Young Bald Eagle
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In 1997 the towns of Spaniard's Bay and Bay Roberts signed a Municipal Stewardship Agreement, making the Shearstown estuary an important link in wetland conservation in North America. Through this agreement the towns agreed to manage wetlands within their jurisdiction with technical advice from the partners of the Eastern Habitat Joint Venture.
The Shearstown Estuary is a shallow body of water where freshwater from Shearstown River meets and mixes with saltwater from Spaniard's Bay. The resulting mixture of water is termed "brackish," or partially salty. Shearstown River, Shearstown Pond, Muddy Hole Pond, Arnie's Pond and the shallow inner reaches of Spaniard's Bay comprise the Shearstown Estuary. The salinity, or saltiness of the water, varies considerably throughout the estuary with time and location and is dependent on tides, winds and precipitation.
Estuaries are found throughout the world and are nutrient rich ecosystems. Estuaries are considered to be among the most biologically productive ecosystems on earth. Many estuaries, like the Mackenzie River Estuary in the Arctic and the Bay of Fundy Saltmarshes, are very large and support large numbers of waterfowl, shorebirds, seabirds and other estuary associated wildlife. Estuaries like the Shearstown Estuary are much smaller but are still critical to many species of plants and animals in our region or traveling through our region.
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In the spring of 2006, three juvenile (fledgling) Bald Eagles left their nest in Spaniard's Bay and began visiting the small park at the edge of the estuary in Spaniard's Bay. (Two fledglings - assumed siblings - is good news, but three, according to a wildlife biologist from the Salmonier Nature Park, is a miracle!) The eaglets stopped traffic many times as people marvelled at their anctics. (See photos).
The Shearstown Estuary
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