Report created by Paul Martin, Shorebird Counter and Educator for the Shorebird Conservation and Education Project with the Saint John Naturalists Club.
Start time: 11:10 am
High tide: 1:02 pm (7.2 M)
Finish time: 5:30 pm
Weather:
Start: 16°C, scattered cloud, Wind: 18 km/h SW
Finish: 16°C, passing clouds, Wind: 23 km/h SW
East Beach (11:17 am) View full eBird Checklist
7 Species: Black-bellied Plover, Least Sandpiper, Semipalmated Sandpiper, American Herring Gull, Double-crested Cormorant, American Crow, Osprey
Main Beach (12:07 pm) View full eBird Checklist
5 Species: Sanderling, Black-bellied Plover, Ring-billed Gull, Savannah Sparrow, Osprey
Marsh (12:39 pm) View full eBird Checklist
15 Species: Canada Goose, Mallard, American Black Duck, American Herring Gull, Ring-billed Gull, Turkey Vulture, American Crow, American Pipit, Horned Lark, Savannah Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Least Sandpiper, Pectoral Sandpiper, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret
Irving Nature Park Tidal Flats (2:03 pm) View full eBird Checklist
12 Species: Canada Goose, American Black Duck, Common Eider, Red-throated Loon, Double-crested Cormorant, American Herring Gull, Ring-billed Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, American Crow, American Pipit
Mudflats Middle Section (3:55 pm) View full eBird Checklist
7 Species: American Herring Gull, Ring-billed Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Black-bellied Plover
Disturbances to Birds:
Other than the Osprey there were no birds of prey seen today. At one point all the Gulls and Cormorants left the Berm at the Mudflats, I was expecting a Bald Eagle but did not see one. The beach was pretty quiet, not just for birds but people too.
The marsh had the most shorebirds. I could hear leasts before I saw them, I think there may have been more leasts in the marsh. The winds were strong and may be why the birds were not on the flats, but I believe most of the flocks have flown South with the North winds over the last couple of days. We will see if the numbers change tomorrow.
With such low numbers of shorebirds left, we have stopped putting out the signs and my focus is totally on counting birds and ID. The 2 people I talked to wanted to know more about Saint John Nature Club, possibility of volunteering for different activities. I gave them a Saint John Nature business card.
People Engaged: 2
Total People on Beach: 5
Dogs leashed: 1
Dogs unleashed: 0
Counter/Educator: Paul Martin
The Shorebird Conservation and Education Project is supported by our funders: the NB Wildlife Trust Fund, the NB Environmental Trust Fund, and Birds Canada.