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: 10:45 am
High tide: 12:53 am (8M)
Finish time: 4:00 pm
Weather:
Start: 17 Deg Cel, Cloudy, Wind 19 km/h West
Finish: 18 Deg Cel, Cloudy, Wind 15 km/h SW
Bird Observations
Boardwalk (10:50 am) – 9 Species View eBird Report
American Black Duck, American Herring Gull, Ring-billed Gull, Double-crested Cormorant, Great Egret, Great Blue Heron, Turkey Vulture, Northern Harrier, American Crow
Marsh (11:40 am) – 15 Species View eBird Report
Canada Goose, American Black Duck, Mallard, Semipalmated Plover, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Least Sandpiper, Lesser Yellowlegs, American Herring Gull, Great Blue Heron, Savannah Sparrow, Bald Eagle, Merlin, American Crow
Main Beach (12:45 pm) – 4 Species View eBird Report
Semipalmated Sandpiper, Least Sandpiper, Sanderling, White-rumped Sandpiper
Mudflats (2:15 pm) – 18 Species View eBird Report
Mallard, Black-bellied Plover, Semipalmated Plover, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Least Sandpiper, Sanderling, Dunlin, White-rumped Sandpiper, American Herring Gull, Ring-billed Gull, Bonaparte’s Gull, Great Egret, Great Blue Heron, Peregrine Falcon, Double-crested Cormorant, Turkey Vulture, Bald Eagle, American Crow
Disturbances to Birds
- Boardwalk: Drone, Northern Harrier
- Marsh: Bald Eagle and Merlin. Full Moon therefore the tide was high pushing birds out of the marsh.
- Main Beach: People walking the beach, most slowed down and tried to avoid the flocks. Some dogs on the beach were not leashed but owners kept them away from the cobble area. One fisherman who I talked to last week, who said he would try moving, was back to the spot but was fishing before high tide and by high tide had left. There was a drone flying; we first saw it at boardwalk and then again over the beach where it spooked the flock a couple of times. On leaving the beach I met the controller and told him that drones are banned from the park and that it also disturbs the peeps so could he please refrain from flying it around them. He thanked me, said he did not know. I stopped in at the barn and talked to Irving Staff about the drone and they thanked me, said that drones are definitely not allowed in the park.
- Mudflats: Two Peregrines were kicking up the flocks of peeps, a Bald Eagle kept disrupting the gulls, and a Northern Harrier was bordering the marsh. Also a coyote was skirting both the marsh and the berm.
General note: With school back in swing the beach is relatively quiet weekdays of people, just a handful and most respect the area where the birds are found. Today I witnessed many people choose to give the birds space, even the fishermen decided to leave early.
Annie Tremblay accompanied me for the entire day as my volunteer, she enjoyed the day, was helpful, and learned some new birding aspects.
Human Activity
- People Engaged: 10
- Total People on Beach: 15
- Dogs leashed: 2
- Dogs unleashed: 2
- Kites: 0
- Fisherman: 1 near cobble but left before high tide
Counter/Educator: Paul Martin
Volunteer: Annie Tremblay
The Shorebird Conservation and Education Project is supported by our funders: the NB Wildlife Trust Fund, the NB Environmental Trust Fund, and Birds Canada.