Shorebird Counter and Educator Report for Tuesday, September 8, 2026 as part of the Shorebird Conservation and Education Project, located at Irving Nature Park in Saint John, NB.
Conditions:
Start: 08:00 AM
Weather: 15°C, Overcast, Wind 20 NW
High Tide: 10:09 AM
End: 01:00 AM
Weather: 20°C, Partly Cloudy, Wind 22 NW
Beach Engagement & Observations:
People Engaged 4
Total People on Beach 8
Dogs Leashed 2
Dogs Unleashed 2
Birds Observed:
Boardwalk
Notes / Comments:
Boardwalk not surveyed
East Beach
Notes / Comments:
Not surveyed
Main Beach
Time 09:05 AM
eBird Checklist Link https://ebird.org/checklist/S391100282
# Species Observed 8
- Canada Goose 1
- American Black Duck 1
- Semipalmated Plover 7
- Least Sandpiper 138
- Semipalmated Sandpiper 373
- peep sp. 65
- American Herring Gull 5
- Great Black-backed Gull 1
- Double-crested Cormorant 2
Notes / Comments:
The dogs that were leashed were the dogs that were unleashed, the owners had them on leash on main beach, then moving up the East Beach they unleashed them but before coming to the corner where birds are most often they re-leashed the dogs. I see this as compromising to work with the birds, it’s a step in the right direction. I spent a considerable amount of time on the beach and at 3 points approached the grass on the beach, I heard peeps within but had no way of checking numbers unless flushing which I did not do.
Photo Description Peeps, mainly Semipalmated Sandpiper
Marsh
Time 08:00 AM
eBird Checklist Link https://ebird.org/checklist/S391099696
# Species Observed 19
- Canada Goose 36
- Gadwall 2
- Mallard 14
- American Black Duck 15
- Green-winged Teal 3
- Lesser Yellowlegs 1
- Greater Yellowlegs 1
- Least Sandpiper 2
- Ring-billed Gull 3
- American Herring Gull 18
- Double-crested Cormorant 7
- Great Egret 5
- Great Blue Heron 1
- Northern Harrier 2
- Merlin 1
- Peregrine Falcon 1
- American Crow 13
- Savannah Sparrow 4
- Song Sparrow 2
Notes / Comments:
Peregrine and Northern Harrier were actively hunting on beach
Photo Description Least Sandpiper on river in Marsh
Mudflats
Time 11:01 AM
eBird Checklist Link https://ebird.org/checklist/S391101676
# Species Observed 17
- Black-bellied Plover 2
- Semipalmated Plover 14
- Pectoral Sandpiper 2
- Semipalmated Sandpiper 1733
- peep sp. 515
- Ring-billed Gull 168
- American Herring Gull 88
- Great Black-backed Gull 3
- gull sp. 16
- Caspian Tern 8
- Double-crested Cormorant 32
- Great Egret 1
- Turkey Vulture 1
- Osprey 2
- Northern Harrier 1
- Bald Eagle 1
- Merlin 1
- Peregrine Falcon 2
- American Crow 4
Notes / Comments (Mudflats):
The mudflats started off slow with a small number of peeps but as the tide moved out we had numbers begin to climb from multiple small flocks joining the feeding birds, the entire numbers came from the small flocks flying in from the marsh.
Overall Report Comments or Notes:
The numbers of juvenile birds are beginning to grow, but many are not visible on the main beach though they may be hiding in the grasses.
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.