Shorebird Counter and Educator Report for Thursday, September 3, 2026 as part of the Shorebird Conservation and Education Project, located at Irving Nature Park in Saint John, NB.
Conditions:
Start: 01:30 PM
Weather: 19°C, Overcast, Wind 15 NNE
High Tide: 04:54 PM
End: 06:30 PM
Weather: 17°C, Overcast, Wind 20 NE
Beach Engagement & Observations:
People Engaged 1
Total People on Beach 3
Dogs Leashed 1
Dogs Unleashed 2
Anglers 1
Birds Observed:
Boardwalk
Time 04:46 PM
eBird Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S389485384
# Species Observed 15
Canada Goose 4 Mallard 1 American Black Duck 7 Green-winged Teal 2 Common Eider 9 Short-billed Dowitcher 12 Lesser Yellowlegs 5 Greater Yellowlegs 4 Least Sandpiper 11 Ring-billed Gull 162 American Herring Gull 49 Double-crested Cormorant 72 Great Egret 1 Great Blue Heron 7 Merlin 1
Notes / Comments:
High tide and began dropping, drizzle to rain
Main Beach
Time 03:40 PM
eBird Checklist Link https://ebird.org/checklist/S389484884
# Species Observed 7
Semipalmated Plover 21 Least Sandpiper 48 Semipalmated Sandpiper 88 peep sp. 100 American Herring Gull 7 Double-crested Cormorant 3 Merlin 2 Peregrine Falcon 1
Notes / Comments:
Rain then drizzle then more rain
100 peeps flew out to Magawagonish Island, not a lot of peeps on beach, mostly dug in due to weather and aggressive Merlin’s and a Peregrine.
Marsh
Time 02:51 PM
eBird Checklist Link https://ebird.org/checklist/S389484357
# Species Observed 16
Canada Goose 16 Mallard 2 Mallard (Domestic type / Exotic: Escapee) 1 American Black Duck 22 Green-winged Teal 2 Semipalmated Plover 4 Lesser Yellowlegs 4 Greater Yellowlegs 3 Least Sandpiper 2 Ring-billed Gull 1 American Herring Gull 16 Double-crested Cormorant 8 Great Egret 1 Great Blue Heron 1 Osprey 2 Peregrine Falcon 1 American Crow 9
Notes / Comments:
Misty and then rain
Peregrine and Northern Harrier active in Marsh
Mudflats
Time 01:40 PM
eBird Checklist Link https://ebird.org/checklist/S389483413
# Species Observed 16
Canada Goose 10 Common Eider 3 Semipalmated Plover 120 Greater Yellowlegs 1 Ruddy Turnstone 1 Least Sandpiper 28 Semipalmated Sandpiper 1100 peep sp. 960 Ring-billed Gull 38 American Herring Gull 25 Great Black-backed Gull 2 Double-crested Cormorant 13 Great Egret 1 Great Blue Heron 5 Merlin 1 Peregrine Falcon 2 American Crow 5
Notes / Comments (Mudflats):
Peregrine was active over mudflats, large numbers of Peeps 1200 went over Taylor Island , 1000 went up through the marsh and a small flock of 60 flew towards Lorneville.
Misty then cleared up but you could see the rain coming.
Overall Report Comments or Notes:
It was a wet day, started off in the mudflats, then the marsh, main beach and finished on boardwalk. There was a large number of birds shy of 3000 at mudflats but they didn’t hang out on marsh or beach. Not sure where they went.
Submitted by 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.