Report created by Paul Martin, Shorebird Counter and Educator for the Shorebird Conservation and Education Project with the Saint John Naturalists Club.
Start time: 7:00 am
High tide: 10:00 am (6.7 m)
Finish time: 1:20 pm
Weather:
Start: 14°C, Fog, Wind 11 km/h SW
Finish: 19°C, Sunny with Clouds, Wind 22 km/h SSW
Bird Observations
Boardwalk (7:08 am) – 16 Species View eBird Report
Canada Goose, Mallard, American Black Duck, Greater Yellowlegs, Least Sandpiper, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Ring-billed Gull, American Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Double-crested Cormorant, Great Egret, Great Blue Heron, Northern Harrier, Merlin, Common Crow, American Goldfinch
Marsh (8:20 am) – 20 Species View eBird Report
Canada Goose, Mallard, American Black Duck, Semipalmated Plover, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Spotted Sandpiper, Least Sandpiper, Lesser Yellowlegs, Whimbrel, Greater Yellowlegs, Double-crested Cormorant, American Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Great Blue Heron, American Pipit, Savannah Sparrow, Peregrine Falcon, Osprey, Northern Harrier, Common Crow
East Beach (9:28 am) – 5 Species View eBird Report
Semipalmated Plover, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Common Eider, American Herring Gull, Double-crested Cormorant
Main Beach (10:07 am) – 4 Species View eBird Report
Semipalmated Sandpiper, Semipalmated Plover, Least Sandpiper, Peregrine Falcon
Mudflats (11:19 am) – 12 Species View eBird Report
Semipalmated Sandpiper, Semipalmated Plover, Black-bellied Plover, American Golden Plover, Least Sandpiper, Ring-billed Gull, American Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Double-crested Cormorant, Northern Harrier, Peregrine Falcon, American Pipit
Disturbances to Birds
- Boardwalk: Northern Harrier and Merlin were both preying on peeps. Observed Merlin take a Least Sandpiper.
- Marsh: Northern Harrier harassing peeps.
- East Beach: Approached end of beach where Semipalmated Plovers roost; large flocks flushed. Encountered unleashed dog with ball, second dog nearby with owner by gravel pit. Requested owner leash dogs, he complied.
- Main Beach: The Peregrine Falcon that roosts over by the dead trees past the flags kept coming in low over the road whip down across the beach and scare up the peeps, then out over the water it would arc up high and whip through the flocks taking birds. There was a couple who ignored me, said they knew what I was doing and didn’t care for the birds, a bird watcher also tried to talk to them, they chose to ignore him and though they had their dog on a leash plowed right through the area where over 2000 birds were roosting. They could have slowed down or changed their direction a little but they chose to go directly where the birds were roosting…this was disheartening.
- Mudflats: The first bird of prey was the Northern Harrier, I witnessed it fly in over the berm, out over the mudflats directly over the peeps, and dive down on the birds, it then chased them out over the water before giving up and gliding back towards the beach. I got the impression it was an immature Northern Harrier as most Harriers don’t chase the peeps. The Peregrines however often came in from Taylor’s Island or up by the Marsh and rip past the mudflat kicking up the birds, then arching high before turning and zeroing in for a kill with the birds in flight. There was a fisherman near the channel by the berm and this seemed to effect the birds when the tide was beginning to reverse, but at the mudflats it’s more about the birds feeding then roosting so likely not a huge issue.
General note: With school back in swing the beach is relatively quiet weekdays of people, just a handful and most respect the area where the birds are found. I still believe that educating the public is the way to move forward, as there are more people making choices towards helping the birds then those who don’t. The individual who was viewing the birds trying to intercede with the dog walkers is an example of this.
Human Activity
- People Engaged: 5
- Total People on Beach: 4
- Dogs leashed: 2
- Dogs unleashed: 2
- Kites: 0
- Fisherman: 1 (by mudflats)
Counter/Educator: Paul Martin
The Shorebird Conservation and Education Project is supported by our funders at the NB Wildlife Trust Fund, the NB Environmental Trust Fund and Birds Canada.