Jean Iron's report for the period 9 - 13 August 2008 via satellite
phone from Akimiski Island, Nunavut, in James Bay. She is a volunteer
surveying shorebirds for the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources
(OMNR) and Trent University under the direction of Research Scientist
Ken Abraham. At low tide the mudflats in front of camp extend out
more than 2 km. The flats are a mixture of mud and rocks with
thousands of shallow pools. The high density of tidal pools provides
ideal feeding habitats for shorebirds. Counts are done at or near
high tide when birds are concentrated close to shore. High tide
yesterday was about 7 p.m. This report includes the latest shorebird
population estimates in North America. Observations below.
Shorebird Banding on 12-13 August: Greater Yellowlegs - 1 juvenile
(no molt), Lesser Yellowlegs - 3 juveniles (no molt), Semipalmated
Sandpiper - 61 juveniles (no molt) and 1 molting adult, Least
Sandpiper - 2 juveniles (no molt), White-rumped Sandpiper - 3 molting
adults, Pectoral Sandpiper - 1 adult (no molt), 5 juvenile
Short-billed Dowitchers (no molt). Ben Walters of Trent is doing the
banding. A nearby female Polar Bear and cub are limiting banding activities.
Black-bellied Plover: 36 on 9 Aug, 27 molting (blotchy) adults on 13
Aug, a couple in almost full alternate plumage. Juveniles are still
much farther north on the breeding grounds.
American Golden-Plover: 1 adult on 9 Aug, 3 adults (limited molt) on
13 Aug. Juveniles farther north on breeding grounds.
Semipalmated Plover: 40 on 9 Aug, 44 mostly adults on 13 Aug, only 4
juveniles. Ken Abraham remarked that "Akimiski is one of the
southernmost breeding locations for Semipalmated Plovers and the
population has been studied since 2002. It is curious that there are
so few juveniles, if they are from local production, but we have been
worried about high predation rates (much higher than at the Churchill
study area). I wonder if the birds currently there are passage birds
from farther north and whether the local birds have left".
Greater Yellowlegs: 42 on 9 Aug, 23 on 12 Aug, 40 on 13 Aug, 50%
juveniles. Several chasing small fish in shallow water, which is
typical behavior.
Lesser Yellowlegs: 135 on 9 Aug, 27 on 12 Aug. All juveniles.
Whimbrel: 37 on 9 Aug, 19 on 10 Aug, 18 on 11th, 20 on 12th, 18 on
13th. All adults that could be aged. They are around camp (not on
mudflats) eating berries such as Bufflaloberry (Shepherdia
canadensis). Most berries are high in sugar and when eaten quickly
metabolize to fat.
Hudsonian Godwit: 39 on 9 Aug, 48 on 12 Aug. 10% juveniles.
Marbled Godwit: The big news is the sighting of the first 4 juveniles
on 12 Aug. Eight birds on 10th were not aged, but one was a presumed
adult because it chased a Northern Harrier in apparent territorial
behavior. One flyover on 13th. No nests were found this summer with
extensive searching. Secretive nesting behavior is not surprising
given the high nest depredation on shorebirds by foxes, gulls and
other opportunists. The James Bay Marbled Godwits breed later than
northern prairie birds because of the later onset of summer. This
population occurs mainly in the southern 3/4 of western James Bay.
Marbled Godwits were not detected along the Ontario coast of Hudson
Bay during the second Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas (Abraham 2007).
James Bay birds may be the northern limit of their breeding range due
to climatic conditions or possibly they are excluded from breeding
farther north by competition with Hudsonian Godwits. Todd (1963)
reported that the dissection of 5 birds, collected 24-25 June 1941 at
Hannah Bay (Ontario) at the south end of James Bay, showed that they
were not in breeding condition. This suggests that James Bay birds
may not breed every year, particularly in cold summers, further
limiting the population. Ken Abraham commented that "An alternate
interpretation for Todd's dissection is that perhaps not all Marbled
Godwits breed in their second year."
Ruddy Turnstone: 1 adult on 9 Aug, 3 adults (no molt) on 13 Aug.
First juveniles expected soon.
Red Knot: 4 molting (patchy red/gray) adults on 12 Aug. First
juveniles expected soon.
Semipalmated Sandpiper: 3316 on 9 Aug, 1000 on 11 Aug, very few
adults. 1500 almost all juveniles on 12th, 1043 almost all juveniles
on 13 Aug. Ratio about 1 adult to 100 juveniles. Rapid turnover from
mostly adults to juveniles in the last few days.
Least Sandpiper: 12 juveniles on 9 Aug, 1 juvenile on 13 Aug. Adults
now well south of the breeding grounds.
White-rumped Sandpiper: 4693 on 9 Aug, 1500 molting adults on 12 Aug,
1200 on 13 Aug. White-rumped and Semipalmated Sandpiper usually fly
and feed together in mixed flocks of 6 - 400 birds. Semipalmateds
feed at edge of pools and White-rumpeds in shallow water.
Pectoral Sandpiper: 124 adults on 9 Aug, 32 adults (no molt) on 13
Aug. First juveniles expected soon.
Dunlin: 3 molting adults with Semipalmateds and White-rumpeds on 9 Aug.
Short-billed Dowitcher: 6 juveniles (no molt) on 13 Aug.
Wilson's Phalarope: 2 juveniles photographed on 13 Aug. First record
for Akimiski Island. Wilson's Phalarope is a rare breeder in the
southern James Bay area. One was starting its first prebasic molt
showing a few new gray scapulars.
Other Birds: A Merlin caught a peep on 9 Aug, 3 juvenile Bonaparte's
Gulls on 9 Aug, and 6 adult Arctic Terns on 9 Aug.
SHOREBIRD POPULATION ESTIMATES IN NORTH AMERICA from Morrison et al.
2006: Black-bellied Plover 200,000; American Golden-Plover 200,000;
Pacific Golden Plover 35,000 - 50,000; Snowy Plover 15,200; Wilson's
Plover 6,000; Common Ringed Plover 190,000 including 10,000 breeding
in Canada; Semipalmated Plover 150,000; Piping Plover 5,983;
Killdeer 1,000,000; Mountain Plover 12,500, American Oystercatcher
11,000; Black Oystercatcher 10,000; Black-necked Stilt 176,400;
American Avocet 450,000; Greater Yellowlegs 100,000; Lesser
Yellowlegs 400,000; Solitary Sandpiper 150,000 with an approximate
ratio of 2:1 for subspecies nominate solitaria to cinnamomea; Willet
250,000 includes 90,000 Eastern nominate subspecies semipalmatus and
160,000 interior subspecies inornatus; Wandering Tattler 10,000 to
25,000 with 90% in North America; Spotted Sandpiper 150,000; Upland
Sandpiper 350,000, Eskimo Curlew < 50, "lack of recent reports
suggest designation of possibly extinct"; Whimbrel 66,000 including
40,000 subspecies hudsonicus; Bristle-thighed Curlew 10,000;
Long-billed Curlew 55,000 to 123,500, "it appears that there are
considerably more Long-billed Curlews than previously thought";
Hudsonian Godwit 70,000; Bar-tailed Godwit 90,000; Marbled Godwit
173,500; Ruddy Turnstone 190,000 including 45,000 subspecies
interpres breeding in Canada and winter in Europe and Africa; Black
Turnstone 95,000; Surfbird 70,000; Red Knot 120,000 for all NA
populations, but I may have erred in calculating this number from the
report. This includes (1) 80,000 subspecies islandica, which breeds
in the northeastern Canadian High Arctic and winter in Europe, (2)
20,000 subspecies roselaari breeding in Alaska and wintering along
Pacific Coast, and (3) 20,000 subspecies rufa of eastern and central
North America. The rufa population estimate is out of date. It is now
considerably less than 20,000, but I don't have the latest number;
Sanderling 300,000; Semipalmated Sandpiper 200,000; Western Sandpiper
3,500,000; Least Sandpiper 700,000; White-rumped Sandpiper 1,120,000;
Baird's Sandpiper 300,000; Pectoral Sandpiper 500,000; Sharp-tailed
Sandpiper 30,000 being almost all juveniles migrate through western
Alaska in fall; Purple Sandpiper 15,000; Rock Sandpiper 150,000;
Dunlin 1,525,000; Stilt Sandpiper 820,000; Buff-breasted Sandpiper
30,000; Short-billed Dowitcher 153,000 including combined total of
Eastern nominate subspecies griseus and interior subspecies
hendersoni at 78,000, and western subspecies caurinus at 75,000;
Long-billed Dowitcher 400,000; Wilson's Snipe 2,000,000; American
Woodcock 3,500,000; Wilson's Phalarope 1,500,000; Red-necked
Phalarope 2,500,000; and Red Phalarope 1,250,000.
References: (1) Morrison, R.I.G., B.J. McCaffery, R.E. Gill, S. K.
Skagen, S. L. Jones, G.W. Page, C. L. Gratto-Trevor, and B. A.
Andres. 2006. Population estimates of North American shorebirds
2006. Wader Study Bulletin. (2) Todd, W.E.C. 1963. Birds of the
Labrador Peninsula and Adjacent Areas. Carnegie Museum and University
of Toronto Press.
We thank Ken Abraham for comments. Next report in a few days.
Ron Pittaway
Minden / Toronto
Ontario, Canada
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