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: 12:44 pm
High tide: 3:24 pm (7.5M)
Finish time: 6:20 pm
Weather:
Start: 22°C, Cloudy, Wind 9 km/h SSW
Finish: 20°C, Sunny, Wind 17 km/h SW
Observations
Boardwalk (12:44 pm) – 12 species: View eBird Report
American Black Duck, Black-bellied Plover, Semipalmated Plover, Least Sandpiper, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Greater Yellowlegs, Ring-billed Gull, American Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Great Egret, Great Blue Heron, Bald Eagle
Marsh (1:34 pm) – 9 species: View eBird Report
American Black Duck, Least Sandpiper, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Semipalmated Plover, Sanderling, Ring-billed Gull, American Herring Gull, Great Blue Heron, Northern Harrier
Main Beach (3:00 pm) – 9 species: View eBird Report
Semipalmated Sandpiper, Least Sandpiper, White-rumped Sandpiper, Sanderling, Semipalmated Plover, Ruddy Turnstone, American Herring Gull, Double-crested Cormorant, Peregrine Falcon
Mudflats (4:57 pm) – 15 species: View eBird Report
American Black Duck, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Semipalmated Plover, Least Sandpiper, Sanderling, Ring-billed Gull, American Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Bonaparte’s Gull, Great Egret, Great Blue Heron, Bald Eagle, Peregrine Falcon, American Crow, Tree Swallow
Disturbances to Birds
- Dog running loose on beach
- Peregrine Falcons chasing peeps on marsh, beach, and mudflats (witnessed kills)
- Irving staff reported dead plover at end of boardwalk
- Northern Harrier flying low over peeps on marsh
- Bald Eagle disturbing gulls on mudflats
- Gull mobbing immature Bald Eagle over marsh
With the woods open, the gates are open and more people going directly into the park, therefore fewer were on the beach.
Human Activity
People engaged: 38 (many on boardwalk)
Total people on beach: 30
Dogs leashed: 4
Dogs unleashed: 2
Kites: 0
Fishermen: 1 (warned; Julie’s in-laws were very helpful, explained fishermen tend to move onto that part of beach due to current)
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.