5/24, Milford, Connecticut Audubon Coastal Center, 10am-1PM. Low tide , rising, 60-70F, sunny. A beautiful day to be at the coastal center. Several class visits, and lots of visitors. Our horse chestnut trees and Black cherry trees are all in bloom. Our pollinator garden attracted several visitors. Our Purple Martin colony was busy, with about 28 birds flying around, some carrying nesting material. I was told that during the recent cold days, sadly, we lost 4 Purple martins. Our ospreys are doing well- female on the nest and male on his perch, occasionally flying around patrolling his area. On the marsh: 1 Yellow crowned night heron posing nicely for photographers, 7 Great Egrets, 2 Snowy egrets, 4 Mute swans, 3 mallards, 3 D.C. Cormorants (flyovers), 10 Canada geese (9 flyovers and 1 lone one in marsh), 6 Black bellied plovers, 7 Oystercatchers and 2 Least Terns flying over . On the grounds: 2 Cardinals, 1 Mockingbird, 1 Catbird, 2 Tree swallows, 7 Common Grackles, 4 Mourning doves, 1 House wren, 1 Carolina Wren, several robins, lots of House sparrows and 2 Fish Crows that landed on one of our bird baths just as Ken was talking with the students. full report on EBird. Bev Propen, Orange