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 29 people on the beach during the shift and 6 were approached.
- 8 dogs were observed on the beach; 7 were initially leashed while 1 was unleashed though the owners leashed it happily when they heard about the birds.
Counts
Saints Rest – Main Beach
- 445 “peeps” were counted roosting on the beach. Most were higher up the beach rather than being close to the water.
- Other birds included 4 Gulls, 1 Cormorant, and 1 Osprey.
Saints Rest – East Beach
- 235 shorebirds were counted on the beach including: 2 Sanderlings, 85 Semipalmated Plovers, 145 Semipalmated Sandpipers, and 3 Least Sandpipers.
- Other birds included 2 Peregrine Falcons and 1 Osprey.
- Several large groups of “peeps” flew past the beach but I could not see where they went due to fog.
Flats
- An estimate of peeps feeding across the mud flats was 2,640.
- Other birds included: 100 Gulls, 10 Cormorants, 1 Great Blue Heron, 1 Peregrine Falcon, 7 Common Eiders, and 2 Black Ducks.
- After the Peregrine made a pass through the “peeps,” it went directly for the woods on the other side of the flats. Very shortly afterward, all but a handful of “peeps” left the flats (by 3:55pm).
Marsh
- 49 “peeps” were seen, most flying over the marsh from the beach area.
- Other birds counted included 3 Crows, 7 Great Blue Herons, 3 Gulls, 4 Great Egrets, 3 Cormorants, and 4 Greater Yellowlegs.
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.