Bay of Fundy Sandpiper Migration, 2006
In the late summer, the shores of the Bay of Fundy witness one of the little miracles of nature. Great flocks of small shorebirds cover the beaches as they rest for a short time to put on weight. They are returning from their arctic nesting grounds and are en route to their wintering areas in the northern portion of South America.
The flock shown here was located just a few miles from Sackville,NB, on the shores of the Petitcodiac River. It was estimated by a Canadian Wildlife Service employee to contain approximately 80,000 birds, the vast majority of them semi-palmated sandpipers. When they take to the air, there is a sound resembling a breaking wave in the distance.
The densely populated portion of the flock. You can see they quite blanket the beach!
A "few" birds in flight coming in to join the flock.
The thick of the flight!
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