Top 10 facts about why Johnson's Mills is a great stop for shorebirds

Plovers and sandpiper (Photo by Douglas C. Leitch)

Top 10 facts about the Upper Bay of Fundy

1. More than 30 per cent of the world’s population of semipalmated sandpipers will stop here to fuel up before continuing their three-day, non-stop migration to South America.
2. At peak season there can be flocks of up to 200,000 birds that form large groups and create beautiful aerial displays.
3. At first glance, the mudflats may look lifeless but they are actually thriving with many organisms that are important food sources for the shorebirds. This allows visiting birds to double their weight in only three weeks!
4. While resting on the beach, shorebirds will number 100 birds per square metre — what a crowd!
5. The birds get a special treat here: mud shrimp (Corophium volutator) and other critters that are only found in the Bay of Fundy and Gulf of Maine. These tiny organisms also help to hold the mudflats together using their U-shaped burrows.
6. The Bay of Fundy features the world’s largest tides, reaching heights of 12 to 14 metres. Experience the changing tides from the lookout at Johnson’s Mills.
7. At low tide, the expansive mudflats at Johnson’s Mills can stretch more than two kilometres out into Shepody Bay.
8. Did you think a cheetah was fast? Peregrine falcons can reach speeds over 300 kilometres per hour as they dive. They can sometimes be seen swooping into the flocks of shorebirds while hunting.
9. Naturalists will particularly enjoy the biodiversity found here, with its unique community of flora and fauna.
10. Our dedicated interpreters are fountains of knowledge, and are here to help you understand the life and ecosystems around you.

Graph showing average of number birds counted at Johnson's Mills from 2005 to 2014.