Common Tern Colony at Cockenoe Island, Westport, sad news...
A visit on Sunday afternoon by kayak to the Common Tern nesting colony on the Cockenoe Island sandbar revealed a disappointing outcome... the colony was deserted, with only one juvenile tern seen on the bar, and later a few flyover adult terns, with perhaps another juvenile (or the same one). Numbers were well into the hundreds just the weekend before, so we fear that the intervening Spring tides may have washed over the site. A sad outcome, but an ever-present risk and one that has happened before.
Oystercatchers also nest on the sandbar, and several were still present, though only one still in juvenile plumage. Very few shorebirds were there when we were, but numbers of Ring-billed Gulls and Laughing Gulls were up.
-Sean (and Brendan) Murtha, Norwalk
Sean,Thanks for your report on the Common Tern colony at Cockenoe. What disappointing news! Such a shame. Do you think it was a result of high-tide flooding? Or maybe a collapse in prey fish, as last year? Or both?
This coincides with the huge influx of adult Common Terns in the mouth of the Housatonic River in the past week. I estimated 550 at/near Milford Point yesterday. I saw only a few fresh juveniles and one 1st-summer bird. My suspicion was that these flocks were here due to nest failure at area colonies (possibly Falkner Is., Cockenoe Is, and Great Gull Is.).
Best,
Frank MantlikStratford
On Monday, July 27, 2020, 02:26:55 PM EDT, Sean Murtha via CTBirds ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org wrote:
A visit on Sunday afternoon by kayak to the Common Tern nesting colony on the Cockenoe Island sandbar revealed a disappointing outcome... the colony was deserted, with only one juvenile tern seen on the bar, and later a few flyover adult terns, with perhaps another juvenile (or the same one). Numbers were well into the hundreds just the weekend before, so we fear that the intervening Spring tides may have washed over the site. A sad outcome, but an ever-present risk and one that has happened before.
Oystercatchers also nest on the sandbar, and several were still present, though only one still in juvenile plumage. Very few shorebirds were there when we were, but numbers of Ring-billed Gulls and Laughing Gulls were up.
-Sean (and Brendan) Murtha, Norwalk
This list is provided by the Connecticut Ornithological Association (COA) for the discussion of birds and birding in Connecticut.
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There were a few flying around the Cummings Beach area in Stamford a few
days ago but not diving for fish.
On Mon, Jul 27, 2020 at 9:05 PM Frank Mantlik via CTBirds <
ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org> wrote:
Sean,Thanks for your report on the Common Tern colony at Cockenoe. What
disappointing news! Such a shame. Do you think it was a result of high-tide
flooding? Or maybe a collapse in prey fish, as last year? Or both?
This coincides with the huge influx of adult Common Terns in the mouth of
the Housatonic River in the past week. I estimated 550 at/near Milford
Point yesterday. I saw only a few fresh juveniles and one 1st-summer bird.
My suspicion was that these flocks were here due to nest failure at area
colonies (possibly Falkner Is., Cockenoe Is, and Great Gull Is.).
Best,
Frank MantlikStratford
On Monday, July 27, 2020, 02:26:55 PM EDT, Sean Murtha via CTBirds <
ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org> wrote:
A visit on Sunday afternoon by kayak to the Common Tern nesting colony on
the Cockenoe Island sandbar revealed a disappointing outcome... the colony
was deserted, with only one juvenile tern seen on the bar, and later a few
flyover adult terns, with perhaps another juvenile (or the same one).
Numbers were well into the hundreds just the weekend before, so we fear
that the intervening Spring tides may have washed over the site. A sad
outcome, but an ever-present risk and one that has happened before.
Oystercatchers also nest on the sandbar, and several were still present,
though only one still in juvenile plumage. Very few shorebirds were there
when we were, but numbers of Ring-billed Gulls and Laughing Gulls were up.
-Sean (and Brendan) Murtha, Norwalk
This list is provided by the Connecticut Ornithological Association (COA)
for the discussion of birds and birding in Connecticut.
For subscription information visit
http://lists.ctbirding.org/mailman/listinfo/ctbirds_lists.ctbirding.org
This list is provided by the Connecticut Ornithological Association (COA)
for the discussion of birds and birding in Connecticut.
For subscription information visit
http://lists.ctbirding.org/mailman/listinfo/ctbirds_lists.ctbirding.org