Report created by Paul Martin, Shorebird Counter and Educator for the Shorebird Conservation and Education Project with the Saint John Naturalists Club.
Start Time: 6:00 AM
High Tide: 7:55 AM
Finish Time: 11:00 AM
Weather:
Start: 10°C, Clear Skies, Wind 24 km/h NNW
Finish: 16°C, Clear Skies, Wind 19 km/h NNW
Board Walk (6:00 AM) – Birds Observed: (View eBird Checklist)
Mallard, American Black Duck, Common Eider, Common Goldeneye, Black-bellied Plover, Killdeer, Semipalmated Plover, Wilson’s Snipe, Solitary Sandpiper, Lesser Yellowlegs, Least Sandpiper, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Ring-billed Gull, American Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Double-crested Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Peregrine Falcon, Cape May Warbler
Marsh (7:39 AM) – Birds Observed: (View eBird Checklist)
Canada Goose, Mallard, American Black Duck, Killdeer, Semipalmated Plover, Lesser Yellowlegs, Greater Yellowlegs, Ruddy Turnstone, Least Sandpiper, Ring-billed Gull, American Herring Gull, Double-crested Cormorant, Great Egret, Great Blue Heron, Osprey, Northern Harrier, Peregrine Falcon, American Crow, Tree Swallow, Barn Swallow, Cliff Swallow, European Starling, American Goldfinch, Nelson’s Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow
Main Beach (8:54 AM) – Birds Observed: (View eBird Checklist)
Black-bellied Plover, Semipalmated Plover, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Least Sandpiper, Merlin, Northern Harrier, American Herring Gull, Double-crested Cormorant
Mudflats (10:05 AM) – Birds Observed: (View eBird Checklist)
Black-bellied Plover, Semipalmated Plover, Short-billed Dowitcher, Solitary Sandpiper, Lesser Yellowlegs, Greater Yellowlegs, Least Sandpiper, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Ring-billed Gull, American Herring Gull, Double-crested Cormorant, Bald Eagle, Peregrine Falcon
Notes:
Located 2 dead gulls on Main Beach and a sick (near-death) Canada Goose on marsh, which was reported to Irving staff.
High tide was 7 m; the marsh had more activity than the beach during the high tide period.
Finalized timing for students from the Maritime Forestry School to attend Fish & Wildlife program training on Wednesday and Thursday, August 20 and 21.
Numbers of sandpipers on the beach are beginning to increase, but many peeps of all three species were staying in the marsh, some close to sandy area, others further in amongst the tall eel grasses.
I went early today to see what movements were going on along the river before the tide rose, peeps were quite active, moving up and down the river.
Due to the fire ban, Irving Nature Park has restricted vehicle access to the parking lot outside the gate to Taylor’s Island. Visitors were allowed to use the trails at their own risk.
People Engaged: 0
Total People on Beach: 3
Dogs Leashed: 1
Dogs Unleashed: 1
Kites: 0
Fisherman: 1 (heading down to mudflats as I was leaving)
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.