Sable Island National Park Reserve

We have now safely landed! Thank you for joining us on our #12DaysOfBirdmas flight We hope you’ve enjoyed some of the birds of Cape Breton Highlands National Park, Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site, Terra Nova National Park, Kouchibouguac National Park, Fundy National Park, and National Historic Sites of New Brunswick. #12DaysOfBirdmas #12DaysOfAtlanticBirds #ChristmasBirdCount #birdwatching Birds Canada National Audubon Society

The shore and dunes of Sable Island NPR were recently scoured for birds in support of the Christmas Bird Count, and the results are in! The team found a total of 1,754 birds including 2 Snow Buntings, 16 Common Redpolls, a Bufflehead, and a Baltimore Oriole! Check out the highlight reel below Photos by Sarah Medill

On the TENTH day of Bird-mas, my true love gave to me ten Sanderlings! While many Sanderlings breed in the high arctic and overwinter in South America, some will spend winter at Sable Island NPR. This is probably because the shores don’t freeze, the temperatures are milder, and there is ample food supply throughout the winter. When on the Island you can see them dashing along the edges of the water following the waves out and then retreating quickly when the waves ret...urn as if they're afraid to get their feet wet! They seem to be in an endless search for food that washes up on the beach with every wave. Fly on over to Cape Breton Highlands National Park tomorrow to see the next Atlantic Canadian bird! #12DaysOfBirdmas #12DaysOfAtlanticBirds #ChristmasBirdCount #birdwatching Birds Canada Photo by Greg Stroud

On the NINTH day of Bird-mas, my true love gave to me one piping plover The Piping Plover is a small shorebird that is found only in North America. They ...nest on white sandy beaches, like for example the beaches in Kouchibouguac National Park, Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site (Seaside Adjunct) and Prince Edward Island National Park. Piping plovers are listed as an Endangered Species. Parks Canada and its partners are working together to protect this small shorebird. To learn more: https://www.pc.gc.ca//especes-protection-sp/pluvier-plover Fly on over to Sable Island National Park Reserve tomorrow to see the next Atlantic Canadian bird! #12DaysOfBirdmas #12DaysOfAtlanticBirds

Join us to learn more about some of the birds that are seen at Sable Island NPR throughout the year with Operations Coordinator and bird-lover Greg Stroud.

Attention bird-lovers ! Sable Island National Park Reserve will host its FIRST ever Facebook Live TODAY at 11am Atlantic Time. Tune in as we stream all the way from Sable Island NPR. All you have to do is come back to this page at 11am. See you then!

Did you know that Sable Island National Park Reserve is home to the largest breeding colony of grey seals in the world? Every winter thousands of grey seals (like this proud mother) come to Sable Island to give birth. There are so many seals on the beach that you can hardly walk! This young pup will be fed its mother's milk for the next 16-18 days. After that, it will spend a month on the island living off of its thick layer of fat before venturing into the sea. ... Photo by Sarah Medill

If you opened up the newspaper in Belfast, Maine on Dec. 3rd, 1835, you would have read about Sable Island! Then as now, Sable Island is always shifting and re-arranging: The Schr. Ontario, Patterson, returned to this port on Thursday last, from Sable Island, having been unsuccessful in getting anything more out of the wreck of the ship Eagle. Capt. P. reports that he found the ship drifted over the inner bar, and filled with sand. It would seem that the East end of the islan...d where the Eagle lies is constantly encroaching upon the sea; several miles having been formed within a few years, as the remains of former wrecks now lying far inland clearly confirm, while several miles from the West end has been washed awayso that the true position of Sable Island does not appear on the charts of the coast. (Transcribed from the Republican Journal, Maine, by the Belfast Free Library) Photo by Drew Doggett Photography

Are you interested in learning more about Sable Island's wild horses? Check out this episode of The Urban Zoo, featuring Park Ecologist, Dan Kehler discussing their history, current population, and other unique aspects of the island!