DEP urges help from public in protecting birds, nests

The state Department of Environmental Protection is asking for the public's help in protecting birds that nest in coastal areas, especially during the busy summer beach season.

Whether on nests or in feeding areas, piping plovers, least terns, herons and egrets are all especially vulnerable to disturbance from kites, fireworks and unattended cats and dogs, the DEP said in a news release Tuesday. Once disturbed, these birds may abandon nesting areas, leaving eggs and hatchlings to die of exposure or by predators. In addition, beachcombers, sunbathers and boaters can inadvertently trample piping plover and least tern eggs and young if they are not careful about staying away from these areas, the DEP said.

Agency staff have erected fencing and yellow warning signs along beaches where these birds build their shallow sand nests. They have also cordoned off some off-shore islands where herons and egrets congregate in nesting areas called rookeries.

"We urge beachgoers to keep fireworks and kites, especially kites that make noise, away from beach areas," Susan Frechette, deputy commissioner of the DEP, said. "We also ask people to keep their pets leashed and to stay away from fenced areas."

The piping plover is a threatened species under both the federal and state Endangered Species Acts. The least tern nests in colonies in the same beach habitat as piping plovers and is also classified as a state threatened species.

In Connecticut, there are about 30 pairs of piping plovers in 10 locations and about 100 pairs of least terns.

Herons and egrets also are state-listed species, nesting on islands in Long Island Sound. To protect them, the DEP has closed Charles Island in Milford and Duck Island in Westbrook through the nesting season. These islands have been designated as Audubon Important Bird Areas.

The DEP also reminds the public not to bury or leave trash, picnic leftovers and fish scraps on a beach because they attract predators of chicks and eggs, such as skunks, raccoons, foxes, and black-backed gulls. They also asked the public not to attempt to "rescue" young birds that appear to be lost or too young to fly, and not to remove young birds from the beach or coastal areas to care for them at home. Doing so is illegal without a state or federal permit for wildlife rehabilitation.

"In most cases, when immature birds are found alone, the adults have been frightened away but remain nearby to return once the intruder leaves," said Julie Victoria, DEP wildlife biologist.

To report wildlife violations, call the DEP's 24-hour, toll-free hotline: (800) 842-HELP.