Hello everyone! It’s been a while, but I am so happy to be back. I’ve missed hearing from all of you and looked over this past year’s shorebird survey re- sults and letters with great interest. As you know, there have been quite a few changes over the last few years. Peter Hicklin has retired and Kate Robinson is now in South Africa conducting research on African Penguins for her Masters degree. As for me, after two years dedicating my time to landbirds, I am now returning to the shorebird program to stay as on Shorebird Biologist for the Atlantic Region. In the last few months, I have been busy developing a shorebird program for the region in which you will all continue to play a crucial role. ACSS volun- teers have provided Environment Canada with shorebird migration informa- tion in Atlantic Canada since 1974, and this data continues to be our best tool to evaluate shorebird population trends along the Atlantic Flyway. In this issue of Calidris, you will learn about the Ontario Shorebird Survey (OSS) and about opportunities to participate in the International Piping Plover Cen- sus this spring. I will also invite you to participate in a special effort to gather information on Red Knots in the Maritime Provinces. Happy shorebirding to all in 2011! Julie In this issue of Calidris: International Shorebird News…....………........ 2 Local Shorebird News….….….......................... 2 Web Tools Available......................................... 3 Learning about shorebirds…………………….. 3 The Ontario Shorebird Survey........................... 4 Red Knots in the Maritimes……………………. 5 Piping Plover: the road to recovery................... 6 Banded Shorebirds…………………………….. 8 Available MSS Sites…………………….……… 9 Purple Sandpiper Winter Surveys……....…..... 10 Photo Gallery…………………….……...……. 11 The 2010 Survey Results……………….…….. 12 CALIDRIS The Maritimes Shorebird Survey Annual Report Canadian Wildlife Service Calidris No. 19, March 2011 Dear shorebirding friends! Yellowlegs at Rotary Park, Bouctouche, NB. Page 2 Calidris No. 19, March 2011 Local Shorebird News International Shorebird News—Mexico See WHSRN News for more details http://www.whsrn.org/current-whsrnews On 14 December 2010, the Mexican Federal Government announced the inclusion of four shorebird species or subspecies on its Endangered Species List, bringing them under federal protection. Two of the shorebirds are listed as Endangered; the frazari subspecies of American Oystercatcher (Haematopus palliatus) and the rose- laari subspecies of Red Knot (Calidris canutus) while two are listed as Threatened; the nivosus subspecies of Snowy Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus) and the Black Oystercatcher (Haematopus bachmani). Because members of the Northwest Mexico Bird Group (GANO) have conducted coordinated monitoring ac- tivities in past years, they were able to provide the scientific evidence for the successful proposal of these shorebirds for federal protection. The partners involved in GANO form a diverse group of ornithologists and conservationists from federal and state government agencies, nongovernmental organizations, and research centers throughout Northwest Mexico. Federally protecting these declining shorebird species is a major step forward for the regional conservation strategy established by partners in Northwest Mexico, a focus region of the Shorebird Recovery Project led by the Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences. This effort was made possible, in large part, by financial sup- port from the Ramsar Secretariat, Copper River International Migratory Bird Initiative (CRIMBI), and Mex- ico’s National Commission for Natural Protected Areas (CONANP). A huge round of applause for the volunteers that have taken on new survey sites! The new sites and their surveyors are: Cape Caissie, NB—Clarence Cormier Jack’s Cove, NB, Seal Cove, NB and Woodword’s Cove, NB—Roger Burrows Marais Riverview, NB—Roger Leblanc Point du Chêne, NB—Richard Leger Hartlen Point, NS—Mike King Sand Hills Beach, NS—Jerome D’Eon Shaw’s Point, NS—Sid & Betty June Smith Western Head, NS—James R. Hirtle Mason Rd. Stratford, PEI and Teahill, PEI—Fiep de Bie Ward’s Brook Beach, NS—Joan Czapalay Old sites with new surveyors: Pointe-aux-Carr, NB—Leonel Richard Daniels Head, NS —Aileen Smith & Rachel Hoogenbos Point Pleasant Park, NS — Karen Potter The Hawk, NS—Aileen & Julie Smith If you have a new site that you are surveying please let us know and we will be delighted to send you the survey site description forms and more data sheets. Judy Tufts Retires… Judy Tufts has been a regular surveyor for the ACSS since 2002. She surveyed many Nova Scotia sites including Evangeline Beach, Wolfville Harbour Wharf & Sewage Ponds, Windsor Sewage Lagoon and Ridge Road Farm Pond. After 9 years of surveys, she has chosen to retire as a regular surveyor but will continue to contribute in a casual way. Thank you Judy for all your efforts & dedication to the ACSS! http://www.whsrn.org/conservation-plans http://www.whsrn.org/conservation-plans http://www.whsrn.org/conservation-plans%20%20%20 http://www.fs.fed.us/global/wings/birds/crimbi/welcome.htm%20 Page 3 Page 5 Calidris No. 19, March 2011 Learning about shorebirds Web Tools Available NatureInstruct Dendroica http://www.natureinstruct.org/dendroica Dendroica is a new website that was developed with the support from partners in the United States and Mexico. It includes birds from throughout North America and allows participants to contribute by send- ing new photographs and sound recordings, therefore, it will continue to improve over time. It is now avail- able to anyone that wants to register through the web! This ornithological masterpiece is developed to help students, volunteers and professionals improve their skills at identifying birds by sight or by sound, particu- larly so that they can participate in nature surveys and monitoring programs. Dendroica is also a fun tool to explore with your family and friends. All About Birds http://allaboutbirds.org/ All About Birds is a free website created by the Cor- nell Lab of Ornithology serving as an online guide to birds. It contains everything from birding basics to bird behaviours. Bird Apps for iPod or iPhone! You can choose from Sibleys, National Geographic, Peterson’s, iBird and Audubon birds. Very handy! Maritimes Shorebird ID card is a laminated sheet of shorebirds frequently observed in the Maritimes. It has some key features pointed out to help you identify the most common shorebirds in the region. Contact Julie Paquet for your own copy. Also available in French. Shorebird ID Workshops. We are planning on holding at least one shorebird workshop per province in cooperation with numerous partner conservation organisations. Each event will be announced ahead of time and will be free to all participants. We hope to see you there! http://allaboutbirds.org/ http://www.mydigitalearth.com/dproducts/sibleyinfo.html http://www.handheldbirds.com/ http://www.petersonguides.com/ http://www.ibird.com/ http://audubonguides.com/categories/Birds/landing.html Page 4 Calidris No. 19, March 2011 The Ontario Shorebird Survey By Christian Friis Christian.Friis@ec.gc.ca Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment Canada Monitoring of migrant shorebird populations began in 1974 in Canada by the Canadian Wildlife Service, Envi- ronment Canada in Ontario and the Maritimes. The Ontario Shorebird Survey (OSS) is part of a large network of sites of similar programs including the Maritimes Shorebird Survey (now known as the Atlantic Canada Shorebird Survey) and the International Shorebird Survey. These surveys began with the intention of identifying areas important to shorebirds during their spring and autumn migrations over a broad geographic area. Since then, monitoring shorebird populations has become an increasingly important objective. The OSS is unique in that it surveys in-land migrant shorebirds. In fact, it is the only survey of its kind in Canada to do so. The Canadian Wildlife Service coordinates and manages the data of the OSS. Field work is carried out by vol- unteers who attempt to visit sites every two weeks between late April and early June in spring, and between late July and late October in autumn. Sites have been chosen by volunteers, normally as locations where shorebirds were found in good numbers or because of easy access. Despite this bias, sites are well distributed across the province (Figure 1). Many sites are located along the shores of the Great Lakes, while others are found at local sewage lagoons. As a result of the spread of sites across the province, we can understand better shorebird distribution and migration. In addition, the dependence of shorebirds on coastal and wetland habitats makes them an excellent indicator of the health of an environ- ment on which many human activities depend. Today, the need to continue gathering information is still strong, especially in light of recent indications that numbers of several shorebird species are declining in eastern Canada and the U.S. – information obtained through analy- sis of data from the shorebird surveys conducted across North America (Howe et al. 1989, Morrison et al. 1994, Morri- son et al. 2001). A recent re-analysis of the OSS data from 1974-2009 indicated that declining trends, identified about 10 years ago in a previous analysis (Ross et al. 2001), continue today and are potentially more severe. For example, six species showed significant declines in the last 20 years. Included here are all boreal and temperate breeding shorebirds, with the exception of Spotted Sandpiper, found in Ontario. Participation of volunteers in the OSS has made a real contribution to the future conservation of shorebirds and wetlands in Ontario. Additionally, this data, joined with data from the ACSS and the ISS has helped illustrate regional trends of migrating shore- birds throughout North America References Ross, R.K., J. Pedlar, R.I.G. Morrison. 2001. Trends in shorebird populations migrating through southern Ontario. Bird Trends 8:24-25. Howe, M.A., P.H. Geissler, and B.A. Harrington. 1989. Population trends of North American shore- birds based on the International Shorebird Survey. Biological Conservation 49:185-199. Morrison, R.I.G., C. Downes, and B. Collins. 1994. Population trends of shorebirds on fall migra- tion in eastern Canada 1974-1991. Wilson Bulletin 106:431-447. Morrison, R.I.G., Y. Aubry, R.W. Butler, G.W. Beyersbergen, G.M. Donaldson, C.L. Gratto- Trevor, P. Hicklin, V.H. Johnston, and R.K. Ross. 2001. Declines in North American shorebird populations. Wader Study Group Bulletin 94:34-38. Map of Ontario Shorebird Survey site locations. mailto:Christian.Friis@ec.gc.ca Page 5 Calidris No. 19, March 2011 Red Knots in the Maritimes…a challenge! As some of you may already know, the Red Knot (rufa sub- species) is experiencing steep population declines throughout it’s range, with a 70% decline in abundance over the past three generations (15 years). Despite intensive studies, the reasons for the population decline are imperfectly known (Niles et al. 2007). However, the main identified threat to the rufa population is the reduced availability of horseshoe crab eggs in Delaware Bay due to overfishing of adult crabs for bait by the eel and conch fishing industries. It is also likely that there are other threats to rufa and that these are the cause of some birds arriving in the Delaware Bay late/or in poor condition. In 2007, the Red Knot rufa was assessed as Endangered in Canada by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wild- life in Canada (COSEWIC) and it is currently ‘under consideration’ to be added to schedule 1 of the Federal Species at Risk Act (SARA). Red Knot rufa was also listed as Endangered in Nova Scotia under the Nova Scotia Endangered Species Act in 2007. In Atlantic Canada, Red Knots have been observed in every prov- ince during fall migration since the beginning of the MSS in 1974, but the average number of birds observed has decreased over the years (Figure 1.). The largest group of Red Knot ever observed in the region was assessed at 525 individuals in 1979 at Mary’s Point in New Brunswick. More recently, 387 knots were observed at Maisonette Dune in 1999 and 350 were observed at Cape Sable in 2000. Between 200 and 300 birds were seen on a regular basis in Malpeque and Bedeque Bay, PEI from 1993 to 2001. Additional sites with over 200 knots seen over the years include Mal Bay South (NB), The Hawk (NS), Cape Jourimain (NB), Ile Lameque (NB), Salutation Cove (PE), Rice Point (PE) and Covehead & Brackley Marshes (PE). However, out of all the sites mentioned above, only one (Covehead and Brackley Marsh) has been surveyed with any regularity in the last decade. This brings me to the challenge! Over the course of the next few years, I am going to make an effort to visit most of the sites mentioned above as often as possible to assess whether Red Knots still use them, and I am asking all of you keeners out there to do the same! Even if you do not visit the sites regularly, any Red Knot observations (or non- observations) you make is important. For example, if you happen to go on vacation on the Acadian Peninsula in August and have the time and inclination, please visit Maisonette Dune to see what you can find, even if it is not your regular site. If you would like a list of sites to focus on in your area, just send me an email and I will happily provide one. Let the search begin! 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 1 9 7 4 1 9 7 7 1 9 8 0 1 9 8 3 1 9 8 6 1 9 8 9 1 9 9 2 1 9 9 5 1 9 9 8 2 0 0 1 2 0 0 4 2 0 0 7 2 0 1 0 Year A ve ra ge o f co u n t Figure 1. Average number of Red Knot observed at ACSS survey sites from 1974-2010. Red Knot density in the Maritime Provinces (1974- 2009). Colour indicates density: red = high, white = medium and blue = low. Survey Gap Survey Gap Page 6 Calidris No. 19, March 2011 Piping Plover: the road to recovery By Sue Abbott, Bird Studies Canada and Jen Rock, Environment Canada How are they doing? Piping Plovers were first assessed as endangered by Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) in 1985 and since 2003, the species has been protected under the federal Species at Risk Act (SARA). Re- cent population trends show a slow increase, however, numbers are far from reaching the minimum long-term recovery objective of 620 adults. In 2010, the Eastern Canada population was estimated at 458 adults. Hopes are that in 2011, numbers increase and bring promise of reaching our recovery objectives. 2011: A Big Year for Piping Plovers 2011 is an International census year for Piping Plovers and this means that field crews will be working hard to survey all potential breeding habitats across the species’ range. The idea of the census is to provide a ‘snapshot’ of Piping Plover abundance and distribution. Although population counts are carried out annually, during international census years almost twice as many beaches surveyed here in Atlantic Canada, in efforts to ‘discover’ new plover sites. The first international census took place in 1991 and this effort has continued every five years, hence 2011 will mark the fifth occasion of this initiative. The census takes place during a 10 day window in early June (to be determined) and surveys will be coordinated by local plover Guardian groups. Contact your local Guardian group to get involved! (contact information below) It’s winter, where are they now? Piping Plovers that nest in Atlantic Canada spend their winter months in coastal areas ranging from N. Carolina to islands in the West Indies. Interestingly, there is still much mystery around where these birds spend their winters. Vital research conducted by Environment Canada research scientist, Dr. Cheri Gratto -Trevor, is illuminating our understanding of the Caribbean as an important winter- ing ground for Piping Plovers. To better understand the connectivity between Caribbean wintering and Canadian and U.S. breeding grounds, 57 Piping Plovers were captured and uniquely marked with colour-bands combinations on their legs in The Bahamas during winter 2010. When Piping Plovers returned to Atlantic Canada beaches to breed in 2010, biologists, volunteers and birders carefully checked plover legs for bands and reported band sightings to Dr. Gratto-Trevor. Throughout summer 2010, four Bahamas-banded Piping Plovers were sighted in Atlantic Canada: one at West Mabou, Cape Breton; one at Big Barasway (Burgeo) beach, Newfoundland; one at Plover Grounds and one at Kouchibouguac National Park, New Brunswick. A keen birder spotted the Newfoundland plover during it's migration south at Martinique Beach, Nova Scotia. With the exception of the Newfoundland plover, all were re-sighted back in the Bahamas in November 2010 by plover biologist, Sid Maddock. This banding study is helping fill significant knowledge gaps about Piping Plover wintering areas, and highlights the conservation importance of the Caribbean. Only recently has The Bahamas been identified as an important wintering site for the Atlantic breeding population of Piping Plover. So far The Bahamas ranks third among important wintering sites for Piping Plover, after Texas and Florida. However, survey efforts are patchy across the Caribbean, and only about half of the population has ever been accounted for on the wintering grounds. Colour-banded Piping Plover Sighting (Martinique Beach, NS). Photo by: Paul Evans. Page 7 Calidris No. 19, March 2011 Join the Piping Plover Team in 2011! Atlantic Canada Shorebird Survey volunteers are among the growing team monitoring and conserving Piping Plovers and beach habitat across the Maritimes. Maintaining healthy beach habitat for breeding plovers takes a team and we need more shorebird enthusiasts to help out in 2011. Depending on your skills, interests and commitment level, there are many ways to get involved. You can ‘adopt a plover beach’ for the summer and regularly monitor breeding plovers and share updates with other beach-goers. In early June, you can participate in the fifth International Piping Plover Census to assess the population and distribution of breeding plovers across North America. If you enjoy boating, your help is needed to reach remote island habitat throughout the summer. Training and resources are provided. Read about volunteer opportunities in your region and please contact us to learn more or join our team. 2011 Volunteer Opportunities & Commitment Levels: Regular visits (varies; often multiple days per month) Monitoring (May-Aug): Survey for and monitor breeding Piping Plovers to establish population and breeding success. Education (May-Aug): Share information and plover-friendly tips with beach goers. Multiple days International Census (early Jun): Survey one or more beaches for Piping Plovers during the 2011 International Piping Plover Breeding Census. Island monitoring (May-Aug): Survey island beaches for Piping Plovers to establish presence and breeding success. May require your own boat and safety equipment. Education (May-Aug): Sharing information and plover-friendly tips with beach goers. One day Signage (May, Jun & Aug): Assist with setting up or taking down educational signs, panels, and fencing to protect nesting habitat and, at some beaches, fragile dunes. Contact us NB-Acadian Peninsula: Lewnanny Richardson, Nature NB-Species at Risk Program 506-395-3500; pluvier@nb.aibn.com; www.naturenb.ca NB-Southeast Coast: Michelle Maillet, Irving Ecocentre/La dune de Bouctouche 506-743-2600; niccomax@hotmail.com or ladune@nbnet.nb.ca PEI: Tracy MacDonald, Island Nature Trust 902-892-7513; plovers@islandnaturetrust.ca; www.islandnaturetrust.ca NS: Sue Abbott, Bird Studies Canada 902-222-2880; nsplovers@gmail.com; www.birdscanada.org/volunteer/nsplover Piping Plover volunteer team logo mailto:pluvier@nb.aibn.com http://www.naturenb.ca mailto:niccomax@hotmail.com mailto:ladune@nbnet.nb.ca mailto:plovers@islandnaturetrust.ca http://www.islandnaturetrust.ca mailto:nsplovers@gmail.com http://www.birdscanada.org/volunteer/nsplover Banded Shorebirds: please look for them and report them! Page 8 Calidris No. 19, March 2011 If you see a banded shorebird do your best to identify the band type, colour and any markings. Note their location on the bird (upper or lower leg, left/right, any metal bands under or over). Report color band sightings to: Canadian Bird Banding Office National Wildlife Research Centre Canadian Wildlife Service 1125 Colonel By Drive (Raven Road) Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0H3 Telephone: (613) 998-0524 E-mail: BBO_CWS@ec.gc.ca Colour bands are helping to identify shore- bird migration routes, nesting and wintering areas. The color of the plastic flag bands indicates where they were banded: green USA, white Canada, orange Argentina… Some countries require combinations of two color flags for more information visit: Pan American Shorebird Program (PASP) CWS website: h t t p : / / w w w . e c . g c . c a / p p l - psp/Default.asp?lang=En&n=8A4F799B-1 A flag is a colour band with a tab projecting from it - the tab length can vary What is a flag? Colour band Flag Record as many details as possible and be patient - some of those observations will be providing information useful for the conservation of shorebirds! Photo of a banded Semipalmated Sandpiper courtesy of C. L. Gratto-Trevor; Environment Ca- nada, Canadian Wildlife Service Bands on the Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla) to the left: no flags; white colour band upper left, orange colour band lower left; nothing upper right, metal over yellow colour band lower right. In January 2009, NJ Audubon and colleagues from the Netherlands, French Guiana and Suriname banded over 700 Semipalmated Sandpi- pers in South America. Each bird was fitted with a yellow leg flag bearing a unique three character code that, if subsequently seen by observers, could provide valuable information about migration routes and breeding areas. In 2010, the NJ Audubon team returned to Suri- name and French Guiana to band Semipalmated Sandpipers. This effort resulted in over 1400 birds fitted with the yellow coded leg flags and 400 blood samples to be used for genetic analysis. Please let us know if you see any of these birds! http://www.cws-scf.ec.gc.ca/nwrc-cnrf/default.asp?lang=en&n=8D82A45D-1 http://www.ec.gc.ca/ppl-psp/Default.asp?lang=En&n=8A4F799B-1 http://www.ec.gc.ca/ppl-psp/Default.asp?lang=En&n=8A4F799B-1 Page 9 Calidris No. 19, March 2011 Available Maritimes Shorebird Sites Sites & Areas Currently Requiring Surveyors in the Maritimes New Brunswick Bon Ami Rocks, Dalhousie, Restigouche Co. Bathurst Harbour, Gloucester Co. Strawberry Marsh, Miramichi, Northumberland Co. Quaco Bay, St Martins, Saint John Co. Beaver Harbour, Charlotte, Co. Nova Scotia Fox Harbour, north of Wallace, Cumberland Co. Economy, Colchester Co. Evangeline Beach, Kings Co, Glace Bay, Cape Breton Island, Cape Breton Co. Point Michaud Beach Provincial Park, Richmond Co., Fuller’s Bridge, near Framboise, Richmond Co. Peggy’s Cove, Halifax Co. Cooks Beach, near Yarmouth, Yarmouth Co. Melbourne Lake, near Yarmouth, Yarmouth Co. Prince Edward Island Alberton Harbour & Cascumpec Bay mud- flats, Prince Co. MacCallum's Point & Holman Island, Prince Co. Malpeque Bay, Prince Co. Bedeque Bay, Prince Co. Rice Point mudflats, Queens Co. Cousins Shore, Queens Co. Tracadie Harbour, Queens Co. East Royalty, Hillsborough Queens Co. Rollo Bay, Kings Co. Canavoy Beach, Kings Co. Souris River & Harbour Beach and Mudflats, Kings Co. (could do with more surveyors) St. Peter’s Lake Run, King Co. East Point, Kings Co. To take on a site in the Maritimes please contact Julie Paquet or the Sackville Environment Canada office. Bedeque Bay, PEI. A perfect stop-over for Red Knots... Page 10 Calidris No. 19, March 2011 Highlights from the winter... Thanks to everyone who braved the cold to conduct winter surveys in search of Purple Sandpipers! The Purple Sandpiper is a species of shorebird that regu- larly over-winters in the Maritime Provinces. Winter sur- veys are necessary to monitor their numbers and identify key over-wintering sites. Last winter (November 2009-April 2010), winter-hardy volunteers surveyed along our shorelines for Purple Sand- pipers. It was the third year of winter surveys for Mari- times Shorebird Survey (MSS). Survey efforts by MSS volunteers are the first focused and sustained look at Purple Sandpipers in the Maritime provinces. So here is the full report on the 2009/2010 Winter Purple Sandpiper Survey. With a warm start to the winter in December several other shorebird species were still around. Many shorebird sur- veyors have sent in sightings of killdeer well into Decem- ber! Two Purple Sandpipers were seen at the Christmas Bird Count at Kouchibouguac National Park, NB on Dec 29th, 2010. Birders were surprised to find two Purple Sandpi- pers feeding at Kellys Beach, near approximately 2000 gulls of 5 species. It was quite obvious they were feeding on the surfeit of crustaceans (especially lobster) that had washed up on shore during the big storm of Dec 27th-28th. These gorgeous photos are courtesy of Denis Doucet. Two Dunlin seen by Kathleen Spicer while surveying West Beach Apple River, Nova Scotia Dec. 9, 2010. Photo courtesy of Kathleen Spicer. Purple Sandpiper picking at a Rock Crab at Kouchibou- guac National Park. Photo courtesy of Denis Doucet. If you, or someone you know, wishes to take on the chal- lenge of surveying a site in the winter for Purple Sandpi- pers, or in selecting an upland site, please contact Julie Paquet at ACSS-RORA@ec.gc.ca for more information. Killdeer have been sighted at many locations through out the Maritimes in December 2010. This photo of a Killdeer was taken at Apple River on January 6, 2011 by Kathleen Spicer while she surveyed for shorebirds. Page 11 Calidris No. 19, March 2011 Purple Sandpiper Winter Survey 2009/2010 Results Continued Table 2. Sites surveyed in the winter of 2008/2009 (November 1st 2008 to April 19th 2009) and their surveyors* *For species observed see Table 3 on the next page. Picture Gallery Marbled Godwit at Summerville Beach on Sept. 1, 2010 after Hurricane Earl. Photo courtesy of Ruth Smith. American Golden Plover at Grand Harbour on Grand Manan, NB on September 28, 2010. Photo courtesy of Roger Burrows. Sanderling running along the shore at Sand hills Beach. Photo courtesy of Jerome D’Eon. Ruddy Turnstone in non-breeding plumage. This is the first sighting of this species in St.-Basil. Photo taken by Roy LaPointe in 2010. Hudsonian Godwit on the South Dune of Kouchibouguac National Park. Picture Taken on October 6, 2010 by Paskal Jean. Page 12 Calidris No. 19, March 2011 The 2010 Survey Results Summary of the 2010 Maritimes Shorebird survey …………....p. 13 Surveyors and sites surveyed each season Table 1 - Spring sites surveyed and surveyors…………………...…p. 14 Table 2 - Fall sites surveyed and surveyors………….……………...p. 15 Table 3 - Summer sites surveyed and surveyors…………………....p. 17 Table 4 - Winter sites surveyed and surveyors……………………...p. 18 Species surveyed at each site per season Table 5 - Spring maximum shorebird counts per site surveyed……..p. 19 Table 6 - Fall maximum shorebird counts per site surveyed……...…p. 21 Table 7 - Summer maximum shorebird counts per site surveyed…...p. 24 Table 8 - Winter maximum shorebird counts per site surveyed……..p. 25 Overview As always, thank you to everyone who contributed to the newsletter! A huge thank you goes out to those that wrote articles for our newsletter and all the photographers who gave us permission to use their great shorebird pictures. Most of all, our gratitude goes out to all the volunteers who par- ticipate in the Maritimes Shorebird Survey. It is always a pleas- ure to hear your shorebird news and receive your survey data! Sanderling taken at Sandhills Beach, Nova Scotia. Photo courtesy of Jerome D”Eon. Thank You Page 13 Calidris No. 19, March 2011 Winter So far this winter (November 1st 2010 – March 8th 2011), 64 surveys have been conducted at 17 MSS sites (11 in NB, 5 in NS and 1 in PEI) and a total of 12 shorebird species have been observed. See Table 4 for the winter surveyors that have already sent in some data and see Table 8 for the maximum numbers of shorebird species seen at each site so far. The winter survey for Purple Sandpiper contin- ues. A complete report will feature in the next issue of Calidris. The 2010 Survey Results Spring In the spring of 2010, 43 sites were surveyed for shorebirds in the Maritime Provinces: 19 in New Brunswick, 9 in Nova Scotia and 15 sites in Prince Edward Island. Overall, 115 surveys were con- ducted and 21 shorebird species were observed. We’ve listed the 15 participants and their sites surveyed in Table 1 and the species they observed are shown in Table 5. The site with the highest number of shorebird species in the spring was once again Covehead and Brackley marshes, PEI with 11 spe- cies surveyed by David Seeler. Neguac Dune, NB surveyed by the Piper Project team consisting of Lewnanny Richardson, Nathalie Paulin, Anne Doiron, Francesca Duguay and Catherine Laplante and Cherry Hill Beach, NS surveyed by Sylvia Fullerton followed in second with 6 species. The site that was surveyed the most in the spring was Covehead and Brackley Marshes by David Seeler. David Seeler recorded the maximum numbers in spring for the following species at Covehead & Brackley Marshes, PEI: 70 Black-bellied Plovers, 27 Greater Yellowlegs, 4 Hudsonian Godwits, 17 Least Sandpipers, 3 Lesser Yellowlegs, 11 Red Knots, 16 Semipalmated Sandpipers and 3 Short-billed Dowitchers. Kate Robinson Observed 10 Ruddy Turnstones in South Shore Malpeque Bay, PEI. The Piper Project team ob- served 6 Spotted Sandpipers at Le Goulet, NB, 16 Piping Plov- ers at Tabusintac Dune, NB and 17 Semipalmated Plovers at Tracadie Dune, NB. Richard Leger surveyed 6 Pectoral San- pipers at Pointe du Chene, NB. At Ste-Anne-de-Madawaska sew- age lagoon, NB, Roy Lapointe surveyed 4 Killdeers. Harold and Katherine Popma observed 35 Purple Sandpipers at The Ledges Johnson’s Mills, NB. Peter Pearce observed 6 Wilson’s Snipe at Wilkin’s Airstrip, NB. Sid and Betty June Smith observed 2 American Oystercatchers at Cape Sable, NS and 28 Sanderlings at Crow Neck, NS. At Cherry Hill Beach, NS, 1 Whimbrel and 19 Willets were seen by Sylvia Fullerton. Fall In the fall of 2010, 83 sites were surveyed in the Maritime Provinces: 38 in New Brunswick, 33 in Nova Scotia and 12 in Prince Edward Island. Overall, 544 surveys were conducted and 37 species were observed. The 47 surveyors and their sites are listed in Table 2. The results can be found in Table 6. Mike King recorded the highest number of shorebird species (26) at a site in 2010 at Hartlen Point, NS. The second highest number of species (22) at a site was at Cherry Hill Beach, NS. Denise and Michelle Maillet observed 199 White-rumped Sandpi- pers at Bouctouche Dune, NB. At Cap Brulé, NB, 10 Spotted Sandpipers were seen by Juliette Pellerin. Roger Leblanc observed 60000 Semipalmated Sandpipers at Daniels Flats, NB. At Marais Riverview, NB and Marais Cormierville, NB, 2 Stilt Sandpipers were surveyed by Louis-Émile Cormier and Roger Leblanc. There was also 1 Wilson’s Phalarope and 3 Baird’s Sandpipers at Marais Riverview. The Piper Project team observed 14 Hudsonian God- wits at Pointe a Bouleau Barrier Island, NB. Katherine Bunker- Popma surveyed 110 Pectoral Sandpipers at Sackville Marsh and Tantramar River, NB. At Saint-Basil Shore, NB, 7 Solitary Sandpi- pers were seen by Roy Lapointe. Eileen Pike observed 900 Least Sandpipers and 1000 Semipalmated Plovers at Saints Rest Marsh and Beach, NB. The Piping Plover Project team surveyed 15 Piping Plovers at Tabusintac Dune, NB. Roger Burrows observed 1 Ringed Plover at The Thoroughfare, NB, 1 Western Sandpiper at Grand Harbour, NB and 14 Whimbrels at White Head Island, NB. At Wilkin’s Airstrip, NB, Peter Pearce surveyed 10 Wilson’s Snipe. At Cherry Hills Beach, NS, Sylvia Fullerton observed 2 Marbled Godwits while James Hirtle surveyed 2 Western Willets. He also observed 1 Snowy Plover at Kingsburg Beach, NS. Shirley Cohrs surveyed 310 Short-billed Dowitchers at Crescent Beach, NS. At Daniels Head, Aileen and Julie Smith observed 1105 Sanderlings and 4 Purple Sandpipers. Hartlen Point was a very productive site with 30 Red Phalaropes, 20 red-necked Phalaropes, 1 Ruff, 1 Western Sandpiper and 80 Willets all observed by Mike King. Susann Myers surveyed 385 Black-bellied Plovers at Morein Bay, NS and 100 American Golden-Plovers, 3 Buff-breasted Sandpi- pers and 22 Killdeers at Sydney Airport, NS. David Seeler surveyed 462 Dunlins, 157 Greater Yellowlegs, 120 Lesser Yellowlegs, 4 Long-billed Dowitchers, 75 Red Knots, 40 Ruddy Turnstones and 1 Wilson’s Phalarope at Covehead and Brackley Marshes, PEI. Summer In the summer, 96 surveys were conducted at 35 sites (16 in New Brunswick, 11 in Nova Scotia and 8 in PEI) and 19 shorebird species were observed. The sites surveyed this summer and their surveyors are listed in Table 3. See Table 7 for the maximum num- bers of shorebird species recorded at each site. Cherry Hill Beach, NS was the site with the most species (12) observed by James Hirtle and Sylvia Fullerton. In NB, the sites with the highest number of species observed (5) were Tabusintac Dune and Miscou Beach both surveyed by the Piper Project team. In PEI, Covehead and Brackley Marshes had 10 species observed by David Seeler. Calidris No. 19, March 2011 Page 14 Table 1. Sites surveyed in the spring of 2010 (April 20th to June 9th)* *See Table 5 for the for the maximum numbers of shorebird species recorded at each site in spring 2010. Site # Site Name Province Surveys Surveyors 1 Cap Bateau NB 1 Piper Project - Nature NB 2 Cap Brule NB 3 Juliette Pellerin 3 Grand Passage / Pokemouche Beach NB 1 Piper Project - Nature NB 4 Grande Plaine NB 1 Piper Project - Nature NB 5 Indian Point NB 3 Tracey Dean 6 Killdeer Marsh NB 2 Katherine Bunker-Popma 7 Le Goulet / École La Vague NB 1 Piper Project - Nature NB 8 Neguac Dune NB 1 Piper Project - Nature NB 9 Point du Chene NB 3 Richard Leger 10 Pointe a Bouleau Barrier Island shoreline NB 1 Piper Project - Nature NB 11 Saint Basile shore and shoals NB 1 Roy Lapointe 12 St. Leonard Lagoon NB 3 Roy Lapointe 13 Ste-Anne-de-Madawaska Sewage Lagoon NB 4 Roy Lapointe 14 Ste-Marie-St-Raphael NB 1 Piper Project - Nature NB 15 Tabusintac Dune NB 2 Piper Project - Nature NB 16 The Ledges Johnson's Mills NB 4 Harold and Katherine Popma 17 Tracadie Dune NB 1 Piper Project - Nature NB 18 Wilkin's Airstrip/Field NB 3 Peter Pearce 19 Wilson's Point North NB 1 Piper Project - Nature NB 20 Cape Sable (Hawk Flats) NS 1 Sid and Betty June Smith 21 Carters Beach NS 1 Ruth Smith 22 Cherry Hill Beach/Conrad Beach NS 5 Sylvia Fullerton 23 Conrads Island Beach NS 1 James Hirtle 24 Crow Neck NS 1 Sid and Betty June Smith 25 Kingsburg Beach NS 1 James Hirtle 26 Oxners Beach NS 1 James Hirtle 27 Smith Marsh NS 1 Ruth Smith 28 South Side Beach - Cape Sable Island NS 1 Sid and Betty June Smith 29 Black Pond Beach Migratory Bird Sanctuary PE 2 Island Nature Trust 30 Canavoy Beach PE 2 Island Nature Trust 31 Covehead and Brackley Marshes PE 42 David Seeler (PEINP) 32 Darnley Basin PE 1 Island Nature Trust 33 Diligent Pond PE 1 Island Nature Trust 34 Eglington Cove PE 5 Island Nature Trust 35 Holman/Hog Island PE 1 Kate Robinson 36 Howe Bay PE 1 Island Nature Trust 37 Poverty Beach PE 1 Island Nature Trust 38 Rustico Causeway to Robinsons Island PE 1 Island Nature Trust 39 South Lake PE 1 Island Nature Trust 40 South Shore Malpeque Bay PE 2 Kate Robinson 41 St. Peter's Harbour Beach PE 2 Island Nature Trust 42 St. Peter's Lake Run PE 2 Island Nature Trust 43 Tracadie Harbour PE 1 Island Nature Trust Calidris No. 19, March 2011 Page 15 Table 2. Sites surveyed in the fall of 2010 (July 20th to October 31st)* Table continues on the next page. Site # Site Name Province Surveys Surveyors 1 Annes Acres NB 3 Anthony Erskine and Kate Robinson 2 Bouctouche Dune NB 30 Denise and Michelle Maillet 3 Caissie Cape NB 6 Clarence Cormier 4 Cap Bimet NB 4 Kate Robinson, Lee Latremouille, Olga Lansdore, Hughie Manthorne 5 Cap Brule NB 8 Juliette Pellerin 6 Castalia Marsh - Grand Manan Island NB 9 Roger Burrows 7 Daniels Flats NB 4 Roger Leblanc 8 Dorchester Island NB 1 Katherine Bunker-Popma 9 Grand Harbour - Grand Manan Island NB 34 Roger Burrows 10 Grande Plaine NB 1 Piper Project - Nature NB 11 Ingall's Head NB 31 Roger Burrows 12 Jack's Cove NB 1 Roger Burrows 13 Johnston Point Sandbar NB 1 Kate Robinson 14 Kelly's Beach Area NB 9 Paskal Jean (Kouchibouguac NP) 15 Kent Island NB 1 Roger Burrows 16 Killdeer Marsh NB 9 Katherine Bunker-Popma 17 Long Pond Beach - Grand Manan Island NB 13 Roger Burrows 18 Marais Cormierville NB 9 Louis-Émile Cormier 19 Marais Riverview NB 3 Roger Leblanc 20 Neguac Dune NB 1 Piper Project - Nature NB 21 North Kouchibouguac Dune NB 9 Paskal Jean (Kouchibouguac NP) 22 Petit Cap and Shemogue NB 1 Kate Robinson 23 Pink Rock cliff NB 1 Kate Robinson, Melanie Hamil and Stephanie Morn's 24 Point du Chene NB 9 Richard Leger 25 Pointe a Bouleau Barrier Island shoreline NB 2 Piper Project - Nature NB 26 Rotary Park/Marsh NB 1 Greg Campbell 27 Sackville Marsh and Tantramar River NB 30 Katherine Bunker-Popma 28 Sackville Waterfowl Park NB 13 Anthony Erskine 29 Saint Basile shore and shoals NB 4 Roy Lapointe 30 Saints Rest Marsh & Beach NB 5 Eileen Pike 31 Seal Cove NB 2 Roger Burrows 32 St. Leonard Lagoon NB 2 Roy Lapointe 33 Ste-Anne-de-Madawaska Sewage Lagoon NB 3 Roy Lapointe 34 Tabusintac Dune NB 3 Piper Project - Nature NB 35 The Thoroughfare - Grand Manan Island NB 19 Roger Burrows 36 White Head Island NB 21 Roger Burrows 37 Wilkin's Airstrip/Field NB 2 Peter Pearce 38 Woodword's Cove NB 3 Roger Burrows 39 Amherst Point Bird Sanctuary NS 2 Anthony Erskine 40 Big Pond Cove NS 5 Linden Thurber 41 Brier Island NS 2 James Hirtle 42 Broad Cove Beach NS 1 James Hirtle Calidris No. 19, March 2011 Page 16 Table 2 (cont’d)* *See Table 6 for the maximum numbers of shorebird species recorded at each site in fall 2010. Site # Site Name Province Surveys Surveyors 43 Carters Beach NS 1 Ruth Smith 44 Cherry Hill Beach/Conrad Beach NS 17 James Hirtle and Sylvia Fullerton 45 Conrads Island Beach NS 7 James Hirtle and Karen Potter 46 Cooks Beach NS 4 Jerome D'Eon 47 Crescent Beach NS 14 Shirley Cohrs 48 Crow Neck NS 3 Aileen, Sid and Betty June Smith 49 Daniel Head NS 14 Aileen and Julie Smith, Kate Robinson and Rachel Hoogenbos 50 Grand Pre East NS 5 Judy Tufts 51 Hartlen Point NS 6 Mike King 52 Hawk Beach NS 1 James Hirtle 53 Kingsburg Beach NS 3 James Hirtle 54 Lingan Beach NS 5 Clive and Theresa MacDonald 55 Matthew Lake NS 1 Kate Robinson 56 Melbourne Lake Game Sanctuary NS 4 Jerome D'Eon 57 Morein Bay/Phalens Bar NS 2 Susann Myers 58 North East Cove NS 1 Linden Thurber 59 Oxners Beach NS 1 James Hirtle 60 Pointe Michaud NS 1 Susann Myers 61 Sand Hills Beach Provincial Park NS 4 Jerome D'Eon 62 Schooner Pond Beach NS 1 Susann Myers 63 South Bar NS 5 Clive and Theresa MacDonald 64 South Side Beach - Cape Sable Island NS 3 Sid and Betty June Smith 65 Stoney Island Beach NS 1 Sid and Betty June Smith 66 Sunday Point NS 1 Sylvia Fullerton and Eric and Barbara Ruff 67 Sydney Airport NS 1 Susann Myers 68 Three Fathom Harbour Causeway NS 7 Susann Myers 69 Wild Cove NS 2 Susann Myers 70 Windsor Sewage Lagoons NS 2 Judy Tufts 71 Wolfville Harbour Wharf & Sewage Ponds NS 7 Judy Tufts 72 Boughton Island PE 2 Island Nature Trust 73 Cavendish Sandspit PE 3 David Seeler and Peter Mallam (PEINP) 74 Covehead and Brackley Marshes PE 83 David Seeler (PEINP) 75 Darnley Basin PE 3 Island Nature Trust 76 Mason Rd. PE 1 Fiep de Bie 77 Old Ferry Spit PE 1 Island Nature Trust 78 Rustico Causeway to Robinsons Island PE 1 Island Nature Trust 79 South Lake PE 4 Island Nature Trust 80 St. Peters Bay PE 1 Island Nature Trust 81 St. Peter's Lake Run PE 1 Island Nature Trust 82 Tea Hill Provincial Park PE 1 Fiep de Bie 83 Wood Islands PE 1 Island Nature Trust Calidris No. 19, March 2011 Page 17 Table 3. Sites surveyed in the summer of 2010 (June 10th to July 19th)* *See Table 7 for the maximum numbers of shorebird species recorded at each site in the summer of 2010. Site # Site Name Province Surveys Surveyors 1 Cap Bateau NB 1 Piper Project - Nature NB 2 Grand Harbour - Grand Manan Island NB 1 Roger Burrows 3 Grand Passage / Pokemouche Beach NB 2 Piper Project - Nature NB 4 Grande Plaine NB 2 Piper Project - Nature NB 5 Ingall's Head NB 1 Roger Burrows 6 Killdeer Marsh NB 1 Katherine Bunker-Popma 7 Le Goulet / École La Vague NB 1 Piper Project - Nature NB 8 Miscou Beach NB 1 Piper Project - Nature NB 9 Neguac Dune NB 2 Piper Project - Nature NB 10 Pointe a Bouleau Barrier Island shoreline NB 1 Piper Project - Nature NB 11 Sackville Waterfowl Park NB 2 Anthony Erskine 12 Ste-Marie-St-Raphael NB 1 Piper Project - Nature NB 13 Tabusintac Dune NB 3 Piper Project - Nature NB 14 The Thoroughfare - Grand Manan Island NB 1 Roger Burrows 15 Wilkin's Airstrip/Field NB 3 Peter Pearce 16 Wilson's Point North NB 2 Piper Project - Nature NB 17 Carters Beach NS 3 Ruth Smith 18 Cherry Hill Beach/Conrad Beach NS 3 James Hirtle and Sylvia Fullerton 19 Crescent Beach NS 2 Shirley Cohrs 20 Crow Neck NS 1 Sid and Betty June Smith 21 Kingsburg Beach NS 1 James Hirtle 22 Lingan Beach NS 2 Clive and Theresa MacDonald 23 Morein Bay/Phalens Bar NS 1 Susann Myers 24 Port Joli Beach NS 1 Ruth Smith 25 Ragged Harbour NS 1 James Hirtle 26 South Bar NS 2 Clive and Theresa MacDonald 27 Three Fathom Harbour Causeway NS 2 Susann Myers 28 Black Pond Beach Migratory Bird Sanctuary PE 1 Island Nature Trust 29 Canavoy Beach PE 1 Island Nature Trust 30 Cavendish Sandspit PE 3 David Seeler and Rick Hawkins (PEINP) 31 Covehead and Brackley Marshes PE 41 David Seeler (PEINP) 32 Eglington Cove PE 2 Island Nature Trust 33 Poverty Beach PE 2 Island Nature Trust 34 Rustico Causeway to Robinsons Island PE 1 Island Nature Trust 35 St. Peter's Lake Run PE 1 Island Nature Trust Calidris No. 19, March 2011 Page 18 Table 4. Sites surveyed in the winter of 2010/2011 (November 1st 2010 to March 8th 2011)* Please note more data for this season still to be received and added. A full report will feature in the next edition of Calidris. *See Table 8 for the maximum numbers of shorebird species at each site in the winter of 2010. Site # Site Name Province Surveys Surveyors 1 Blacks Harbour NB 2 Merv Cormier 2 Castalia Marsh - Grand Manan Island NB 1 Roger Burrows 3 Dalhousie Lighthouse - Bonamy Rocks NB 2 Steeve Miousse 4 Grand Harbour - Grand Manan Island NB 1 Roger Burrows 5 Long Pond Beach - Grand Manan Island NB 1 Roger Burrows 6 Maisonette Dune NB 1 Steeve Miousse 7 Mal Bay North (MacGregor Malbaie) NB 1 Steeve Miousse 8 Sackville Marsh and Tantramar River NB 12 Katherine Bunker-Popma 9 "The Ledges" Johnson's Mills NB 13 Harold and Katherine Popma 10 The Thoroughfare - Grand Manan Island NB 1 Roger Burrows 11 White Head Island NB 1 Roger Burrows 12 Apple River NS 4 Kathleen Spicer 13 Cherry Hill Beach/Conrad Beach NS 2 Sylvia Fullerton 14 Crescent Beach NS 4 Shirley Cohrs 15 Hawk Beach NS 1 Sid and Betty June Smith 16 South Side Beach - Cape Sable Island NS 1 Sid and Betty June Smith 17 Covehead and Brackley Marshes PE 16 David Seeler Calidris No. 19, March 2011 Page 19 T ab le 5 . M ax im u m n u m b er o f sh o re b ir d s re co rd ed a t M ar it im es S h o re b ir d S u rv ey s it es i n t h e sp ri n g o f 2 0 1 0 ( A p ri l 2 0 th t o Ju n e 9 th ) an d m ax im u m f o r al l si te s* T ab le c o n ti n u es o n t h e n ex t p ag e. * F o r si te r ef er en ce n u m b er a n d l o ca ti o n s se e T ab le 1 . Sp ec ie s S it e # 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1 0 1 1 1 2 1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7 1 8 1 9 2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4 A m e ri ca n O ys te rc at ch er 2 B la ck -b el lie d P lo ve r 1 6 2 1 1 2 8 7 G re at er Y el lo w le gs 1 1 4 1 6 1 2 4 H u d so n ia n G o d w it K ill d ee r 2 1 4 Le as t Sa n d p ip er 4 1 4 3 Le ss er Y el lo w le gs 2 P ec to ra l S an d p ip er 6 P ip in g P lo ve r 4 5 9 1 1 1 6 6 4 2 7 3 P u rp le S an d p ip er 1 2 3 5 R ed K n o t R u d d y Tu rn st o n e 6 1 2 Sa n d er lin g 1 2 8 Se m ip al m at ed P lo ve r 2 1 5 1 2 1 6 Se m ip al m at ed S an d p ip er 1 4 6 2 1 3 1 5 Sh o rt -b ill ed D o w it ch er Sp o tt ed S an d p ip er 1 2 1 3 6 1 4 1 2 1 W h im b re l 1 W ill et 4 1 7 2 3 1 9 1 0 5 W ils o n 's S n ip e 6 To ta l N o . S p ec ie s 1 5 4 3 1 1 1 6 5 2 4 3 2 2 4 1 4 4 3 3 1 6 2 3 To ta l N o . S u rv ey s 1 3 1 1 3 2 1 1 3 1 1 3 4 1 2 4 1 3 1 1 1 5 1 1 Calidris No. 19, March 2011 Page 20 T ab le 5 . (c o n ti n u ed ) * ** G ra n d M ax : m ax im u m c o u n t in a s u rv ey i n s p ri n g 2 0 1 0 . * F o r si te r ef er en ce n u m b er a n d l o ca ti o n s se e T ab le 1 . Sp ec ie s S it e # 2 5 2 6 2 7 2 8 2 9 3 0 3 1 3 2 3 3 3 4 3 5 3 6 3 7 3 8 3 9 4 0 4 1 4 2 4 3 G ra n d M ax * * A m e ri ca n O ys te rc at ch er 1 1 B la ck -b el lie d P lo ve r 1 2 8 7 0 1 6 2 3 3 1 7 0 G re at er Y el lo w le gs 2 7 3 2 7 H u d so n ia n G o d w it 4 4 K ill d ee r 4 Le as t Sa n d p ip er 1 7 3 1 1 7 Le ss er Y el lo w le gs 3 3 P ec to ra l S an d p ip er 6 P ip in g P lo ve r 2 1 1 6 P u rp le S an d p ip er 3 5 R ed K n o t 1 1 1 1 R u d d y Tu rn st o n e 5 1 1 0 1 0 Sa n d er lin g 2 8 Se m ip al m at ed P lo ve r 1 2 2 6 Se m ip al m at ed S an d p ip er 1 6 7 2 1 6 Sh o rt -b ill ed D o w it ch er 3 3 Sp o tt ed S an d p ip er 1 6 W h im b re l 1 1 W ill et 1 4 2 2 1 3 4 2 1 1 1 2 1 9 W ils o n 's S n ip e 6 To ta l N o . S p ec ie s 2 1 1 4 1 2 1 1 1 1 4 0 2 3 1 2 3 2 1 1 2 1 To ta l N o . S u rv ey s 1 1 1 1 2 2 4 2 1 1 5 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 1 6 9 Calidris No. 19, March 2011 Page 21 T ab le 6 . M ax im u m n u m b er o f sh o re b ir d s re co rd ed a t M ar it im es S h o re b ir d S u rv e y s it e s in t h e fa ll o f 2 0 1 0 ( Ju ly 2 0 th t o O ct o b er 3 1 st )* *F o r si te r ef er en ce n u m b er a n d l o ca ti o n s se e T ab le 2 . T h is t ab le c o n ti n u es o n t h e n ex t p ag e. Sp ec ie s Si te # 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1 0 1 1 1 2 1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7 1 8 1 9 2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4 2 5 2 6 2 7 2 8 A m er ic an G o ld en -P lo ve r 1 1 3 1 2 1 5 B ai rd 's S an d p ip er 1 1 1 1 3 B la ck -b el lie d P lo ve r 9 5 4 3 4 0 1 4 5 8 2 2 8 4 3 6 6 4 6 7 5 4 2 7 2 0 8 2 0 5 1 2 8 7 2 2 5 0 B u ff -b re as te d S an d p ip er 3 1 1 D u n lin 8 6 8 7 2 3 3 9 7 7 1 1 0 G re at er Y el lo w le gs 1 0 2 0 4 7 3 5 7 1 2 2 2 3 5 2 4 2 1 2 3 1 5 9 6 4 6 9 1 H u d so n ia n G o d w it 3 2 5 1 4 6 K ill d ee r 1 5 1 1 1 1 3 1 5 Le as t Sa n d p ip er 5 2 2 3 1 3 4 3 9 2 3 7 1 2 5 1 3 7 1 9 1 5 5 1 0 1 1 3 1 9 2 1 8 3 2 2 1 1 Le ss er Y el lo w le gs 6 0 1 8 1 1 2 1 1 6 2 1 3 0 8 2 2 1 0 8 4 0 9 2 4 1 3 5 1 0 8 Lo n g- b ill ed D o w it ch er M ar b le d G o d w it P ec to ra l S an d p ip er 1 1 6 1 3 8 3 1 1 1 0 P ip in g P lo ve r 1 1 1 5 1 0 1 P u rp le S an d p ip er R ed K n o t 1 6 5 1 9 1 5 R ed P h al ar o p e R ed -n ec ke d P h al ar o p e 2 R in ge d P lo ve r R u d d y Tu rn st o n e 3 9 8 3 5 2 4 2 1 4 8 1 1 2 2 5 6 R u ff Sa n d er lin g 3 5 3 3 3 3 1 3 3 7 2 0 2 1 0 5 1 7 7 9 2 Se m ip al m at ed P lo ve r 5 5 1 4 3 4 8 9 4 3 9 3 7 3 2 8 2 1 1 0 1 7 3 1 4 2 6 4 0 2 1 1 7 1 1 0 4 5 2 3 0 3 0 4 4 1 3 1 4 9 8 Se m ip al m at ed S an d p ip er 2 0 2 7 0 2 7 1 0 0 2 1 0 6 0 6 0 0 0 0 1 4 9 7 3 2 2 1 1 5 0 5 9 0 9 5 1 4 6 6 0 9 1 0 5 5 2 8 3 4 1 8 2 5 0 Sh o rt -b ill ed D o w it ch er 2 5 4 2 1 1 3 9 4 3 0 1 3 7 2 1 3 Sn o w y P lo ve r So lit ar y Sa n d p ip er 1 1 1 1 Sp o tt ed S an d p ip er 1 2 1 0 1 2 6 2 1 1 1 1 2 St ilt S an d p ip er 1 2 2 W es te rn S an d p ip er 1 w es te rn W ill e t W h im b re l 1 6 1 W h it e- ru m p ed S an d p ip er 1 1 9 9 3 3 2 1 2 6 1 0 2 3 1 4 7 4 1 6 W ill e t 2 6 1 7 2 6 2 5 W ils o n 's P h al ar o p e 1 W ils o n 's S n ip e 3 1 1 To ta l N o . S p ec ie s 1 2 1 8 1 1 1 0 1 7 1 1 6 4 1 9 3 1 4 6 6 1 3 5 9 1 2 1 7 1 9 1 1 1 8 3 1 2 1 5 4 1 1 2 To ta l N o . S u rv ey s 3 3 0 6 4 8 9 4 1 3 4 1 3 1 1 1 9 1 9 1 3 9 3 1 9 1 1 9 2 1 3 0 1 3 Calidris No. 19, March 2011 Page 22 T ab le 6 . (c o n ti n u ed )* *F o r si te r ef er en ce n u m b er s an d l o ca ti o n s se e T ab le 2 . T h is t ab le c o n ti n u es o n t h e n ex t p ag e. Sp ec ie s Si te # 2 9 3 0 3 1 3 2 3 3 3 4 3 5 3 6 3 7 3 8 3 9 4 0 4 1 4 2 4 3 4 4 4 5 4 6 4 7 4 8 4 9 5 0 5 1 5 2 5 3 5 4 5 5 5 6 A m er ic an G o ld en -P lo ve r 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 4 B ai rd 's S an d p ip er 1 1 2 1 1 2 2 B la ck -b el lie d P lo ve r 2 0 5 5 1 2 4 6 0 3 4 5 9 1 8 8 8 5 5 0 4 5 9 7 2 0 2 6 6 B u ff -b re as te d S an d p ip er 3 1 1 3 D u n lin 5 0 2 6 2 4 1 0 2 1 7 1 G re at er Y el lo w le gs 5 1 0 6 1 0 8 3 0 2 1 6 8 1 8 1 2 1 2 2 1 6 4 8 3 2 8 H u d so n ia n G o d w it 1 5 1 K ill d ee r 2 1 1 3 2 1 Le as t Sa n d p ip er 1 2 9 0 0 3 7 9 5 1 4 2 5 0 3 1 6 0 4 7 3 6 1 0 0 3 0 0 2 2 Le ss er Y el lo w le gs 6 1 2 2 2 1 8 5 1 2 1 1 7 4 4 2 5 2 5 2 1 3 4 2 2 3 Lo n g- b ill ed D o w it ch er M ar b le d G o d w it 2 P ec to ra l S an d p ip er 2 0 2 1 1 7 1 3 4 1 P ip in g P lo ve r 1 5 9 1 P u rp le S an d p ip er 1 4 R ed K n o t 1 3 2 2 4 1 2 2 6 1 R ed P h al ar o p e 3 0 R ed -n ec ke d P h al ar o p e 2 0 R in ge d P lo ve r 1 R u d d y Tu rn st o n e 1 1 0 1 0 7 2 5 1 1 2 2 4 0 1 1 7 R u ff 1 Sa n d er lin g 4 3 0 0 2 1 2 2 3 7 1 7 2 1 3 8 2 2 8 1 6 1 0 0 1 1 0 5 2 1 0 2 2 2 4 5 1 Se m ip al m at ed P lo ve r 8 1 0 0 0 2 5 2 2 5 1 0 4 2 6 5 2 5 1 4 2 3 8 1 0 3 8 0 1 0 2 2 9 5 0 1 9 0 9 7 5 0 5 0 0 1 6 5 1 6 0 1 2 Se m ip al m at ed S an d p ip er 9 3 0 0 0 5 1 0 2 5 1 4 1 0 4 7 5 4 5 0 1 0 7 1 4 0 5 2 1 7 4 2 1 0 0 0 2 7 0 1 2 0 0 3 7 1 4 1 6 1 3 Sh o rt -b ill ed D o w it ch er 5 1 8 8 1 0 2 2 9 5 3 3 1 0 1 1 1 1 2 1 2 Sn o w y P lo ve r 1 So lit ar y Sa n d p ip er 7 2 1 Sp o tt ed S an d p ip er 7 1 1 2 2 3 2 1 St ilt S an d p ip er W es te rn S an d p ip er 1 w es te rn W ill e t 2 W h im b re l 1 1 4 3 4 1 1 4 W h it e- ru m p ed S an d p ip er 1 0 0 4 4 1 6 3 2 4 4 6 1 8 1 2 1 2 2 W ill e t 4 2 0 2 6 8 1 8 0 2 1 W ils o n 's P h al ar o p e W ils o n 's S n ip e 1 1 0 4 To ta l N o . S p ec ie s 1 2 1 3 7 1 2 1 3 1 5 1 7 1 3 3 1 5 8 3 1 2 2 1 4 7 1 3 7 1 9 8 2 6 1 4 7 6 5 5 To ta l N o . S u rv ey s 4 5 2 2 3 3 1 9 2 1 2 3 2 5 2 1 1 1 7 7 4 1 4 3 1 4 5 6 1 3 5 1 4 Calidris No. 19, March 2011 Page 23 T ab le 6 . (c o n ti n u ed )* *F o r si te r ef er en ce n u m b er s an d l o ca ti o n s se e T ab le 2 . ** G ra n d m ax : m ax im u m c o u n t in a s u rv ey i n f al l 2 0 1 0 . Sp ec ie s Si te # 5 7 5 8 5 9 6 0 6 1 6 2 6 3 6 4 6 5 6 6 6 7 6 8 6 9 7 0 7 1 7 2 7 3 7 4 7 5 7 6 7 7 7 8 7 9 8 0 8 1 8 2 8 3 G ra n d M ax ** A m er ic an G o ld en -P lo ve r 1 1 0 0 8 1 0 0 B ai rd 's S an d p ip er 2 1 3 B la ck -b el lie d P lo ve r 3 8 5 2 5 1 2 2 2 8 4 7 4 1 2 1 9 0 5 6 3 3 5 0 2 0 1 8 9 1 3 8 5 B u ff -b re as te d S an d p ip er 3 3 D u n lin 1 3 2 2 4 6 2 4 6 2 G re at er Y el lo w le gs 1 1 5 4 1 2 2 1 2 3 2 6 2 2 2 7 1 5 7 7 2 1 5 7 H u d so n ia n G o d w it 4 1 7 1 4 K ill d ee r 1 1 2 2 3 1 2 2 Le as t Sa n d p ip er 1 1 2 1 3 5 2 9 1 5 2 8 3 3 3 8 1 8 6 9 0 0 Le ss er Y el lo w le gs 8 1 1 3 1 1 4 1 1 2 3 1 2 0 5 0 5 3 1 2 0 Lo n g- b ill ed D o w it ch er 4 4 M ar b le d G o d w it 2 P ec to ra l S an d p ip er 1 4 1 1 0 P ip in g P lo ve r 5 1 5 P u rp le S an d p ip er 4 R ed K n o t 1 1 2 1 2 1 1 7 5 7 5 R ed P h al ar o p e 3 0 R ed -n ec ke d P h al ar o p e 2 0 R in ge d P lo ve r 1 R u d d y Tu rn st o n e 4 1 2 1 2 6 2 2 0 3 4 0 3 3 4 0 R u ff 1 Sa n d er lin g 5 1 7 7 1 4 9 5 3 5 0 2 2 6 2 5 1 2 3 8 3 1 1 0 5 Se m ip al m at ed P lo ve r 3 8 0 1 1 0 1 2 0 1 3 5 6 1 2 3 5 0 3 2 6 8 2 3 6 9 0 1 0 1 0 2 7 4 4 1 2 3 1 0 0 8 2 5 1 0 0 0 Se m ip al m at ed S an d p ip er 2 1 0 7 3 4 0 1 8 5 5 8 3 2 0 0 8 1 5 0 5 3 7 0 6 5 0 3 2 3 2 7 3 3 1 1 5 1 6 0 0 0 0 Sh o rt -b ill ed D o w it ch er 6 2 4 1 1 8 2 2 3 0 9 2 4 2 1 1 2 0 9 3 1 0 Sn o w y P lo ve r 1 So lit ar y Sa n d p ip er 1 7 Sp o tt ed S an d p ip er 1 1 3 1 1 0 St ilt S an d p ip er 2 W es te rn S an d p ip er 1 w es te rn W ill e t 1 2 W h im b re l 1 3 5 1 1 2 8 1 4 W h it e- ru m p ed S an d p ip er 3 2 1 7 4 4 2 1 5 2 1 9 9 W ill e t 3 2 9 5 4 5 2 0 2 5 5 5 3 5 8 0 W ils o n 's P h al ar o p e 1 1 W ils o n 's S n ip e 2 1 0 To ta l N o . S p ec ie s 1 5 7 3 1 3 9 6 6 9 5 1 2 1 0 1 5 8 9 6 6 1 2 1 9 3 7 1 1 5 1 4 1 1 3 7 To ta l N o . S u rv ey s 2 1 1 1 4 1 5 3 1 1 1 7 2 2 7 2 3 8 3 3 1 1 1 4 1 1 1 1 5 4 4 T ab le 7 . M ax im u m c o u n t o f sh o re b ir d s re co rd ed a t M ar it im es S h o re b ir d S u rv ey s it es i n t h e su m m er o f 2 0 1 0 ( Ju n e 1 0 th t o J u ly 1 9 th ) Calidris No. 19, March 2011 Page 24 *F o r si te r ef er en ce n u m b er s an d l o ca ti o n s se e T ab le 2 . * *G ra n d M ax : m ax im u m c o u n t in a s u rv ey i n s u m m er 2 01 0 . Sp ec ie s S it e # 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1 0 1 1 1 2 1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7 1 8 1 9 2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4 2 5 2 6 2 7 2 8 2 9 3 0 3 1 3 2 3 3 3 4 3 5 G ra n d M ax ** B la ck -b el lie d P lo ve r 3 0 1 3 1 8 1 3 0 G re at er Y el lo w le gs 1 4 3 4 3 1 2 3 4 3 4 H u d so n ia n G o d w it 1 2 2 K ill d ee r 2 2 1 2 2 Le as t Sa n d p ip er 3 3 1 2 6 3 1 2 2 2 2 5 2 5 Le ss er Y el lo w le gs 2 4 6 7 6 1 6 7 P ec to ra l S an d p ip er 1 1 P ip in g P lo ve r 5 1 7 8 1 1 2 1 5 1 4 1 7 2 1 4 2 1 R ed K n o t 3 3 R u d d y Tu rn st o n e 1 2 2 Sa n d er lin g 3 2 3 1 1 2 1 6 1 6 2 3 Se m ip al m at ed P lo ve r 2 8 2 0 8 3 7 3 8 1 3 3 3 7 Se m ip al m at ed S an d p ip er 8 1 20 3 9 1 1 1 0 3 1 0 1 2 0 Sh o rt -b ill ed D o w it ch er 2 0 4 2 6 1 0 1 9 4 6 1 0 So lit ar y Sa n d p ip er 2 2 Sp o tt ed S an d p ip er 1 4 1 1 3 2 4 W h im b re l 2 0 2 2 1 1 1 2 1 1 3 2 0 W ill et 1 7 4 8 1 0 2 5 5 3 4 8 9 2 3 1 5 3 6 1 1 0 2 W ils o n 's S n ip e 7 7 To ta l N o . S p ec ie s 1 1 3 3 1 0 1 5 1 2 2 2 5 1 2 4 1 1 2 2 6 1 1 3 1 3 2 7 4 2 7 1 0 3 2 1 2 1 9 To ta l N o . S u rv ey s 1 1 2 2 1 1 1 1 2 1 2 1 3 1 3 2 3 3 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 2 2 1 1 3 4 1 2 2 1 1 9 6 Calidris No. 19, March 2011 Page 25 * *G ra n d M ax : m ax im u m c o u n t in a s u rv ey i n w in te r 2 0 10 / 2 0 1 1 . T ab le 8 . M ax im u m c o u n t o f sh o re b ir d s re co rd ed a t M ar it im es S h o re b ir d S u rv ey s it es i n t h e w in te r o f 2 0 1 0 /2 0 1 1 ( N o v em b er 1 st 2 0 1 0 t o m ar ch 8 th 2 0 1 1 )* *F o r si te r ef er en ce n u m b er s an d l o ca ti o n s se e T ab le 3 . Sp ec ie s Si te # 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1 0 1 1 1 2 1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7 G ra n d M ax ** B la ck -b el lie d P lo ve r 2 6 1 5 3 1 4 3 2 1 1 8 3 2 D u n lin 2 6 3 1 1 1 8 1 1 8 G re at er Y el lo w le gs 2 1 3 4 4 H u d so n ia n G o d w it 6 1 6 K ill d ee r 1 1 1 P ip in g P lo ve r 3 4 6 2 3 4 P u rp le S an d p ip er 7 0 5 1 7 1 4 7 0 R ed K n o t 1 5 8 6 2 6 2 Sa n d er lin g 4 2 6 4 2 6 Se m ip al m at ed P lo ve r 1 3 5 5 Se m ip al m at ed S an d p ip er 2 2 W h it e -r u m p ed S an d p ip er 1 1 To ta l N o . S p ec ie s 1 1 1 3 4 0 0 3 1 1 1 1 6 6 1 0 8 1 2 To ta l N o . S u rv ey s 2 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 3 1 1 4 2 4 1 1 1 6 6 4 The Canadian Wildlife Service publishes Calidris for free distribution. To save resources, please help us maintain a current mailing list. To be added or deleted from the mailing list, please contact Julie Paquet at the address below. Contents may be used without permission but with appropriate credit given to the source. Ad- ditional information may be obtained from Julie Paquet or contacting the Sackville office at the contact information and mailing address shown below. Julie Paquet, Shorebird Biologist Telephone: (506) 364-5037 E-mail: Julie.Paquet@ec.gc.ca Canadian Wildlife Service PO Box 6227 17 Waterfowl Lane Sackville, NB E4L 1G6 Email: ACSS-RORA@ec.gc.ca Telephone: (506) 364-5044 Fax: (506) 364-5062 Mailing Address: We’re on the web! http://www.ns.ec.gc.ca/ Canadian Wildlife Service Atlantic Region Photo of a Black-bellied Plover and a Ruddy Turnstone at Grand Manan courtesy of Roger Burrows. The Maritimes Shorebird Survey wishes you good birding in 2011!