Date: Wed, 25 Jul 2007 21:28:27 -0400
Reply-To: Jean Iron <jeaniron@SYMPATICO.CA>
Sender: Shorebird Discussion Group <SHOREBIRDS@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From: Jean Iron <jeaniron@SYMPATICO.CA>
Subject: Red Knot Survey: Mingan Archipelago, Quebec
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I am reporting for Jean Iron who is surveying Red Knots and other
shorebirds at the Mingan Archipelago (islands) on the north shore of the
Gulf of St. Lawrence in Quebec. Jean and Gerry Binsfeld are with Mark
Peck of the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM). Mark is part of an international
team researching Red Knots. Yves Aubry of the Canadian Wildlife Service
(Quebec Region) is the project supervisor. The surveyors are living in
Havre-Saint-Pierre, which is 150 km before the end of the road along
Quebec's north shore. The Mingan Archipelago is about 870 km (540 mi)
northeast of Quebec City. The archipelago consists of about 1000 coastal
islands, some quite large where the knot surveyors are working. This is
the region that John James Audubon called Labrador when he visited and
collected birds in 1833. However, Audubon never visited the current
Labrador, which is now the mainland portion of the province of
Newfoundland and Labrador, that became part of Canada in 1949. The Mingan
Archipelago is a National Park Reserve administered by Parks Canada. The
vegetation is boreal and subarctic. The shorebird habitat isn't the usual
tidal mudflats. At low tide the flat limestone bedrock on the large
islands is exposed creating many thousands of tidal pools full of
invertebrates and sea life. This is where the Red Knots and shorebirds
feed.<br><br>
RED KNOTS: 1500 knots seen yesterday, 24 July 2007. This is a major
staging area. 1500 knots is about 7% of the population in eastern North
America. All adults (presumably females) to date are in worn and faded
alternate plumage. They are beginning to molt indicated by incoming pin
feathers seen on birds in the hand. The breeding grounds of knots in the
Canadian Arctic is known in the broad sense, but the exact origins of the
Quebec migrants is not known. The adult males and growing juveniles are
still on the breeding grounds. The surveyors are looking for leg flags
indicating where the birds were banded. So far they've found birds banded
in Chile (red) Argentina (orange), Brazil (blue), USA - Florida (lime
green), Delaware Bay (dark green), and Canada (white). In the nets they
had a knot banded in Argentina and another banded last spring on Delaware
Bay, USA. So far they have spotted colour flagged knots from Brazil and
one marked this spring at Delaware Bay.<br><br>
Other Shorebirds: Hudsonian Godwits, Whimbrel, Ruddy Turnstones,
Black-bellied Plovers, Semipalmated Plovers, Semipalmated Sandpipers,
Greater Yellowlegs, Lesser Yellowlegs, White-rumped Sandpipers,
Sanderlings, Short-billed Dowitchers (subspecies griseus that breeds in
Quebec and Labrador). All migrant shorebirds are adults that recently
departed the nesting grounds. They feed at the tide edge among the
seaweed. There are no mudflats. When the tide goes out it exposes flat
limestone (platiers in French) pools covered with seaweed and
invertebrates.<br><br>
Other Bird Sightings: On Sunday their day off, Charles Kavanagh, Chief of
Conservation, Parks Canada took the surveyors to the seabird nesting
islands where they saw about 300 pairs Atlantic Puffins, about 100
Razorbills and a colony of Black-legged Kittiwakes. Other birds seen were
Arctic Terns, Northern Gannets, Black Guillemots, Northern Fulmars,
Parasitic Jaegers, Red-throated Loons nest on ponds in peat fens just
outside Havre-Saint-Pierre, Gray Jay pair with dark juveniles (no bands
Dan), Boreal Chickadee with young, Blackpoll Warblers, Fox Sparrow,
Lincoln's Sparrow, White-winged Crossbill, Pine Grosbeak, Pine Siskins.
Boreal Owls and Saw-whet Owls nest boxes.<br><br>
Miscellaneous: There are no Red Squirrels on the islands. This is very
important in preserving the original ecology of the islands. Red
Squirrels are nest predators. The area is excellent for whale watching
and seals.<br><br>
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: This is a cooperative project headed by Yves Aubry,
Biologist, Canadian Wildlife Service (CWS) and Alan Baker, Head of
Department of Natural History, Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto. It is
funded by World Wildlife Fund, Royal Ontario Museum (ROM), Canadian
Wildlife Service. Parks Canada provides transportation to the islands and
many services.<br><br>
Six Shorebird Surveyors are: Yves Aubry (CWS), Mark Peck (ROM),
Christophe Buidin, President of Club d'ornithologie de la Cote-Nord
(under contract to CWS), Yann Rochepault, Directeur of Club
d'ornithologie de la Cote-Nord (under contract to CWS). Gerry Binsfeld*,
volunteer from Ontario. Jean Iron*, volunteer from Ontario. *Note: Gerry
and Jean speak French and they love shorebirds, which is why Mark Peck
recruited them.<br><br>
People supporting the surveys are: Charles Kavanagh, Chief of
Conservation, Parks Canada. Yann Boudreau, Park Warden, Parks Canada who
assisted with the banding on four nights. Harold Rochaud, Capitaine of Le
Cartier, Parks Canada boat.<br><br>
Jean reports the outstanding hospitality of the people along Quebec's
North Shore.<br><br>
For more information
<a href="http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/qc/mingan/index_e.asp">
http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/qc/mingan/index_e.asp</a> <br><br>
Ron Pittaway<br>
Minden and Toronto ON<br>
jeaniron@sympatico.ca<br>
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