Report created by Erin Brown, Shorebird Counter and Public Educator for the Shorebird Conservation and Education Project with the Saint John Naturalists Club.
Public Engagement
- There were 20 people on the beach during the shift and 4 were approached. Everyone was interested to hear about the birds and all interactions were positive.
- One leashed dog was observed on the beach.
Counts
Saints Rest – Main Beach
- 393 birds were counted: 337 were flying flocks of peeps. 31 were Semipalmated Sandpipers, 22 Least Sandpipers, and 3 Sanderlings were observed.
- 2 Osprey were observed flying from the direction of the marsh and out over the water. One came back carrying a fish.
Saints Rest – East Beach
- 2 groups of birds were observed roosting and totaled 58 Semipalmated Plovers and 25 Semipalmated Sandpipers.
- When returning to the main beach, 6 Semipalmated Plovers flew past and landed on the beach.
Flats
- An estimate of peeps feeding across the mud flats was 3000.
- 144 Black Bellied Plovers were counted.
- Other birds included: 96 gulls, 12 Great Blue Herons, 8 Cormorants, 20 Black Ducks, 2 Greater Yellowlegs, 1 Peregrine Falcon, and 1 Osprey.
Pocket Beaches
- A: 33 peeps flew past toward the flats/marsh
- B: No shorebirds observed. A Common Loon was seen offshore
- C: 1 Spotted Sandpiper was seen. A group of peeps was heard behind me (seemed to be flying over the island). 5 Cormorants were observed offshore
- D: 7 Semipalmated Plovers and 1 Semipalmated Sandpiper were observed.
- Beach between D and E: 5 Semipalmated Plovers were roosting. 4 Surf Scoters swam past.
- E: No shorebirds observed.
- Seal Cove Lookout: 50 Peeps flew past going west.
- Inaccessible Beaches: 6 birds were seen roosting and due to distance it is assumed there were more birds than could be seen.
Marsh
- 155 peeps were seen. Smaller groups were flushed by my presence as I walked the marsh. A Peregrine flew low over the stream area and flushed a group of around 100 at one time.
- A group of 5 Greater Yellowlegs and 2 Lesser Yellowlegs were seen flying up from the marsh.
- Other birds counted included 2 Nelson’s Sparrows, 3 Crows, 1 Gull, 1 Osprey, 1 Great Blue Heron, and 1 Peregrine Falcon.
This project was made possible with support from Environment and Climate Change Canada. We would like to thank our partners at Irving Nature Park and NatureNB and our dedicated volunteers.