due to restrictions, our efforts to protect and monitor important nesting sites have been limited this year.”
The populations of piping plovers on the Atlantic Coast reached a record high in 2019, with 2,008 breeding pairs from eastern Canada to North Carolina, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Northeast Region.
Piping plover populations climbed from 1,879 pairs in 2018 to the record high of more than 2,000 pairs breeding last summer, data from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service showed.
The agency said this record high could be attributed to 35 years of conservation, as well as partners, volunteers and the cooperation of beachgoers.
Data from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service indicated there were 57 pairs in Connecticut. For comparison purposes, there are roughly 85 pairs of laughing gulls for every pair of piping plovers on the Atlantic Coast, data shows.
“Average productivity data show an increasing plover population in our state,” the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection said. “This success is due to the numerous volunteers and staff who monitor nesting shorebirds and educate beachgoers about these special birds.”
But although the data shows the population is on the rise, longterm protections for the species is still needed, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said.
“While we still have much work to do, the growth we’ve seen in the Atlantic Coast piping plover population, especially in New England, is the clearest possible evidence that we can achieve and maintain recovery,” said a statement from Anne Hecht, a piping plover recovery coordinator with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “We are incredibly grateful for decades of ongoing dedicated conservation by all levels of government and other organizations.” Patrick Comins, executive director of the Connecticut Audubon Society and a member of the Audubon Alliance, said the 57 piping plover pairs that nested in the state last year fledged about 100 chicks, beating the regional goal per nest along the Atlantic Flyway by more than a dozen.
“If we continue to meet that goal, the piping plover population will eventually start to increase, which would be a tremendous outcome,” Comins said.
He said 74 pairs of American oystercatchers fledged an estimated 64 young — reaching a record high for Connecticut.
Last year, 93 volunteers and 21 staff members of the Audubon Alliance patrolled Connecticut’s beaches and monitored nests. This year, the total number of active monitors and stewards is currently at nine.
“In the absence of our normal volunteer efforts, we need everyone enjoying the shore to be shorebird monitors and to take care of the shorebirds,” said Sophie Duncan of The Nature Conservancy in Connecticut. “Small steps like keeping dogs on leashes around these birds and avoiding nesting sites can make a big difference.”
For those who want to take it one step further, Audubon Connecticut launched “Share the Love, Share the Shore,” a digital toolkit of template messages, images and videos that can be shared via social media to spread the word about the birds who nest along the state’s shoreline.