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Mary's Point is one of the best places along the Bay of Fundy, and perhaps the world, for viewing shorebirds. Hundreds of thousands of semipalmated sandpipers stop here each summer during their migration from their widespread Arctic breeding grounds to their winter home of South America. Why? Well, quite simply they come here to get fat. Although these cute creatures have over 1000sq. kilometers of the Bay to choose from at low tide, a distinct preference has been shown or Grande-Anse, Starrs Point, Evangeline Beach and, the seemingly most important destination, Mary's Point. The birds follow the tide line as it advances and recedes. At high tide the sandpipers roost, but as the waters retreat the birds scurry from one hole to the next. Using sight and their relatively long bills, each sandpiper consumes between 9600-23000 mud shrimp each tide cycle. During their time in Fundy they double their lean weight of only 20 grams, but this is necessary to complete their migration. After leaving Fundy the sandpipers travel at an average of 60km per hour and their non-stop flight takes approximately 40 to 60 hours, which nearly depletes their entire fat reserve. Of the two million birds that travel along the Atlantic Flyway each year, three-quarters stop in the Fundy region, making it the most important stopping point along the Eastern seaboard. Mary's Point Bird Sanctuary is protected as a part of the Shepody National Wildlife Area. (**Note: The first semipalmated sandpipers generally do not arrive in Fundy until mid-July.)
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