This is the fifth report from Jean Iron who is surveying shorebirds along
the south coast of James Bay in northern Ontario for the Ontario Ministry
of Natural Resources. Below is a list of the shorebirds observed on Monday
(Aug 8) about 20 km north of the mouth of the Moose River near Shegogau on
southern James Bay. The survey was done at low tide so the birds were
spread out. At low tide the flats extend 1 - 2 km or more. Over the next
two weeks of August there will be a rapid shift in numbers from adults to
juveniles in many (not all) species of shorebirds. This turnover applies to
southern Ontario around the lower Great Lakes as well.

Black-bellied Plover, 3 adults in different stages of body molt.
Semipalmated Plover, 22,  75% juveniles.
Greater Yellowlegs, 49, mostly juveniles.
Lesser Yellowlegs 56, mostly juveniles.
Whimbrel, 3, age unknown.
Hudsonian Godwit, 15 molting adults. Thousands of this species stage and
fatten along the west coast of James Bay before flying non-stop to South
America. Most adults leave during the last 10 days of August. Juveniles
begin to gather along the coast in early September and depart from
mid-September to early October.
Marbled Godwit, 2, age unknown.
Semipalmated Sandpiper, 1412, 50% juveniles.
Least Sandpiper, 301, all juveniles.
White-rumped Sandpiper, 790 molting adults.
Pectoral Sandpiper, 350 adults, first juveniles should arrive this week or
next.
Dunlin, 1 adult still mainly in very worn alternate plumage. See # 1 below.

Note # 1. Molt Strategies: Almost all adult Dunlin of the subspecies
'hudsonia' (only subspecies breeding in Canada) will remain farther north
to undergo a complete definitive prebasic molt before migrating south after
mid-September. Juvenile Dunlins also remain in the north to undergo a
partial first prebasic body molt of body feathers before migrating south.
Purple Sandpipers follow this molt strategy too. However, most adult
shorebirds undergo varying degrees of body molt before migration (very
slight in a few to none in many species) and during migration at staging
areas where there is considerable body molt in many species. Most adult
shorebirds delay molting flight feathers until reaching the wintering
grounds. Most juvenile shorebirds depart the nesting areas in full juvenal
plumage. Depending on the species, there are varying amounts of body molt
at rest stops and staging areas as in adults.

Note # 2. Reports from Hudson Bay and from farther north indicate that most
shorebirds had a good breeding season in 2005.

Note # 3. I had a question about Red Knots. How are numbers doing this year
versus past years? It is difficult to say based on Jean's one survey
location. The coastline extends for hundreds of kilometers. The Hudson Bay
and James Bay coasts of Ontario are of "hemispheric significance to staging
flocks" of southbound Red Knots (Ross et al. 2003), probably being the fall
equivalent to Delaware Bay. The Canadian Wildlife Service (CWS) does aerial
surveys along the coast of James Bay, but I have not heard of recent
numbers of knots. The CWS also does aerial surveys of Red Knots and other
shorebirds during the winter in Central and South America.

Note # 4. Other birds of interest on Monday were 3 juvenile Bonaparte's
Gulls, 2 adult Arctic Terns, 3 Yellow Rails, 22 migrating Bank Swallows, 3
Rusty Blackbirds, 2 Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrows (still actively
singing), 4 Le Conte's Sparrows (actively singing). The Ministry survey
crew also saw many young American Toads of the colorful Hudson Bay
subspecies, Bufo americanus copei, and a Painted Lady (butterfly).

Literature Cited: Ross, K., K. Abraham, B. Clay, B. Collins, J. Iron, R.
James, D. McLachlin, and R. Weeber. 2003. Ontario Shorebird Conservation
Plan. Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment Canada. Cat No. 0-662-33933-9.

Ron Pittaway
Minden and Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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416-445-9297