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 12 people on the beach during the shift and 4 were approached. Everyone was interested to hear about the birds and all interactions were positive.
- 5 leashed dogs were observed on the beach.
Counts
Saints Rest – Main Beach
- 222 birds were counted: 97 were flying flocks of peeps. 61 were Semipalmated Sandpipers, 9 Least Sandpipers, 36 Semipalmated Plovers, and 7 Sanderlings were observed.
- The rest included 1 Savannah Sparrow, 9 Gulls, and 2 Osprey.
Saints Rest – East Beach
- 27 birds were counted, all roosting or foraging on the beach. 21 were Semipalmated Plovers and 6 were Semipalmated Sandpipers.
Flats
- An estimate of peeps feeding across the mud flats was 1,500.
- 3 Black Bellied Plovers were counted.
- Other birds included: 75 gulls, 10 Great Blue Herons, 7 Cormorants, 45 Mallard/Black Ducks, 2 Great Egrets, 6 Crows, 1 Merlin, 3 Peregrine Falcons, and 1 Osprey.
Pocket Beaches
- A: No shorebirds observed.
- B: 8 Semipalmated Plover, 1 Semipalmated Sandpiper.
- C: No shorebirds observed.
- D: 30 Semipalmated Plovers and 2 Semipalmated Sandpipers.
- Beach between D and E: 3 Semipalmated Plovers.
- E: No shorebirds observed.
- Seal Cove Inaccessible Beaches: No shorebirds observed.
Marsh
- 447 peeps were seen, with 3 being Semipalmated Plovers and 20 Least Sandpipers. Several hunting attempts were made by flying predators and flushed large groups of peeps.
- Other birds counted included 6 Greater Yellowlegs, 1 Lesser Yellowlegs, 4 Crows, 10 Gulls, 3 Osprey, 8 Great Blue Herons, 1 Merlin, 1 Harrier, and 3 Peregrine Falcons.
This project was made possible with the support from our funders at the Environment and Climate Change Canada. We would like to thank our partners at Irving Nature Park and NatureNB.