Report created by Erin Brown, Shorebird Counter and Public Educator for the Shorebird Conservation and Education Project with the Saint John Naturalists Club.
Counts
Flats
- 810 “peeps” were counted on the flats. There were also 148 Black-Bellied Plovers.
- Other birds included: 169 Gulls, 5 Great Blue Herons, 17 Cormorants, 9 Eiders, 5 Crows, 20 Black Ducks, 4 Green-Wing Teals, 5 Canada Geese, 4 Common Loons, 4 Greater Yellowlegs, 1 Merlin, and 1 Bald Eagle.
Pocket Beaches
- A: No shorebirds seen. 2 Crows, one foraging in the seaweed.
- B: No shorebirds seen. 4 Common Loons and 36 Surf Scoters foraged offshore.
- C: No shorebirds seen.
- D: 22 Semipalmated Plovers.
- Beach between D and E: No shorebirds observed, but heard the call of a Semipalmated Plover.
- E: No shorebirds seen.
- Inaccessible Beaches: No shorebirds observed.
Marsh
- Around 300 “peeps” seen flying toward the mudflats as the tide went out.
- Other birds seen included: 2 Great Egrets, 5 Greater Yellowlegs, 14 Canada Geese, 4 Gulls, 5 Great Blue Herons, and 5 Cormorants.
Main Beach
- Shorebirds roosting: 47 Semipalmated Plovers, 1,271 Semipalmated Sandpipers, 271 “peeps,” 1 Sanderling, 1 Least Sandpiper, and 21 Black-Bellied Plovers.
- Other birds included 8 Gulls, 1 Common Loon, 1 Cormorant, 1 Great Blue Heron, 1 Merlin, 1 Peregrine, and 1 Black Guillemot.
- Both a Merlin and a Peregrine flew down the beach and put the shorebirds into the air. They eventually settled back on the beach and were counted.
- There were 9 people on the beach and 4 leashed dogs. 6 people were spoken to about the birds and seemed interested.
East Beach
- Shorebirds roosting: 9 Semipalmated Plovers and 1 Semipalmated Sandpiper.
- Other birds seen included 4 Gulls, 7 Crows, 1 Osprey, and 1 Peregrine.
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.