Shorebird Counter and Educator Report for Friday, September 4, 2026 as part of the Shorebird Conservation and Education Project, located at Irving Nature Park in Saint John, NB.
Conditions:
Start: 01:45 PM
Weather: 19°C, Overcast, Wind 18 NW
High Tide: 05:54 PM
End: 07:10 PM
Weather: 19°C, Partly Cloudy, Wind 14 N
Beach Engagement & Observations:
People Engaged 9
Total People on Beach 7
Dogs Leashed 2
Dogs Unleashed 1
Anglers 1
Monarchs 1
Birds Observed:
Boardwalk
Notes / Comments:
Boardwalk not done today
East Beach
Time 03:19 PM
eBird Checklist Link https://ebird.org/checklist/S389753025
# Species Observed 11
Common Eider 5 Semipalmated Plover 91 Least Sandpiper 2 Semipalmated Sandpiper 31 peep sp. 100 Glaucous Gull 1 Great Blue Heron 1 Osprey 3 Bald Eagle 1 Merlin 1 American Crow 1 Common Raven 2
Notes / Comments:
100 peeps seen out at Magawagonish Island
Peep numbers seem low on beach.
Main Beach
Time 05:08 PM
eBird Checklist Link https://ebird.org/checklist/S389753467
# Species Observed 6
Semipalmated Plover 2 Dunlin 1 White-rumped Sandpiper 2 Least Sandpiper 226 Semipalmated Sandpiper 21 peep sp. 55 Ring-billed Gull 2
Notes / Comments:
Puzzled about numbers on beach vs numbers in mudflats, but thinking birds might be hiding in tall grass at top of beach due to high predation by falcons.
Marsh
Time 06:13 PM
eBird Checklist Link https://ebird.org/checklist/S389755063
# Species Observed 20
Canada Goose 26 Mallard 1 American Black Duck 7 Killdeer 1 Lesser Yellowlegs 3 Greater Yellowlegs 2 Buff-breasted Sandpiper 1 Least Sandpiper 13 Pectoral Sandpiper 1 Ring-billed Gull 38 American Herring Gull 6 Double-crested Cormorant 3 Great Egret 2 Great Blue Heron 4 Northern Harrier 1 Merlin 1 Peregrine Falcon 2 American Crow 7 American Pipit 1 Savannah Sparrow 2
Notes / Comments:
The Marsh was the last section we did today, high tide was close to sunset so we did not finish after high tide but finished in the Marsh.
Mudflats
Time 02:10 PM
eBird Checklist Link https://ebird.org/checklist/S389752219
# Species Observed 11
Black-bellied Plover 22 Semipalmated Plover 65 Semipalmated Sandpiper 2000 peep sp. 650 shorebird sp. 4 Ring-billed Gull 85 American Herring Gull 79 Great Black-backed Gull 2 Double-crested Cormorant 12 Great Egret 1 Great Blue Heron 5 American Crow 3 Common Raven 2
Notes / Comments (Mudflats):
Due to tide being close to sunset, we started at the mudflats, there was a large presence of peeps on mudflats, was difficult to get an accurate count, there was a couple there from Quebec who were there earlier in the day, they say that there were over 5000 peeps. The question is where are they going because they are not in big numbers on the beach or on the marsh.
Overall Report Comments or Notes:
Tawnee joined me for the count today, we surveyed the Mudflats, East Beach, Main Beach and finished on the Marsh. Large numbers on the mudflats, but not elsewhere, was puzzling.
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.