Hi!

This report summarizes the observations from three camps staffed from 15 July to 26 August 2014 on the southwestern coast of James Bay. Surveys are conducted under the direction of Christian Friis of the Canadian Wildlife Service (CWS) and Mark Peck of the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) and their partners the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (OMNR), Bird Studies Canada, Nature Canada and Moose Cree First Nation. Maximum daily counts and dates for each species are reported below for Longridge (51.798942 N, -80.69204 W), Little Piskwamish (51.683427 N, -80.565783 W) and North Point (51.7027 N, -80.567 W). Surveys were conducted from July 15 - Aug 13 at Longridge, July 15 - August 26 at Piskwamish and July 30 - August 26 at North Point.

Longridge crew: Ryan Burrell, Tove Christensen, Lizzie Grayshon, Dayna Leclair, Tim Lucas, Amie MacDonald, Chad Peterson, Ron Ridout, Michael Runtz, Don Sutherland, Bill Thompson, Adam Timpf, Ross Wood (crew leader)

Little Piskwamish crew: Allie Anderson, Susie Cameron, Janice Chard, Tove Christensen, Jeff Costa, Tobin Day, Hellen Fu, Mark Gagnon, Marilyn Hughie, Jean Iron, Darrell Isaac, Jeffrey Isaac, Brendan Kelly, Peter Kennerley, James Kennerley, Doug McRae, Stéphane Menu, Mark Peck (crew leader), Lisa Pollock (crew leader), Emily Rondel, Greg Stuart, Kat Sutherland, Eleanor Zurbrigg 

North Point crew: Zoe Barrett-Wood, Barbara Charlton, Mark Dodds, Christian Friis (crew leader), Kyle Marsh, Janine McManus, Doug McRae (crew leader), Dylan White

HIGHEST DAILY COUNTS: Total numbers of shorebird peaked on August 11 at all sites with 13,625 birds observed at Longridge, 45,255 at Piskwamish and 15,000 at North Point.

Black-bellied Plover 
Longridge: 358 adults on Aug. 11.
Piskwamish: 150 adults on Aug. 11.
North Point: 144 adults on Aug. 9.

American Golden-Plover 
Longridge: 9 adults on Aug. 11.
Piskwamish: 4 adults on Aug. 11.
North Point: 1 adult observed on a few dates.
                
Semipalmated Plover 
Longridge: 226 on Aug. 11. First juvenile observed on Aug. 6.
Piskwamish: 140 on Aug. 11 (1/3 migrating). First juvenile observed Aug. 1.
North Point: 125 on Aug. 2. First juvenile observed Aug. 10.

Killdeer 
Longridge: 24 on July 31 and 3 young on July 15 and July 20.
Piskwamish: 12 on Aug. 11 and 3 juveniles on Aug. 6.
North Point: 1 adult observed on several dates.
                                
Spotted Sandpiper
Longridge: 6 on July 25 (3 observed on several dates).
Piskwamish: 2 juveniles observed on several dates.
North Point: 1 juvenile on Aug. 11.

Solitary Sandpiper 
Longridge: 4 on Aug. 8.
Piskwamish: 4 on Aug. 4.
North Point: 1 juvenile on Aug. 10.

Greater Yellowlegs 
Longridge: 226 adults and juveniles on July 31.
Piskwamish: 380 on Aug. 11. First juvenile observed July 31.
North Point: 480 on Aug. 4. First juvenile observed July 31. 

Lesser Yellowlegs
Longridge: 328 on Aug. 6. By the end of the period they were 90%+ juveniles.
Piskwamish: 325 on Aug. 11 (mostly juveniles). By end of period all juveniles.
North Point: 312 on Aug. 6. First juvenile July 31.

Whimbrel 
Longridge: 60 adults on Aug. 3.
Piskwamish: 46 adults on Aug. 21.
North Point: 55 adults on Aug. 11 migrating flocks.

Hudsonian Godwit 
Longridge: 458 molting adults on Aug 8.  No juveniles sighted during the period.
Piskwamish: 388 adults on July 17 and 300 on Aug. 11. First juvenile Aug. 11.
North Point: 709 adults on Aug. 11 (groups migrating). First juvenile Aug. 17.

Marbled Godwit
Longridge: 1 on July 27 and July 31.
Piskwamish: 2 juveniles on Aug. 8 and 3 juveniles on Aug. 10.
North Point: 4 on Aug. 10.

Ruddy Turnstone 
Longridge: 562 on Aug. 10. First juvenile was observed on Aug. 9.
Piskwamish: 185 adults on Aug. 9. First juvenile was observed on Aug. 15.
North Point: 90 on Aug. 24 (75 on Aug. 6 and 71 on Aug. 16). First juvenile on Aug. 11.

Red Knot
Longridge: 1,850 on Aug. 11, including the first juvenile of the year.  Most of these birds continued south as the high tide moved in, including a flock of 1000 birds.
Piskwamish: 2,100 adults on July 26 and 2,000 on Aug. 11/12. First 3 juveniles on Aug. 8. By the end of the survey period flocks contained approximately 20% juveniles. Approximately 560 knots still present at end of survey period. 
North Point: 999 on Aug. 11 (many migrating). First juvenile on Aug. 5. By the end of the survey period only had total observations of 3-9 juveniles.

Sanderling 
Longridge: 135 molting adults on July 23.
Piskwamish: 74 adults on July 23.
North Point: 414 on Aug. 8. First noted juvenile Aug. 21.

Semipalmated Sandpiper
Longridge: 2,626 on Aug. 11.  By Aug. 12 the number of juveniles had increased to about 50%.
Piskwamish: 10,000 on Aug. 11 (many juveniles). First juvenile noted July 24. Approximately 700 birds still present at end of survey period. 
North Point: 6,465 on Aug. 12 (75% juveniles). First juvenile Aug. 5. Approximately 500 birds still present at end of survey period. 

Western Sandpiper 
Longridge: 1 adult observed on July 23. 

Least Sandpiper
Longridge: 363 juveniles on Aug. 8. First juvenile July 19 (100% juveniles by Aug. 8).
Piskwamish: 250 juveniles on Aug. 11. First 2 juveniles on July 24 (100% juveniles by Aug. 5).
North Point: 544 juveniles on Aug. 11 (100% juveniles by July 31).

White-rumped Sandpiper
Longridge: 6,635 adults on Aug. 11.
Piskwamish: approximately 30,000 adults on Aug. 11. No juveniles observed.
North Point: 6,229 adults on Aug. 15. First 2 juveniles on Aug. 11.

Baird's Sandpiper 
Longridge: 2 adults on Aug. 4 and 2 juveniles on Aug. 11.
North Point: 1 juvenile on Aug. 18 and 2 juveniles on Aug. 24. 

Pectoral Sandpiper
Longridge: 258 adults on July 31. 
Piskwamish: 300 adults on Aug. 11 and 5 juveniles on Aug. 12
North Point: 279 adults on Aug. 2 and 1 juvenile on Aug. 24

Dunlin 
Longridge: 155 molting adults on Aug. 13 
Piskwamish: 1,200 molting adults on Aug. 11. Some adults almost completely molted by the end of the survey period.
North Point: 1,397 molting adults on Aug. 11. First juvenile noted Aug. 25.

Stilt Sandpiper
Longridge: 2 adults on July 19 and 1 adult on July 21.
North Point: 3 on July 31 and 2 on Aug 1/2.

Short-billed Dowitcher
Longridge: 7 on Aug. 4. 
Piskwamish: 8 on Aug. 15 and 3 juveniles on July 31.
North Point: 6 (2 juveniles) on Aug. 4.

Wilson's Snipe 
Longridge: 64 on Aug. 7. 
Piskwamish: 80 on Aug. 11.
North Point: 26 on Aug. 11.

Wilson's Phalarope
Longridge: 4 on July 31. 
Piskwamish: 1 juvenile observed on several dates.
North Point: 5 on Aug. 11 and 4 juveniles on Aug. 21.

Red-necked Phalarope: 
Piskwamish: 4 juveniles on Aug. 7.
North Point: 1 juvenile on Aug. 11 and Aug 14.

A total of 172 bird species were recorded at all three sites (137 species at Longridge, 136 species at Piskwamish and 135 species at North Point).  

Other Birds: Non-shorebird highlights include 3 Black Guillemots, 2 Mute Swans, Yellow Rail, Arctic Tern, Parasitic Jaeger, Pied-billed Grebe, Great Horned Owl, Northern Saw-whet Owl, Common Nighthawk, Clay-colored Sparrow, juvenile Northern Shrike, and a female yellow-headed blackbird.

Mammals: Porcupine, Red Squirrel, Red-backed Vole, Meadow Vole, Beluga, Gray Wolf, Red Fox, Black Bear, Ermine, Striped Skunk, River Otter, White-tailed Deer, Moose, Caribou and an unidentified seal.

Reptiles/Amphibians: American Toad, Boreal chorus frog, wood frog, spring peeper, and Garter snake.

Butterflies/moths: Azure, C. Ringlet, Northern Crescent, White Admiral, Viceroy, Monarch, Cabbage White, Atlantis Fritillary, Orange Sulphur and Bronzed Copper and Catocala spp. (orange underwings).

Dragonflies: Lake Darner, Lake Emerald, Zigzag Darner, Four-spotted Skimmer, Cherry-faced Meadowhawk, Black Meadowhawk, Sedge Darner, Forcepate Emerald, Northern Spreadwing, Emerald Spreadwing, Canada Darner, Variable Darner and Sedge Sprite.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: The Western James Bay Shorebird Survey is a cooperative effort of the Canadian Wildlife Service, Royal Ontario Museum , Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (OMNR), Bird Studies Canada, Nature Canada and Moose Cree First Nation. Survey camps are rented from the Moose Cree First Nation. The OMNR provides accommodations in the staff house while crews are in Moosonee. Thanks to Rod Brook, Sarah Hagey and Kim Bennett of OMNR for logistical support. 

This project would not be possible without the many long days of dedicated volunteer effort.

This project was funded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act program, which supports work to conserve Neotropical migratory birds in the United States, Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean. Thanks to Ron Pittaway and Jean Iron for their reports on the project this year and years past.

From Jean and Ron:
Map of survey locations. 
#1. http://www.jeaniron.ca/2014/JB14/map.htm

Population Estimates of North American Shorebirds 2012. 
#2. http://www.jeaniron.ca/2013/ShorebirdPop2012.pdf

Southbound Shorebirds: Some basic facts. 
#3. http://www.ofo.ca/site/page/view/articles.southboundshorebirds

Regards,
            Christian

Christian A. Friis 
Canadian Wildlife Service 
Environment Canada 
4905 Dufferin St. 
Toronto ON M3H 5T4 
[log in to unmask] 
Telephone 416.739.4908 
Mobile 647.882.6097 
Facsimile 416.739.5845 
Government of Canada 
Website www.ec.gc.ca/mbc-com

Christian A. Friis 
Service canadien de la faune 
Environnement Canada 
4905, rue Dufferin 
Toronto ON M3H 5T4 
[log in to unmask] 
Téléphone 416.739.4908 
Cellulaire 647.882.6097 
Télécopieur 416.739.5845 
Gouvernement du Canada 
Site Web www.ec.gc.ca/mbc-com