Jean Iron phoned me this morning from Moosonee before flying out to
the James Bay coast. A crew headed by Mark Peck of the Royal Ontario
Museum (ROM) will be surveying migrating shorebirds with a particular
focus on Red Knots. Jean is a volunteer with the ROM. The crew
comprises Mark Peck, Amy Whitear, Gerry Binsfeld, Doug McRae, Don
Shanahan and Jean Iron. This morning (16 July) they flew by
helicopter to Longridge Point about 60 km north of Moosonee on the
southwestern coast of James Bay. They are camping and surveying there
until 3 August. See map link below.

RECENT OBSERVATIONS
Yellow Rail: ROM crews from 1 - 11 July found 300+ birds including 5
seen in sedge marshes at 5 survey sites along coast between the
Quebec border to Attawapiskat.

Shorebird Migration: only small numbers of southbound adults reported
to date possibly due to a delayed onset of nesting because of below
normal temperatures in May and June and a late snow melt. Numbers of
adults expected to increase soon. Juveniles to follow in August.

Hudsonian Godwit: 60 adults along coast south of Attawapiskat on 15
July fide Stacy Gan et al.

Marbled Godwit: One in early July in vast graminoid peatland 10+ km
inland from Hannah Bay by Don Sutherland et al. 20 adults along coast
south of Attawapiskat on 15 July fide Stacy Gan et al. A small
isolated population of about 1500 Marbled Godwits breeds in James Bay
where the wide coastal marshes are very prairie-like.

Little Gull: Five adults, some performing courtship flight displays,
in coastal fen southeast of Moosonee by Don Sutherland et al. Most
Little Gulls in North America probably breed in the Hudson Bay
Lowlands between Moosonee and Churchill, Manitoba.

Map link below of southern James Bay. Note yellow marker showing
location of Longridge Point where the ROM group is camped. Ontario
borders the west coast of James Bay and Quebec borders the east
coast. However, the provincial boundaries extend only to the high
water marks on James Bay. Offshore islands are in Nunavut Territory
whereas the waters and seabed of James Bay are under federal jurisdiction.
http://www.jeaniron.ca/2009/James-Bay-2009-REKN.jpg

Jean will be calling me by satellite phone from Longridge and I'll
post several updates over the next three weeks.

Acknowledgements: Thanks to Mark Peck of the Royal Ontario Museum
(ROM) and Don Sutherland and Stacy Gan of the Ontario Ministry of
Natural Resources (OMNR). Thanks also to the other ROM and OMNR crew
members (sorry if your names were omitted) who surveyed Yellow Rails
and Species At Risk in early July.

Ron Pittaway
Minden and Toronto
Ontario, Canada