{"id":11193,"date":"2023-09-19T10:27:48","date_gmt":"2023-09-19T16:27:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.eagle-eye.com\/?p=11193"},"modified":"2024-06-20T14:21:51","modified_gmt":"2024-06-20T20:21:51","slug":"new-brunswick-grand-manan-trip-report-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.eagle-eye.com\/blog\/new-brunswick-grand-manan-trip-report-2023\/","title":{"rendered":"New Brunswick & Grand Manan Trip Report 2023"},"content":{"rendered":"

Guides Jared Clarke & Dominic Cormier<\/b><\/p>\n

Our group of ten nature lovers and two guides explored birding hotspots across New Brunswick (including the beautiful island of Grand Manan) from August 11-20.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

New Brunswick has a lot to offer in late summer \u2013 lush boreal forests, spectacular shorebird migration and tons of seabirds just to name a few. This tour to New Brunswick & Grand Manan<\/a> is a wonderful way to sample it all.<\/span><\/p>\n

August 11-13: Bay of Fundy (Saint John to Johnson Mills)<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Our group met in Saint John \u2013 the perfect hub to serve as a beginning, middle and end for our New Brunswick tour. We quickly got acquainted over dinner at a nearby restaurant where the fish & chips were fresh and tasty. For those who love seafood, Atlantic Canada has plenty to sample.<\/span><\/p>\n

We spent our first morning exploring the beautiful forests of Fundy National Park. Resident species like Golden-crowned Kinglet and Black-capped Chickadee were joined by others preparing for their big fall migration \u2013 such as Hermit Thrush, Blue-headed Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, Blackburnian & Black-throated Green Warblers. A family of American Black Ducks lounged on a secluded pond, surrounded by pitcher plants and an abundance of tasty berries. <\/span><\/p>\n

Other fun finds included an Ovenbird foraging on the shady forest floor, and our first flocks of White-winged Crossbills flying over and calling from the treetops at several stops. After lunch, we headed to the Fundy coast and observed the famous low tides at Mary\u2019s Point Bird Sanctuary. Large numbers of shorebirds (mostly Semipalmated Sandpipers) were spread out as far as the eye could see, foraging and bulking up for a long journey south. A Sharp-shinned Hawk careened over the treetops, and several Cliff Swallows darted back and forth to their busy nests. Heading back to the vehicles, we stopped to listen to the unique song of a Nelson\u2019s Sparrow teasing us from the trailside marsh. A brilliantly patterned Calligraphy Beetle was also a neat and unexpected find.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Caribou

Caribou Plains \u00a9 Jared Clarke<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Calligraphy

Calligraphy Beetle \u00a9 Jared Clarke<\/p><\/div>\n

The next morning found us on the other side of Shepody Bay at the Johnson Mills Shorebird Reserve \u2013 just in time for the spectacle we were all anticipating. Arriving an hour before high tide, we were awed by the sight of many thousands of Semipalmated Sandpipers, along with smaller numbers of Least Sandpiper, White-rumped Sandpiper and Semipalmated Plovers, foraging on the vast mudflats as the tide rushed in. <\/span><\/p>\n

The number swelled along with the waters until eventually ~65,000 (as estimated by Nature Conservancy Canada staff) of these little birds were huddled together on a narrow strip or remaining beach!! The truly amazing moments came as they took flight, forming huge murmurations that swirled and floated and twisted above the bay with incredible art and precision. These flights were sometimes triggered by the arrival of as many as THREE hungry Peregrine Falcons looking for lunch, other times for reasons unclear to us. Perhaps they just enjoyed entertaining us!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Semipalmated

Semipalmated Sandpipers at Johnson Mills \u00a9 Jared Clarke<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Semipalmated

Semipalmated Sandpipers flying \u00a9 Jared Clarke<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Semipalmated

Semipalmated Sandpipers murmuration \u00a9 Jared Clarke<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n