Report created by Paul Martin, Shorebird Counter and Educator for the Shorebird Conservation and Education Project with the Saint John Naturalists Club.
Location: Irving Nature Park
Start time: 1:30 pm
High tide: 7:02 pm (7.4 M)
Finish time: 7:20 pm
Weather:
Start: 22 Deg Cel, Cloudy, Wind: 11 km/h North
Finish: 19 Deg Cel, Sunny, Wind: 17 km/h SSW
Mudflats (1:57 pm) View eBird Checklist
13 Species: Green-winged Teal, Semipalmated Plover, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Least Sandpiper, Ring-billed Gull, American Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Double-crested Cormorant, Bald Eagle, Northern Harrier, Peregrine Falcon, Great Blue Heron, American Crow.
Boardwalk (3:53 pm) View eBird Checklist
11 Species: American Black Duck, Canada Goose, Least Sandpiper, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Ring-billed Gull, American Herring Gull, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Double-crested Cormorant, American Crow, Northern Harrier.
Marsh (5:07 pm) View eBird Checklist
10 Species: Canada Goose, American Black Duck, Killdeer, Semipalmated Plover, Ring-billed Gull, American Herring Gull, Great Egret, Great Blue Heron, American Crow, Savannah Sparrow.
Main Beach (6:00 pm) View eBird Checklist
6 Species: Sanderling, Least Sandpiper, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Ring-billed Gull, American Herring Gull, Red-throated Loon.
Disturbances to Birds:
- Mudflats: Upon my arrival an immature Bald Eagle took flight and scared up the gulls, then 2 Peregrine falcons took chase of a single SESA which blasted past me into the woods. One Peregrine stopped and turned straight in front of me and the 2nd went into the woods in chase (the SESA came out from behind me about 10 min later). The 3rd Peregrine, while these 2 were pursuing the bird, could be seen kicking up other peeps out on the flats.
- Boardwalk: Northern Harrier was skimming along the edge of the creek. I kept seeing peeps moving off from where they were on the shoreline but the Harrier did not pursue. A UNB Prof and Grad Students were in marsh by boardwalk collecting fish samples, no birds would go near their location.
- Main Beach: No birds of prey seen. There was a high number of Ring-billed Gulls chasing insects which might keep numbers of peeps low on beach, but few peeps seen. A dog owner walked through without any care of the birds even after talking to him, but he did put his dog on the leash, then continued right through birds. I did have 2 couples willing to try to avoid the birds, so not a total loss.
Main Beach
- People Engaged: 9
- Total People on Beach: 18
- Dogs leashed: 1
- Dogs unleashed: 3 (one was extremely tiny on boardwalk, 2nd was fetching ball in water on E. Beach, 3rd owners and dog walking right through birds, dog wasn’t interested in birds but I asked him to put his dog on leash and explained why, he was indifferent towards birds but complied with dog on leash.)
- Fisherman: 0
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.