As we were driving by we noticed all the signs at the Shepody National Wildlife Area, so stopped to have a look. There are several signs that feature different species of birds including the Green-Wing Teal.
The signs about the birds, in the area, are on the observation deck that overlooks the wetland. While there enjoy all the wildlife in the area. We were there in mid-May on a beautiful calm day and Canadian geese were observed close to the road.
Shepody National Wildlife Area was established in 1980 and is comprised of the Germantown Marsh, Mary's Point and New Horton sections that are situated on and adjacent to Chignecto and Shepody Bays. Shepody National Wildlife Area was also designated as part of a Ramsar site, its wetlands having been recognized as having international significance because it supports large numbers of mud shrimp, the principle food source for millions of fall migrating shorebirds to Central and South America; primarily the Semipalmated Sandpiper.
Shorebird flock
Both the Germantown Marsh and New Horton sections were largely former lakes, bogs and salt marsh that many years ago had been drained and converted to farmland with the installation of dikes and aboiteau that held back tidal waters. Since being incorporated into the National Wildlife Area these marshes have been restored, with the assistance of Ducks Unlimited Canada. By creating earth dikes, the marshes were shallowly flooded with fresh water to replace wetland habitat that was formerly lost. The Mary's Point section that is situated on the coast where Shepody and Chignecto Bay converge is comprised of a large salt marsh and a forested peninsula that extends out into Shepody Bay. This peninsula is made up of a sand/gravel beach, sand dunes, rocky cliffs and inter-tidal ledges.
The impounded wetlands of Shepody National Wildlife Area provide important production, staging and migration habitat for waterfowl including American Black Duck, Green-winged Teal, Blue-winged Teal and Ring-necked Duck. The freshwater wetlands further provide some of the best nesting habitat in the Atlantic Provinces for a variety of marsh birds such as the Pied-billed Grebe, American Bittern, and Sora. The salt marshes support staging and migration habitat for waterfowl with the inter-tidal mud flats and gravel beaches providing migration habitat for shorebirds including the Black-bellied and Semipalmated Plovers among others. The dominant species is the Semipalmated Sandpiper which roosts on the beach at Mary's Point in the thousands during peak migration.
Source: Environment Canada