Mary's Point
Encyclopedia
Mary's Point is a 1,200 hectare wetland
in Albert County
, New Brunswick
, Canada
. It is at the head of the Bay of Fundy
, approximately 40 km south of Moncton. Designated a Ramsar wetland of international importance on May 24, 1982, it is also part of the Fundy biosphere reserve established in 2007, which also contains the Shepody Bay
wetland. It was also the first Canadian site in the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve, as part of the Bay of Fundy Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve. It is within the Shepody Bay National Wildlife Area
, which is administered by the Canadian Wildlife Service
.
Mary's Point is an important staging area for shorebirds
migrating from the Canadian subarctic to South America
during the fall, supporting up to two million Semipalmated Sandpiper
s annually, or nearly 75% of the global population of this species, as well as millions of birds of other species.
Approximately 940 hectares of the intertidal mudflats are under jurisdiction to the province of New Brunswick. Another 107 hectares are owned by the Government of Canada
, including the "most critical sites used by the large roosting flocks of shorebirds during high tide". The remaining portion, covering most of the salt marsh, is privately owned. The federal government has attempted to purchase the land, but has been spurned.
The site was a stone quarry
in the 1900s.
ranges in elevation from 2 m below sea level to 10 m above sea level, protruding into Shepody Bay. It is characterized by extensive intertidal mudflat
s, with gravel beaches bordering terrestrial habitats and shallow marine areas.
In 1979, Ducks Unlimited Canada
established a 20 hectare waterfowl impoundment adjacent to the salt marsh.
s Corophium volutator
",, up to 60,000 per square metre during their reproductive cycle, which supports large populations of migratory shorebirds. During August, up to two million Semipalmated Sandpipers may use Mary's Point as a staging area, and as many as 200,000 may be present at any time during migration. These double their weight to 40 grams before continuing their migration by flying to the North Atlantic
, which winds carry them to the northern coast of South America in two to four days.
Thousands of birds of other species also use Mary's Point as a staging area, including the Black-bellied Plover
, Least Sandpiper
, White-rumped Sandpiper
, Short-billed Dowitcher
, Semipalmated Plover
, Red Knot
, Sanderling
and Dunlin
.
Also, small populations of American Black Duck
, Ring-necked Duck
and Blue-winged Teal
breed at the impoundment established by Ducks Unlimited.
Wetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
in Albert County
Albert County, New Brunswick
Albert County is located in southeastern New Brunswick, Canada on the Chignecto Bay of the Bay of Fundy. Prior to the abolition of county government in 1967, the county seat was Hopewell Cape...
, New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It is at the head of the Bay of Fundy
Bay of Fundy
The Bay of Fundy is a bay on the Atlantic coast of North America, on the northeast end of the Gulf of Maine between the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, with a small portion touching the U.S. state of Maine...
, approximately 40 km south of Moncton. Designated a Ramsar wetland of international importance on May 24, 1982, it is also part of the Fundy biosphere reserve established in 2007, which also contains the Shepody Bay
Shepody Bay
Shepody Bay is a 122 km² coastal wetland in New Brunswick, Canada. It was designated a Ramsar wetland of international importance on May 27, 1987, is a globally significant Important Bird Area, and is part of the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network...
wetland. It was also the first Canadian site in the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve, as part of the Bay of Fundy Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve. It is within the Shepody Bay National Wildlife Area
National Wildlife Area
A National Wildlife Area is a conservation status for a geographical region in Canada that restricts most human activities on that region. However, land use permits may be issued "for activities that are compatible with conservation". Such areas are established and managed by the Canadian Wildlife...
, which is administered by the Canadian Wildlife Service
Canadian Wildlife Service
The Canadian Wildlife Service or CWS is a branch of the Department of the Environment, also known as Environment Canada, a department of the Government of Canada....
.
Mary's Point is an important staging area for shorebirds
Wader
Waders, called shorebirds in North America , are members of the order Charadriiformes, excluding the more marine web-footed seabird groups. The latter are the skuas , gulls , terns , skimmers , and auks...
migrating from the Canadian subarctic to South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
during the fall, supporting up to two million Semipalmated Sandpiper
Semipalmated Sandpiper
The Semipalmated Sandpiper, Calidris pusilla, is a very small shorebird. It is sometimes separated with other "stints" in Erolia but although these apparently form a monophyletic group, the present species' old genus Ereunetes had been proposed before Erolia.Adults have black legs and a short stout...
s annually, or nearly 75% of the global population of this species, as well as millions of birds of other species.
Approximately 940 hectares of the intertidal mudflats are under jurisdiction to the province of New Brunswick. Another 107 hectares are owned by the Government of Canada
Government of Canada
The Government of Canada, formally Her Majesty's Government, is the system whereby the federation of Canada is administered by a common authority; in Canadian English, the term can mean either the collective set of institutions or specifically the Queen-in-Council...
, including the "most critical sites used by the large roosting flocks of shorebirds during high tide". The remaining portion, covering most of the salt marsh, is privately owned. The federal government has attempted to purchase the land, but has been spurned.
The site was a stone quarry
Quarry
A quarry is a type of open-pit mine from which rock or minerals are extracted. Quarries are generally used for extracting building materials, such as dimension stone, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, and gravel. They are often collocated with concrete and asphalt plants due to the requirement...
in the 1900s.
Geography
This open peninsulaPeninsula
A peninsula is a piece of land that is bordered by water on three sides but connected to mainland. In many Germanic and Celtic languages and also in Baltic, Slavic and Hungarian, peninsulas are called "half-islands"....
ranges in elevation from 2 m below sea level to 10 m above sea level, protruding into Shepody Bay. It is characterized by extensive intertidal mudflat
Mudflat
Mudflats or mud flats, also known as tidal flats, are coastal wetlands that form when mud is deposited by tides or rivers. They are found in sheltered areas such as bays, bayous, lagoons, and estuaries. Mudflats may be viewed geologically as exposed layers of bay mud, resulting from deposition of...
s, with gravel beaches bordering terrestrial habitats and shallow marine areas.
In 1979, Ducks Unlimited Canada
Ducks Unlimited
Ducks Unlimited is an international non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation of wetlands and associated upland habitats for waterfowl, other wildlife, and people. It currently has approximately 780,000 members, mostly in the United States and Canada.-Introduction:Ducks Unlimited was...
established a 20 hectare waterfowl impoundment adjacent to the salt marsh.
Fauna
This site exhibits "the world's highest known density of the crustaceanCrustacean
Crustaceans form a very large group of arthropods, usually treated as a subphylum, which includes such familiar animals as crabs, lobsters, crayfish, shrimp, krill and barnacles. The 50,000 described species range in size from Stygotantulus stocki at , to the Japanese spider crab with a leg span...
s Corophium volutator
Corophium volutator
Corophium volutator, one of several organisms called mud shrimp, is a small amphipod of the family Corophiidae.It inhabits the upper layers of sand on the coasts of the Netherlands, Germany, the United Kingdom and France, as well as in the Bay of Fundy on the coasts of Nova Scotia and New...
",, up to 60,000 per square metre during their reproductive cycle, which supports large populations of migratory shorebirds. During August, up to two million Semipalmated Sandpipers may use Mary's Point as a staging area, and as many as 200,000 may be present at any time during migration. These double their weight to 40 grams before continuing their migration by flying to the North Atlantic
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
, which winds carry them to the northern coast of South America in two to four days.
Thousands of birds of other species also use Mary's Point as a staging area, including the Black-bellied Plover
Grey Plover
The Grey Plover , known as the Black-bellied Plover in North America, is a medium-sized plover breeding in arctic regions. It is a long-distance migrant, with a nearly worldwide coastal distribution when not breeding....
, Least Sandpiper
Least Sandpiper
The Least Sandpiper is the smallest shorebird.This species has greenish legs and a short thin dark bill. Breeding adults are brown with dark brown streaks on top and white underneath. They have a light line above the eye and a dark crown. In winter, Least Sandpipers are grey above...
, White-rumped Sandpiper
White-rumped Sandpiper
The White-rumped Sandpiper is a small shorebird.Adults have black legs and a small thin dark bill. The body is dark brown on top and mainly white underneath, with brown streaks on the breast and a white rump. They have a white stripe over their eyes. This bird shows long wings in flight. In winter...
, Short-billed Dowitcher
Short-billed Dowitcher
The Short-billed Dowitcher like its congener the Long-billed Dowitcher, is a medium-sized, stocky, long-billed shorebird in the family Scolopacidae. It is an inhabitant of North America, Middle America, and northern South America. It is strongly migratory; it completely vacates in breeding areas...
, Semipalmated Plover
Semipalmated Plover
The Semipalmated Plover is a small plover.This species weighs and measures in length and across the wings. Adults have a grey-brown back and wings, a white belly, and a white breast with one black neckband...
, Red Knot
Red Knot
The Red Knot, Calidris canutus , is a medium sized shorebird which breeds in tundra and the Arctic Cordillera in the far north of Canada, Europe, and Russia. It is a large member of the Calidris sandpipers, second only to the Great Knot...
, Sanderling
Sanderling
The Sanderling is a small wader. It is a circumpolar Arctic breeder, and is a long-distance migrant, wintering south to South America, South Europe, Africa, and Australia...
and Dunlin
Dunlin
The Dunlin, Calidris alpina, is a small wader, sometimes separated with the other "stints" in Erolia. It is a circumpolar breeder in Arctic or subarctic regions. Birds that breed in northern Europe and Asia are long-distance migrants, wintering south to Africa, southeast Asia and the Middle East...
.
Also, small populations of American Black Duck
American Black Duck
The American Black Duck is a large dabbling duck. American Black Ducks are similar to Mallards in size, and resemble the female Mallard in coloration, although the Black Duck's plumage is darker...
, Ring-necked Duck
Ring-necked Duck
The Ring-necked Duck is a smaller diving duck from North America.The adult male is similar in color pattern to the Eurasian Tufted Duck, its relative. It has a grey bill with a white band, a shiny purple head, a white breast, yellow eyes and a dark grey back...
and Blue-winged Teal
Blue-winged Teal
The Blue-winged Teal is a small dabbling duck from North America.-Description:The Blue-winged Teal is long, with a wingspan of , and a weight of . The adult male has a greyish blue head with a white facial crescent, a light brown body with a white patch near the rear and a black tail. The adult...
breed at the impoundment established by Ducks Unlimited.
External links
- Canada Gazette, Vol. 134, No 8 (April 12, 2000) - CANADA WILDLIFE ACT - Regulations Amending the Wildlife Area Regulations