Audubon Society: Coastal Center Parking Lot Closed This Weekend

Milford CT

28 June, 2021

4:14 PM

Description

MILFORD, CT —The Connecticut Audubon Society announced Monday that it will be closing the parking lot to the Coastal Center at Milford Point later this week in order to minimize the disturbance firecrackers and fireworks might cause to beach-nesting birds. According to the Audubon Society website, the parking lot gates will be locked from 4 p.m. Thursday until 9 a.m. Monday. Though a nature preserve like the one at Milford Point may not be an area associated with typical holiday-weekend revelry, experts said any fireworks could be disruptive to adult birds and their chicks. The two types of birds these experts are particularly concerned about are the Piping Plovers and American Oystercatchers, both of which nest at Milford Point. Piping Plovers are federally-threatened, while American Oystercatchers are threatened in the state. "We have three American Oystercatcher nests, each with two eggs that survived the recent full moon tides," said Katerina Gillis, the coastal ranger at Milford Point. "For Piping Plovers, we have five birds that have officially fledged and two more chicks that are due to fledge any day. As for Piping Plover nests, we currently have eight incubating. The earliest some of these nests will hatch are on July 10, and the latest being July 25." Over Memorial Day weekend, a succession of high tides during the full-moon period, along with heavy storms, washed away more than a dozen coastal waterbird nests at Milford Point. However, nine pairs of birds are trying to nest again, the Audubon Society said.