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18 Mar shorebird mapping - seeking for help [Gyorgy Szimuly ] 21 Oct Sony VAIO CS280J/R - Core 2 .. [Schmitt Fabrice ] 8 Sep Re: Sand-plover in Virginia [DJ Lauten and KACastelein ] 8 Sep Re: Sand-plover in Virginia [David Hartgrove ] 8 Sep Re: Sand-plover in Virginia [Gyorgy Szimuly ] 8 Sep Sand-plover in Virginia [Pete Myers ] 2 Sep GIS Mapping Workshops in Georgia [New Urban Research ] 30 Aug Palm Beach Sod Farms Shorebirding [Robert Wallace ] 27 Aug Great Knot in San Diego, CA USA [Jay K ] 11 Aug OrnithoCalendar [Gyorgy Szimuly ] 11 Aug Quiet Resorts Birding Weekend [Andrew Cripps ] 4 Aug James Bay Report # 6 - photos [Jean Iron ] 4 Aug Belle Glade FL Agricultural fields [Robert Wallace ] 2 Aug James Bay Report # 5 [Jean Iron ] 31 Jul American Golden Plover CP - Request for revieuw ["Arne J. Lesterhuis" ] 27 Jul James Bay Report # 4 [Jean Iron ] 23 Jul James Bay Report # 3 [Jean Iron ] 21 Jul FW: Greater Flamingoes at Snake Bight and a Few Migrants [Charlie Ewell ] 19 Jul new wader books ["Norman D.van Swelm" ] 19 Jul James Bay Report # 2 [Jean Iron ] 16 Jul satellite tracking [Patrick Leary ] 16 Jul James Bay Report # 1 [Jean Iron ] 26 Jun Arctic Breeding Conditions in 2009 [Jean Iron ] 25 Jun Eastern Arctic Chill [Patrick Leary ] 26 May FW: Greater Sand-Plover 2009-05-26 -- Maybe??? [Charlie Ewell ] 26 May Fw: [FLARBA] 5/25/09--Greater Sand-Plover (continues), Duval County [Charlie Ewell ] 23 May Fw: [FLARBA] 5/23/09--Greater Sand-Plover (continues), Duval County [Charlie Ewell ] 21 May Fwd: Greater Sand-plover, White-rumps, Red Knot [Charlie Ewell ] 21 May Fw: [BRDBRAIN] Greater Sand Plover. Yes. Baird's Sandpiper. Huguenot Park [Charlie Ewell ] 19 May [Fwd: Huguenot Park conditions] [Charlie Ewell ] 18 May Datos de Phalaropus tricolor ["Arne J. Lesterhuis" ] 18 May Fw: [FLARBA] 5/18/09--Greater Sand-Plover (continues), Duval County [Charlie Ewell ] 17 May Fw: [FLARBA] 5/17/09--Greater Sand-Plover, Duval County [Charlie Ewell ] 16 May Greater Sand-Plover (continues) 5/16/09--Duval County, FL [Charlie Ewell ] 15 May Re: Fw: [BRDBRAIN] Greater Sand-Plover Yes! [Diane Reed ] 15 May Fw: [BRDBRAIN] Greater Sand-Plover Yes! [Charlie Ewell ] 14 May Greater Sand-plover images [Patrick Leary ] 14 May FW: [FLARBA] Photo Update--5/14/09--Greater Sand-plover, Duval County [Charlie Ewell ] 14 May FW: Greater Sand-Plover photo by Roger Clark [Charlie Ewell ] 14 May GREATER SANDPLOVER reported in northeast Florida [Charlie Ewell ] 12 May South Carolina shorebird migration and rarities [Nate Dias ] 25 Mar Just Announced - GIS Mapping Workshops in Georgia [New Urban Research ] 23 Mar Sociable Lapwing issue again [Gyorgy Szimuly ] 23 Mar Sociable Lapwing issue again [Gyorgy Szimuly ] 10 Mar banded DUNL confirmed and identified [Patrick Leary ] 28 Feb color-banded Dunlin [Patrick Leary ] 16 Feb Eurasian Woodcock survey by hunters [Gyorgy Szimuly ] 1 Feb Article - Turns out the red knot is not alone in its plight [Eric Stiles ] 20 Jan Re: Bar-tailed Godwit migration [Patrick Leary ] 17 Jan bird cannibalism from the cold! ["Norman D.van Swelm" ] 6 Jan Bar-tailed Godwit migration [Dominic Mitchell ] 2 Jan Fw: [EBN] Shorebirds in the cold ["Norman D.van Swelm" ] 1 Jan Shorebirds in the cold ["Norman D.van Swelm" ] 28 Nov Address Change ["Thomas J. Dunkerton" ] 6 Nov FW: Banded Snowy Plovers- please report [Charlie Ewell ] 4 Nov Reminder: Sign Up Today for Beginners' GIS Workshop [New Urban Research ] 10 Sep James Bay Shorebirds - Akimiski Photos [Jean Iron ] 2 Sep Fw: [BIRDWG01] Shorebird ID help [Robert Wallace ] 27 Aug Pesticides at stop-over sites [Patrick Leary ] 26 Aug James Bay Shorebirds - Akimiski Report # 6 [Jean Iron ] 20 Aug James Bay Shorebirds - Akimiski Report # 5 B [Jean Iron ] 20 Aug James Bay Shorebirds - Akimiski Report # 5 A [Jean Iron ] 14 Aug James Bay Shorebirds - Akimiski Report # 4 [Jean Iron ] 9 Aug James Bay Shorebirds - Akimiski Report # 3 [Jean Iron ] 6 Aug James Bay Shorebirds - Akimiski Report # 2 [Jean Iron ] 3 Aug Palm Beach County FL Ag fields - 18 species of shorebirds [Robert Wallace ] 3 Aug James Bay Shorebirds - Akimiski Report # 1 [Jean Iron ] 27 Jul NUmenius sp. [Mauricio Ugarte-Lewis ] 24 Jul Fw: [SDBIRDS] Red-necked Stint photos, 23 July 2008, San Diego Bay [Jay K ] 23 Jul Shorebird Sampling this Winter [Andrea Lyn Storm-Suke ] 17 Jul Least Tern Survey Methodology [Jenifer Hilburn ] 14 Jul Shorebird migration, Ponce Inlet [Robert Wallace ] 4 Jul Eskimo Curlew: Damn few and they're not all deid! ["Norman D.van Swelm" ] 3 Jul Re: [BIRDWG01] (Eskimo Curlew) Damn few and they're not all dead! [Jerry Tangren ] 3 Jul Re: (Eskimo Curlew) Damn few and they're not all dead! [Jean Iron ] 3 Jul Re: Damn few and they're not all deid! [Gyorgy Szimuly ] Subject: shorebird mapping - seeking for help From: Gyorgy Szimuly <gyorgy.szimuly AT MAC.COM> Date: Thu, 18 Mar 2010 00:07:24 +0100 Dear Friends, Sorry for cross posting. Can anyone help in this project? http://alturl.com/2von Cheers, Szimi _______________ Gyorgy Szimuly skype: szimistyle.com web: http://web.me.com/gyorgy.szimuly/SzimiStyles_Birding_Experience_EN/Blog/Blog.html Subject: Sony VAIO CS280J/R - Core 2 .. From: Schmitt Fabrice <fabrschmitt AT YAHOO.COM.AR> Date: Wed, 21 Oct 2009 17:03:53 +0000 Dear friends:   Welcome to join our company' member club . Everybody here can enjoy our products' member price. All customers can browse through our company's home page---- www.ybwlok.com> for latest information . Our products (notebook PC,digital camera,plasma and LCD TV,digital DV,Motos,phones,Mp3/4,and so on) all have low price and high quality in order to attract more new customers to cooperate with us . Hope here is your shopping heaven! Please contact me via e-mail: ybwlok AT ybwlok.com  Recommended NEW UNLOCKED APPLE iPHONE 3G.. views:5195 NO.411001225441 Market:€ 248 EUR Payment: Live Chat Ship: EMS / AIR CARGO Member  € 240 EUR Sony VAIO CS280J/R - Core 2 .. views:5117 NO.411001225212 Market:€ 439 EUR Payment: Live Chat Ship: EMS / AIR CARGO Member  € 370 EUR Sony Playstation 3 PS3 80GB .. views:5085 NO.411001225007 Market:€ 202 EUR Payment: Live Chat Ship: EMS / AIR CARGO Member  € 192 EUR Yahoo! Cocina Encontra las mejores recetas con Yahoo! Cocina. http://ar.mujer.yahoo.com/cocina/ Subject: Re: Sand-plover in Virginia From: DJ Lauten and KACastelein <deweysage AT VERIZON.NET> Date: Tue, 8 Sep 2009 13:08:22 -0700 I wondered the same thing............ Cheers Dave Lauten Bandon OR deweysage AT verizon.net David Hartgrove wrote: > Hi, > And just to remind everyone, there was a Greater Sand Plover seen > over the course of 4 or 5 days at Huegenot Park, near Jacksonville, FL > in May. Any chance this is the same bird? > > David Hartgrove > Daytona Beach, FL > > Subject: Re: Sand-plover in Virginia From: David Hartgrove <birdman9 AT EARTHLINK.NET> Date: Tue, 8 Sep 2009 14:14:37 -0400 Hi, And just to remind everyone, there was a Greater Sand Plover seen over the course of 4 or 5 days at Huegenot Park, near Jacksonville, FL in May. Any chance this is the same bird? David Hartgrove Daytona Beach, FL Subject: Re: Sand-plover in Virginia From: Gyorgy Szimuly <gyorgy.szimuly AT MAC.COM> Date: Tue, 8 Sep 2009 17:18:43 +0200 Looking at the images we have a feeling this is rather a Lesser Sand Plover. The shape of relative fine bill, the size compared to Semipalmated Plover and the Sandpiper would suggest this bird as a Lesser SP. There are tricky birds for sure where features overlap between Greater and Lesser Sand Plover but I would not exclude LSP possibility based on the images. Cheers, Szimi -------- Gyorgy Szimuly Tata, Hungary, Europe skype: szimistyle.com web: http://web.me.com/gyorgy.szimuly/SzimiStyles_Birding_Experience_EN/Blog/Blog.html ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 7 Sep 2009 21:20:58 -0400 From: Gail Mackiernan Subject: Sand-plover in Virginia Hi -- This has not been posted to Birdchat, but a Sand-plover -- which many are now considering a Greater, although the final verdict is not in -- was found yesterday and continued today until dark in Staunton, Virginia just off I-81. If it proves to be a Greater S-P. this would only be the 3rd US record. It is frequenting a farm pond behind a Day's Inn just off the interstate! Details, directions and links to photos can be seen on the VA-Birds list accessed through Jack Siler's web site at http://birdingonthe.net. Gail Mackiernan Silver Spring, MD BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html Subject: Sand-plover in Virginia From: Pete Myers <JPMyers AT AOL.COM> Date: Tue, 8 Sep 2009 09:13:52 EDT A sand-plover, most likely greater, appeared in Virginia 2 days ago near Staunton, about 40 minutes west of Charlottesville (where I live). It was in a muddy pond behind this Day's Inn motel: Days Inn Business Place Hotel 273 Bells Ln # D Staunton, VA 24401-9013 Here's a link to images: http://www.birdsofvirginia.com/GalleryPages/Sandplover_Galary.html I saw it yesterday, along with a lot of other people. Debate still underway about whether it is a lesser or greater sand-plover. Some people heard its flight song (I didn't). Does anyone on this list know where there are online recordings of the two species? Best wishes, Pete Myers Subject: GIS Mapping Workshops in Georgia From: New Urban Research <nur AT URBAN-RESEARCH.INFO> Date: Wed, 2 Sep 2009 12:39:42 -0700 Hey Group, We're trying to get the word out regarding a couple of upcoming GIS mapping workshops in Atlanta. The workshops are geared toward beginners who would like to map demographic information for Georgia communities. Please pass this information onto anyone that may be interested. The workshops are great for Government Agencies, Public Health, Academic Institutions, Non-Profit Organizations, etc. Mapping Georgia Communities: An Introduction to GIS & Community Analysis Atlanta: November 12th and 13th, 2009* Classroom Resource Group Learning Center - One Glenlake Parkway, Suite 200 Atlanta , GA, 30328 *These are one-day workshops (8:30am - 4:30pm). Participants choose which day to attend. Audience: Beginners, anyone interested in mapping their community. This hands-on workshop focuses on teaching the fundamentals of using a Geographic Information System (GIS) for community analysis. Participants will learn to create thematic maps with Census data, Geocoding (Address mapping) and Spatial Queries. Other features of the workshop are learning to extract Census data and good map layout and design. For more information about the Georgia workshops, please visit www.urban-research.info Gina Clemmer New Urban Research, Inc. 877.241.6576 | www.urban-research.info Subject: Palm Beach Sod Farms Shorebirding From: Robert Wallace <chnuts AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Sun, 30 Aug 2009 16:04:15 -0700 Subject: Palm Beach Sod Farms Shorebirding From: Roberto Torres Date: Sat, 29 Aug 2009 22:33:11 -0400 Angel and Mariel teamed with Trey and me this morning for a trip to the sod farms in western Palm Beach County. We met the group with the TAS trip at Holeyland/Rotenberger WMA in the morning, but knowing we would have to make it a short day went on our own in search of shorebirds ahead of the group. We were hoping to join them again later but car problems prevented that. Heading north on US-27 we stopped at the microwave tower south of Okeelanta and found the former sod fields overgrown and devoid of birds. A little farther north we found a flooded rice field across from King's Ranch that had some L. Yellowlegs and BN Snilts and a Wilson's Phalarope. (26˚ 33, 47.44 N 80˚ 42, 43.10 W) Nice to get this one on the first stop. Crossing to the King's Ranch side of US-27 (east) we found a sod field with about a dozen Upland Sandpipers. (26˚ 33, 23.39 N 80˚ 42, 12.33 W) We then headed north and took 827A to Belle Glade, finding no suitable fields along the way. Heading east on CR-880 we turned onto Browns Farm Rd at Six Mile Bend. We turned left onto the first bridge on Brown's Farm Rd. and found a couple of very large fields in excellent shorebird condition with nice variety and numbers. After checking the fields on either side of the dirt road leading away from Brown's Farm Rd, we took the levee that runs parallel a little further south to the next road left and found even better numbers and two more Wilson's Phalaropes.(26˚ 37, 16.28 N 80˚ 42, 31.60 W) Speaking to Andy Bankert on the phone, he told us about an American Golden Plover and two Buff-breasted Sandpipers he and David Simpson found at Roth Sod Rd. (Gladeview Rd) further east on CR-880. We quickly saw the Plover in the first sod fields to the right after turning onto Roth Sod (26˚ 40, 32.27 N 80˚ 29, 48.6 W), but dipped on the Buff-breasteds a couple of miles further south. A crane, tractor, and bulldozer were operating in the field where Andy and Dave found the Buff-breasteds. There was another Upland Sandpiper in the same area as the Golden Plover. Some species that seemed less numerous than other years were Pectoral and Samipalmated Sandpipers, and Gull-billed and Black Tern. I've included the Google Earth coordinates to some of the better birds. These fields are constantly changing depending on the farming operations, so their appearance on Google Earth will not be indicative of their current condition. Here's are total tally on shorebirds: Black-bellied Plover (6) American Golden Plover Semipalmated Plover (20) Killdeer (~100) Black-necked Stilt (~300) American Avocet (2) Spotted Sandpiper (4) Greater Yellowlegs (50) Lesser Yellowlegs (~1,000+) Upland Sandpiper (13) Ruddy Turnstone (5) Semipalmated Sandpiper (3) Western Sandpiper Least Sandpiper (500) Pectoral Sandpiper (60) Stilt Sandpiper (300) Short-billed Dowitcher (100) Long-billed Dowitcher (3) Dowitcher Sp. (500) Wilson's Phalarope (3) Other interesting species included Black-bellied and Fulvous Whistling Ducks, Black Tern, Orchard Oriole, and Yellow warbler. Not a blowout trip, but a nice shorebird fix with a couple of really good birds. The TAS group stayed later and got a couple of species that we missed, so we could have gone over our goal of 20 species. Oh well, it was a fun day anyway. Cheers! Roberto Miami-Dade Subject: Great Knot in San Diego, CA USA From: Jay K <azure.jay AT EARTHLINK.NET> Date: Thu, 27 Aug 2009 18:07:18 -0700 Shorebirders, A Great Knot was discovered today in, of all places, San Diego, California. It has been photographed and seen by many birders over the past few hours. It is the first record for California and one of a few from the west coast of the continental US. See details here: http://www.birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/SDCA.html Jay Keller, San Diego, CA Subject: OrnithoCalendar From: Gyorgy Szimuly <gyorgy.szimuly AT MAC.COM> Date: Tue, 11 Aug 2009 22:41:08 +0200 Dear Shorebirders, Let me share a new feature of my blog. OrnithoCalendar is collecting major and local events from around the world related to birds & ornithology. If you wanna participate an ornithological congress, a conference, a workshop or a general meeting or looking for a bird festival this is the best place to look for one. The list is far not complete but I am doing my best to keep it updated and I will continuously add new events once I get new information. If you have one which is not listed in the calendar please share it with me. Drop an e-mail about the event and its website and I will add it to the calendar. Feel free to pass it your friends, local networks as well as to local organizations. That could help a lot. Two major shorebird related conference is included. I am looking for new dates as soon as they are available. The OrnithoCalendar already reached 5K+ bird lovers in the world!!! Regards, Szimi -------- Gyorgy Szimuly skype: szimistyle.com web: http://web.me.com/gyorgy.szimuly/SzimiStyles_Birding_Experience_EN/Blog/Blog.html Subject: Quiet Resorts Birding Weekend From: Andrew Cripps <andy AT BETHANY-FENWICK.ORG> Date: Tue, 11 Aug 2009 15:20:45 -0400 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 11, 2009 CONTACT: Andrew Cripps 302-539-2100 x14 BIRDERS TO FLOCK TO QUIET RESORTS BIRDING WEEKEND EVENT: Quiet Resorts Birding Weekend DATES/TIMES: Friday, October 16 to Sunday, October 18, 2009 PLACES: Locations throughout coastal Delaware, and in southern New Jersey and northern coastal Maryland ADMISSION: Cost of trips varies. A Weekend Package is available for $45 and includes discounts on trips, admission to the Friday evening reception with a guest presenter, and exclusive souvenir cap, and all park entry fees. DESCRIPTION: The Quiet Resorts Birding Weekend is three days of birding in beautiful natural habitats along the Atlantic migratory flyway. Choose from more than a dozen different birding experiences, each hosted by an experienced guide. The Quiet Resorts Birding Weekend is for birdwatchers of every skill level and experience. CONTACT: Visit the Bethany-Fenwick Area Chamber of Commerce web site at www.TheQuietResorts.com or call 800-962-SURF (7873) toll-free for more information or online registration. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FENWICK ISLAND, DE - Birding enthusiasts will want to flock to the Bethany Beach/Fenwick Island area for the second annual Quiet Resorts Birding Weekend, October 16 through 18. The event, organized by the Bethany-Fenwick Area Chamber of Commerce (BFACC) offers boat tours, paddling expeditions, and hiking treks throughout The Quiet Resorts and nearby areas. The field trips offer opportunities to sight indigenous birds and those on their fall migration. The Quiet Resorts Birding Weekend enables participants to pick and choose among the many offerings customizing their own event experience. The trips are designed to please both novice and experienced birders, and all include experienced guides. Birders recorded 190 species during the spring event. "After a summer highlighted by the first-ever sighting in Delaware of a roseate spoonbill (Platalea ajaja) here in Fenwick Island, there is increased excitement about this year's Birding Weekend, "said BFACC Executive Director Andrew Cripps. "Our position along the Atlantic migratory flyway ensures that Birding Weekend participants will see a spectacular variety of birds in beautiful natural habitats." The weekend kicks off on Friday morning, October 16, with the Poor Man's Pelagic on the Cape May-Lewes Ferry, which takes you across the Delaware Bay to Higbee's Beach in Cape May to see migrating hawks, falcons and songbirds. On Friday evening, participants can flock together at a welcoming reception, and an entertaining discussion led by a prominent birding expert. On Saturday and Sunday, guests can paddle, cruise or hike with experienced guides into secluded habitats, some otherwise unavailable to the public, to see the colorful variety of shorebirds that rest in the area on their migration north, as well as terns, herons, egrets, owls, and perhaps some bald eagles. Trip destinations include Trap Pond and Holts Landing State Parks, Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge, Assawoman Wildwlife Refuge, James Farm Ecological Preserve, Assateague Island National Seashore, Newport Farms (a private estate), Thompson Island near Rehoboth, and Savages Ditch in Delaware Seashore State Park. Registration brochures and registration through the chamber's online store are now available. For more information contact the Bethany-Fenwick Area Chamber of Commerce at 302-539-2100 or visit www.TheQuietResorts.com. Presenting sponsor for the Quiet Resorts Birding Weekend is ResortQuest. Supporting sponsors include the Holiday Inn Express Bethany Beach, and Lynch Printing. The Quiet Resorts Birding Weekend is funded in part by the Delaware Tourism Office. Additional sponsorships are available. For more information contact the BFACC at 302-539-2100. Subject: James Bay Report # 6 - photos From: Jean Iron <jeaniron AT SYMPATICO.CA> Date: Tue, 4 Aug 2009 13:09:52 -0400 James Bay is a shorebirders paradise far from civilization and pollution. Now back at home in Toronto, I wish to be on the tidal flats of James Bay surveying shorebirds, so I'm dreaming about next summer on James Bay. Link has 5 pages of photos and 1 page of previous 5 reports. http://www.jeaniron.ca/Trips/JamesBay2009/index.htm I thank Ron Pittaway who introduced me to shorebirds. Jean Iron Toronto, Ontario Canada Subject: Belle Glade FL Agricultural fields From: Robert Wallace <chnuts AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Tue, 4 Aug 2009 06:02:15 -0700 Greetings - I was able to swing through the Belle Glade ag fields on Sunday afternoon. This is a huge area (2000++ square miles!) of sugarcane production on the SE side of Lake Okeechobee, which also includes the King Ranch (same as in TX) sod fields that are periodically flooded as part of the production cycle to reduce nematodes. Since none of the federal or state wetlands in Florida (such as Lake Apopka Restoration Area near Orlando, which when it was farmed years ago was the best shorebird spot in FL) or the numerous NWRs are managed for shorebirds (they are flooded for winter ducks already), this ag area west of West Palm Beach is the best habitat for shorebird stopover in FL. With some luck, I was able to find a few flooded fields, one on US 27 across from the big tower south of South Bay, and several smaller ones east of Brown's Farm Rd -Hwy 827 ( http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=26.626897,-80.638275&spn=0.143941,0.299034&z=12 ). Several were almost dry, and they were plowing nearby, so the numbers were down, but species diversity was fairly good. Numbers given were approximated and a total for all the fields. Black-necked Stilt - 200 Black-bellied Plover - 100 Semipalmated Plover - 2 Killdeer - 200 Greater Yellowlegs - 20 Lesser Yellowlegs - 100 Stilt Sandpiper - 100 Short-billed Dowitcher - 10 Long-billed Dowitcher - 10 Ruddy Turnstone - 5 Pectoral Sandpiper - 2 Bairds Sandpiper - 1 (in field with lots of water, along east side of Browns Farm) Spotted Sandpiper - 1 Least Sandpiper - 500 Semipalmated Sandpiper - 200 Western Sandpiper - 100 Other species included Black, Least, Caspian and Gull-billed Terns, lots of waders, Wood Storks and 2 Spoonbills, and both Whistling Ducks. No grasspipers were at the King Ranch sod fields. Temperatures for August in the afternoon were only in the low 90s, almost refreshing with a good SE wind. This is an important shorebird area for Florida, and worthy of some promotion of the value of flooding to the migrant shorebirds. I would think the farmers would be very happy to gain positive PR for the recognition that they are helping wildlife with their crop rotation cycle. I hope the Feds and State managers will wake up and take similar actions - virtually every NWR in FL has water control systems, and could easily be managed in May and August for shorebirds. As it is, the farmers are doing more than the government, and their efforts are un-intentional! Bob Wallace Alachua FL Subject: James Bay Report # 5 From: Jean Iron <jeaniron AT SYMPATICO.CA> Date: Sun, 2 Aug 2009 11:34:13 -0400 The crew is home after spending 14 days surveying shorebirds. This report covers the period 27-29 July 2009 at Longridge Point, which is 60 km north of Moosonee on southern James Bay. Mark Peck of the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) led the crew comprising Amy Whitear (ROM), Doug McRae, Don Shanahan, Gerry Binsfeld and Jean Iron. SHOREBIRDS: Only high count days are listed and all birds are adults except where noted. Additional information is included on the Red Knot because it was the focus of the study. Black-bellied Plover: 14 on 27 July. American Golden-Plover: 1 on 27 July. Semipalmated Plover: 96 on 27 July. Killdeer: 3 on 29 July. Spotted Sandpiper: 1 on 28 July. Greater Yellowlegs: 187 on 27 July. Lesser Yellowlegs: 525 on 27 July. Several juveniles on all three days. Whimbrel: 189 on 27 July. Hudsonian Godwit: 296 on 27 July. Marbled Godwit: 1000+ birds were counted on 22 July during an aerial survey of the south coast of Akimiski Island, Nunavut by Ken Ross (pers. comm.) and Guy Morrison of the Canadian Wildlife Service (CWS). Ruddy Turnstone: 296 on 27 July. RED KNOT: 1100 on 27 July, 1060 on 28th and 750 on 29th. Habitat: sandy tidal flats interspersed with large and small rocks and pools. Counts: best times to count knots and check for leg flags were as the tide came in concentrating them; at high tide when they roosted for 1 to 2 hours on rocks and grassy areas above the water line; and again when they resumed feeding in freshly exposed wet sand and mud as the tide retreated. Knots used the rich food resources to fatten and undergo body molt. Mark Peck collected fecal samples on the mud to determine later what the knots are eating. Flags: about 150 individuals had leg flags with many repeat sightings over the entire period indicating long staying birds. When the data on flagged birds are analyzed, we will know the approximate ages and ratio of males to females, which was determined at time of banding using molecular sexing techniques. Researchers in other locations of North and South America will re-sight some of our birds so we will learn more about the populations using James Bay and their migration routes. Sanderling: 86 on 27 July. Semipalmated Sandpiper: 1783 on 29 July. A bird flagged in New Jersey was observed. This species has declined very significantly in recent years. Possible causes include (1) the decline of Horseshoe Crabs in Delaware Bay in spring affecting fat reserves to continue migration and breed, (2) the spraying of wetlands in Suriname on the winter range, and (3) increased disturbance in recent years by introduced Peregrine Falcons (released anatum-types) in July and August at the Bay of Fundy in New Brunswick, which is reducing the length of stopover and the time needed to fatten for the long migration over the Atlantic to South America. The Tundra Peregrine Falcon (subspecies tundrius) is not a problem at the Bay of Fundy because it migrates from the Arctic in late September into October after the Semipalmateds have departed. Least Sandpiper: 127 on 27 July. A few juveniles on 28th and 29th. White-rumped Sandpiper: Numbers increased daily with a high of 822 on 29 July. Pectoral Sandpiper: 165 on 27 July. Dunlin: 23 on 29 July. Wilson's Snipe: 3 on 27 July. Snipe were still winnowing on 29 July. OTHER BIRDS: Location is Longridge except where noted: Aerial surveys on 26-28 July counted at least 10,000 molting Black Scoters (mainly males) in the Longridge area (Ken Ross, CWS). Yellow Rail, still clicking frequently both day and night. Sandhill Crane, pair with two juveniles on 29 July. Little Gull, 2 adults on 27 July. Bonaparte's Gulls, a high of 458 on 27 July included a few year old nonbreeders, but no juveniles. Arctic Tern, 1 on 27 July and 28th; terns at Longridge were mostly Commons. Great Horned Owl hooting on 26th. Long-eared Owl heard on 29th. Short-eared Owl seen on 28th. HENSLOW'S SPARROW singing on 27, 28 and 29 July in an extensive dry grass meadow dotted with short willow shrubs and wildflowers between the high tide line and tree edge. Savannah Sparrow, common. Le Conte's Sparrow, still singing. Nelson's Sparrow (subspecies alterus), still singing. Clay-colored Sparrow, 3 singing on 27 and 28 July and 1 on 29th. MAMMALS: 2 Belugas on 29 July. Striped Skunk on 27th. Small mammal numbers such as voles were low at Longridge. Yellow marker on map shows location of Longridge Point. http://www.jeaniron.ca/2009/James-Bay-2009-REKN.jpg A total of 109 bird species was recorded including 24 shorebird species for the 14 day period 16-29 July 2009. Next report will include a link to photos. Jean Iron and Ron Pittaway Toronto, Ontario, Canada Subject: American Golden Plover CP - Request for revieuw From: "Arne J. Lesterhuis" <arne_j_lesterhuis AT YAHOO.CO.UK> Date: Fri, 31 Jul 2009 18:39:11 +0000 --------- Espa�ol abajo -------- Dear Shorebird enthusiasts, We have just finished a draft of the American Golden Plover Pluvialis dominica conservation plan, on behalf of the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network, and would greatly appreciate hearing from anyone willing to review the plan, primarily to check: - that it reflects the current state of knowledge of the species throughout its� entire range - that all principal threats and how they affect the plover populations, are included, and - whether the actions proposed seem reasonable. Ideally we'd like to complete the review by Friday 21 of August, so that a final version can be completed as early as possible in August. If you'd be interested in reviewing the plan, please contact me at Arne_j_lesterhuis AT yahoo.co. uk ------------ -------- Estimados entusiastas de Aves Playeras, Acabamos de terminar un borrador del plan de conservaci�n hemisf�rico para Pluvialis dominica, en nombre del Red Hemisf�rica de Reservas de Aves Playeras, y nos agradecer�a mucho saber de alguien que estar�a dispuesto a revisar el plan, sobre todo, para comprobar: - Que refleja el estado actual del conocimiento de la especie en toda su distribuci�n - Que est�n contempladas todas las amenazas principales y c�mo afectan a las poblaciones de Pluvialis dominica, - Si las acciones de conservaci�n propuestas parecen razonables. Nos gustar�a recibir comentarios hasta al viernes 21 de Agosto, a fin de que podemos completar una versi�n final lo m�s antes posible en Agosto. Si desea ayudar a revisar el plan, p�ngase en contacto conmigo en Arne_j_lesterhuis AT yahoo.co. ukSaludos! � Arne J. Lesterhuis Asunci�n,�Paraguay Skyper: arne.lesterhuis � � ********************************************************************** The Brights;�illuminating and elevating the naturalistic worldview The Brights' Net is an international internet constituency of individuals who have a naturalistic worldview. You can visit the Brights homepage to learn more: http://www.the-brights.net � Subject: James Bay Report # 4 From: Jean Iron <jeaniron AT SYMPATICO.CA> Date: Mon, 27 Jul 2009 17:36:00 -0400 Report from Jean Iron on 27 July 2009 for the period 23-26 July from Longridge Point on southern James Bay. Jean called late this morning so a few of today's sightings are included in this report. Mark Peck of the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) heads a group of six who are surveying migrating shorebirds. The focus of the study is the endangered rufa subspecies of the Red Knot. The crews survey 15 km of coastline per day and have recorded 103 bird species to date. SHOREBIRDS: 24 species of shorebirds recorded to date. The high count day for the period is listed for each species except for Red Knot, which includes counts for all days. Numbers below represent adults. First juvenile Lesser Yellowlegs (3) was on 24 July and first juvenile Least Sandpiper (1) was on 26 July. Black-bellied Plover: 3 on 26 July. American Golden Plover: 1 on 26 July. Semipalmated Plover: 25 on 24 July. Killdeer: 2 on 26 July. Spotted Sandpiper: 2 on 25 July. Solitary Sandpiper: 3 on 25 July. Greater Yellowlegs: 183 on 24 July. Lesser Yellowlegs: 376 on 24 July including first juveniles (3). Whimbrel: 85 on 24 July. Hudsonian Godwit: 528 on 24 July. 2 on 23rd had flags from Chile. Marbled Godwit: 6 on 24 July. The wintering grounds of James Bay birds were unknown until recently. Researchers were surprised when birds fitted with satellite transmitters on Akimiski Island, Nunavut, in 2007 and 2008 went southwest to winter at the Gulf of California (Sea of Cortez) on the Pacific Coast of Mexico. Previously it was speculated that they wintered on the south Atlantic Coast of the United States, which is much closer to James Bay. Ruddy Turnstone: 151 on 26 July. Red Knot: 915 on 23 July, 704 on 24th, 1,035 on 25th, 1,055 on 26th. Many flagged knots are being re-sighted. One bird banded in Argentina was seen on 17 July and on 25th staying at least 9 days so far. Knots are fattening before departing on the next long flight. The helicopter survey of southern James Bay on 22 July by Guy Morrison and Ken Ross of the Canadian Wildlife Service (CWS) found an estimated 2,000 Red Knots (fide Ken Abraham). Sanderling: 75 on 26 July. Semipalmated Sandpiper: 3792 on 24 July. Least Sandpiper: 69 on 24 July. First juvenile on 26th. White-rumped Sandpiper: 53 on 26 July. Pectoral Sandpiper: 266 on 24 July. Dunlin: 20 on 24 July. Stilt Sandpiper: 1 on 24 July. Short-billed Dowitcher: 11 on 24 July included a mixture subspecies both griseus and hendersoni subspecies and intergrades. Ontario is the main zone of intergradation between the two subspecies. Wilson's Snipe: 4 on 26 July. OTHER BIRDS: Not listed in checklist sequence. Best bird was a HENSLOW'S SPARROW this morning (27 July) found by Doug McRae, Mark Peck and Amy Whitear. This is the first record for northern Ontario. Nearby they saw a Clay-colored Sparrow. 3 juvenile Northern Shrikes this morning (27 July) found by Don Shanahan and Gerry Binsfeld. 2 adult Little Gulls on 23 July. A high of 2,200 Black Scoters, mostly molting males, on 25 July. Once female scoters start incubating the males depart to molting areas on saltwater. Also seen were 4 Surf and some White-winged Scoters. MAMMALS: 5 Belugas (White Whales) including a female and calf on 23 July, and 3 on 24th. A Short-tailed Weasel (Ermine) with small mammal in its mouth was at camp on 22 July and seen again on 26 July. AKIMISKI ISLAND: Guy Morrison and Ken Ross (CWS) doing aerial surveys late last week saw an estimated 50-70,000 peeps along the north coast of the island and a good number of Marbled Godwits on the south coast (fide Ken Abraham). HUDSON BAY REPORT: On 26 July I talked to Ken Abraham, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (OMNR), who is in Peawanuck doing surveys in the Hudson Bay Lowlands. Ken found an active Semipalmated Plover nest with four eggs on 25 July perhaps another indication of a late shorebird nesting season. Most Snow Geese along the Hudson Bay coast (10,000 on Pen Islands and 130,000 at Cape Henrietta Maria) either did not nest or had a poor nesting season because of the cold late spring and late snow melt. The adult breeders normally molt along the coast as their young grow. However, many adult Snow Geese have disappeared and Ken thinks that the failed breeders left to molt elsewhere. The small Snow Goose colony on Akimiski Island, Nunavut, in James Bay did much better than the Hudson Bay colonies. Ken had seen no duck broods as of 26 July. Next week Ken and Rod Brooks (OMNR) and Ken Ross (CWS) will be doing duck brood surveys as part of the international Sea Duck Joint Venture, which is addressing declines in sea ducks. Earlier surveys this summer found good numbers of paired Black Scoters and some Surf and White-winged Scoters on small lakes in the Hudson Bay Lowlands. Ken did a complete survey of the Ontario's north coast (>1000 km) from southern James Bay to the Manitoba border on 12-14 July and he saw only one Polar Bear. However, many bears came ashore this past week following strong south winds that pushed ice well away from the coast. Map link shows ice conditions in James and Hudson Bays. http://www.natice.noaa.gov/pub/ims_gif/DATA/cursnow_usa.gif Yellow marker on map shows location of Longridge Point. The Province of Ontario extends to the high water mark on James Bay. The offshore islands, such as Akimiski, are in Nunavut Territory, whereas the waters and seabed are internal parts of Canada under federal jurisdiction. http://www.jeaniron.ca/2009/James-Bay-2009-REKN.jpg ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: Mark Peck is grateful to the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources for logistical support. He particularly thanks Ken Abraham, Rod Brooks and Sarah Hagey. Funding for the Red Knot Survey came from The Species at Risk Research Fund in Ontario, which is a partnership between the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and World Wildlife Fund Canada. Ron Pittaway Toronto/Minden Ontario, Canada Subject: James Bay Report # 3 From: Jean Iron <jeaniron AT SYMPATICO.CA> Date: Thu, 23 Jul 2009 18:59:59 -0400 This is Jean Iron's report via satellite phone today for the period 19-22 July 2009 from Longridge Point, which is 60 km north of Moosonee on southern James Bay. Mark Peck of the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) heads a group six who are surveying shorebirds with a particular focus on the endangered rufa subspecies of the Red Knot. Longridge is an important site for knots with a one-day estimate of 5,000 in the late 1970s. Mark Peck (ROM) is a Canadian member of an international team studying knots. The ROM group is also studying Yellow Rails and they are helping other researchers collect data on Northern Harriers, Whimbrels, Black Terns, Short-eared Owls, frogs and toads. Funding for the ROM's Red Knot Surrey came from The Species at Risk Research Fund in Ontario, which is a partnership between the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and World Wildlife Fund Canada. CORRECTION to James Bay Report # 2. Under Red Knot and Curlew Sandpiper change prealternate molt to prebasic molt. Thanks to all who noticed my "senior moment". SHOREBIRDS The last several days have been sunny with temperatures well above normal. Mosquitoes are bad around the camp which is at the base of the point, but a sea breeze keeps them in check farther out on the long open peninsula. Moose Flies (genus Hybomitra) also called Horse Flies and Bulldogs are annoying at times. They peak in July. Food Habits: Shorebirds in Hudson and James Bays feed on "an abundance of the bivalve Macoma balthica, and in southern James Bay, the gastropod Hydrobia minuta, as well as a variety of other crustaceans, worms and dipteran larvae" (Ontario Shorebird Conservation Plan 2003). Adults and Juveniles: No juvenile shorebirds observed as of 22 July 2009 perhaps indicating a late start to nesting this year due to a cold spring and late snow melt. All birds mentioned below are adults. Some species are in various degrees of prebasic (postbreeding) molt and other species are not molting. Black-bellied Plover: Molting; 2 on 21 July. American Golden-Plover: Molting; 1 on 21 July. Semipalmated Plover: 5 on 19 July, 4/20, 17/21, 8/22. Killdeer: 2 on 19 July, 1/22. Greater Yellowlegs: Molting; 113 on 19 July, 177/20, 69/21, 314/22. Lesser Yellowlegs: Molting; 271 on 19 July, 511/20, 391/21, 463/22. Whimbrel: Not molting; 3 on 19 July, 78/20, 71/21, 136/22. Hudsonian Godwit: Molting; 102 on 19 July, 261/20, 338/21, 355/22. Marbled Godwit: 1 on 20 July, 1/21, 5/22. Ruddy Turnstone: Not molting; 15 on July 19 July, 13/20, 14/21, 60/22. Red Knot: Molting; 69 on 19 July, 742/20, 966/21, 975/22. Almost 1,000 knots were seen on two consecutive days. 90 birds had leg flags with one observed by Mark Peck that he banded in 2005 on the breeding grounds of Southampton Island, Nunavut. Yesterday (22 July) Guy Morrison and Ken Ross of the Canadian Wildlife Service (CWS) surveyed southern James Bay by helicopter. They reported good numbers of Red Knots south of Longridge Point. See also related information under the heading AERIAL SURVEYS below. Sanderling: Molting and much faded; 65 on 19 July, 98/20, 22/21, 11/22. Semipalmated Sandpiper: Recent increase in numbers; 4,835 on 19 July, 1,869/20, 1,490/21, 872/22. This species has declined very significantly in recent years. Least Sandpiper: Not molting; 13 on 19 July, 35/20, 40/21, 20/22. White-rumped Sandpiper: Molting; 8 on 19 July, 19/20, 7/21, 7/22. Baird's Sandpiper: 1 on 20 July, 1 on 22 July. Pectoral Sandpiper: Not molting; 38 on 19 July, 34/20, 41/21, 151/22. Dunlin: Bright birds in worn alternate plumage with no sign of molting yet; 15 on 19 July, 2/20, 4/21, 2/22. Short-billed Dowitcher: 3 on 19 July, 2 on 20 July, 4 on 22 July. Many (most?) adult Short-billed Dowitchers in Eastern Canada fly directly from the breeding grounds to the Atlantic Coast (Maritime Provinces, New England States, New York and New Jersey, so only small numbers are usually seen on James Bay. Wilson's Snipe: 6 on 19 July, 2/18, 2/21, 4/22. Two tiny young 2-3 days old. AERIAL SURVEYS: Guy Morrison and Ken Ross (CWS) are surveying the west coast of James Bay this week for waterfowl (such as molting flocks of male Black Scoters) and shorebirds. They also will be surveying Akimiski Island, Nunavut this week. On 22 July (Tuesday) they surveyed Longridge Point. The ROM crew at the same time was "ground truthing" to compare results (species and numbers of shorebirds seen) between the air and ground surveyors. OTHER BIRDS: Trumpeter Swan (year-old bird with some brownish feathers) on 20 July, Yellow Rails, Eastern Kingbird on 22 July, Le Conte's Sparrows, Nelson's Sparrows, Tennessee Warbler (common), 1 Clay-colored Sparrow, Common Redpolls flying over every day. BEARS: Longridge Point is the ideal location to study shorebird migration because it is south of most summering Polar Bears, which are rare south of Akimiski Island. However, Black Bears are frequent at Longridge. This week a female with 3 cubs broke into camp while the surveyors were out during daylight. The bears made a mess eating camp food and left teeth marks in many things. The only item the bears ignored was the cans of Tim Hortons coffee. Guy Morrison and Ken Ross (CWS) brought in replacement food by helicopter, which was lost to the bears. The ROM's camp is at the base of the peninsula and it is 5.7 km to the tip. Now a person must watch the camp during the day because the bears will not leave the area. Two people have federal firearm licences to carry a rifle or shotgun, but no bears would be killed unless to protect human life. BUTTERFLIES: Recent warm sunny weather in the high 20s C brought out Arctic Blue, Common Ringlet, Northern Crescent, Canadian Tiger Swallowtail, Viceroy, and White Admiral (often on bear dung). Old World Swallowtails were seen on 16 and 17 July in Moosonee. GEOGRAPHY: James Bay is the southeastern extension of Hudson Bay between Ontario and Quebec reaching very deep into eastern Canada south to latitude 51 degrees, putting Moosonee slightly south of Calgary, Alberta. James Bay is one of the largest inland seas in the world. Ontario's approximately 560 km coastline of James Bay is extremely flat and intersected by several large rivers and numerous smaller streams. The southern coast is characterized by long narrow promontories, such as Longridge Point which projects 6 km into James Bay, wide sandy bays, extensive brackish marshes, wide intertidal flats, and shoals. Tides range from 1 to 3 m with occasional very high wind tides flooding the flat terrain. Inland from the coast is the immense boreal Hudson Bay Lowlands (HBL) comprising almost 25% of the province. The HBL extend into the adjacent provinces of Quebec and Manitoba making it one of the largest wetlands in the world. Map showing location of Longridge Point. http://www.jeaniron.ca/2009/James-Bay-2009-REKN.jpg ONTARIO SHOREBIRD CONSERVATION PLAN. 2003. Ross, K., and K. Abraham, R. Clay, B. Collins, J. Iron, R. James, D. McLachlin, R. Weeber. 48 pages. Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment Canada. Link to pdf below. http://www.on.ec.gc.ca/wildlife/plans/pdf/plans-shorebird-e.pdf Next update in a few days. Ron Pittaway Minden and Toronto Ontario, Canada Subject: FW: Greater Flamingoes at Snake Bight and a Few Migrants From: Charlie Ewell <anhinga42 AT EMBARQMAIL.COM> Date: Tue, 21 Jul 2009 11:06:35 -0400 Pretty good shorebird numbers down in Everglades NP recently. Charlie Ewell Cape Coral, FL anhinga42 AT embarqmail.com http://www.birdpatrol.org Burrowing Owl Festival (Feb 21 2009) info at: http://www.ccfriendsofwildlife.org/ FL Ornithological Society info http://fosbirds.org _____ From: Birdbrains - Florida Birds/Natural History On Behalf Of Bryant Roberts Sent: Monday, July 20, 2009 10:55 PM To: BRDBRAIN AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Subject: [BRDBRAIN] Greater Flamingoes at Snake Bight and a Few Migrants A paddle around the north part of Snake Bight turned up two adult Greater Flamingoes this Sunday (7/19) east of the Snake Bight Road Boardwalk. They were visible from the water at the mouth of the creek that runs under the boardwalk but the view would have been obscured from the boardwalk. Here is a rough tally of the transient species seen at Snake Bight that afternoon. American White Pelican - 3 Greater Flamingo - 2 Black-necked Stilt - 60 American Avocet - 10 Black-bellied Plover - 20 Semipalmated Plover - 10 Wilson's Plover - 30 Short-billed Dowitcher - 300 Marbled Godwit - 200 Greater Yellowlegs - 10 Spotted Sandpiper - 5 Willet - 1,000 Ruddy Turnstone - 5 Semipalmated Sandpiper - 70 Western Sandpiper - 100 Least Sandpiper - 6 Royal Tern - 10 Forster's Tern - 5 Least Tern - 100 The only evidence of landbird migration were a couple of Purple Martins and several Barn Swallows flying southwards across Garden Cove at Key Largo on Saturday (7/18), a Black-and-white Warbler at Long Pine Key on Saturday (2/28) and a Northern Parula at Gumbo Limbo Trail on Monday (7/20). A surprising sighting was about thirty American White Pelicans flying north over the mainland side of Card Sound Road late this Monday (7/20) afternoon. Bryant Roberts Davie, FL To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ Subject: new wader books From: "Norman D.van Swelm" <Norman.vanswelm AT WXS.NL> Date: Sun, 19 Jul 2009 18:43:00 +0200 Two interesting books on waders have appeared recently, a photographic guide by Richard Chandler: Shorebirds of the northern hemisphere (ISBN 978-1-408-10790-4) and the other on wader movements and population size: An Atlas of Wader populations in Africa and Western Eurasia (ISBN 78-90-5882-047-1). Both books treat the taxonomic status of the species mentioned at length but the Atlas fails in illustrating the various races it mentions, a missed chance indeed. Even the few photographs the Atlas does contain lack the date and place where they were taken and so are meaningless in a book like this. Chandler's book is much more professional and tries to illustrate as best as possible the various forms he describes and he does so with a wealth of great pictures. If you have the other great book The Shorebird Guide ( ISBN-13: 978-0-618-43294-3) and Chandler's Guide, no wader can escape unidentied, well almost ...! The Atlas' maps are certainly very informative and deserve to be published in a separate booklet without the massive load of the text. Both books mention the Dunlin race centralis from Taimyr, Russia but even Chandler has failed in finding a picture! So we offer you a chance to download a report which contains the first known pictures C.a.centralis i.e. those of the first documented C.a.centralis from The Netherlands!: http://www.radioactiverobins.com/snipes-waders/dunlin%20calidris%20alpina.htm Cheers, Norman Subject: James Bay Report # 2 From: Jean Iron <jeaniron AT SYMPATICO.CA> Date: Sun, 19 Jul 2009 12:36:15 -0400 Jean Iron called me on Saturday (18 July) evening by satellite phone from Longridge Point on southern James Bay. She is with a crew of six headed by Mark Peck of the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) surveying migrating shorebirds, particularly Red Knots of the subspecies rufa, which is listed as endangered in Canada. Rufa has declined 70% during the last 15 years. Longridge was chosen as the ROM's survey site because significant numbers of Red Knots have been recorded there in the past. The extensive tidal flats and wide coastal marshes of southern James Bay provide abundant wetland habitats making it one of the most important shorebird staging areas in North America. Its importance has been compared to the upper Bay of Fundy in New Brunswick. SHOREBIRDS: no migrant juvenile shorebirds recorded as of 18 July. Black-bellied Plover: 3 adults on 17 July and 2 on 18th. Semipalmated Plover: 4 adults on 17 July. Killdeer: 1 on 18 July. Spotted Sandpiper: 1 on 17 July. Solitary Sandpiper: 3 adults on 17 and 1 on 18th Greater Yellowlegs: 222 adults on 17 and 118 on 18th. Lesser Yellowlegs: 459 adults on 17 July and 306 on 18th. Whimbrel: 15 adults on 17 July and 11 on 18th. Hudsonian Godwit: 102 adults on 17 July and 104 on 18th. Marbled Godwit: 1 adult on 17 July. An isolated population of about 1500 Marbled Godwits breeds in James Bay in wide coastal marshes, which are very prairie-like. Ruddy Turnstone: 10 adults on 17 July and 12 on 18th. Red Knot: 200 adults of 17 July and 157 on 18th. Knots are in the beginning stages of prealternate molt. 25 colour marked knots were observed including birds banded in Delaware Bay, Florida, Argentina and Chile. Sanderling: 15 adults on 17 July and 61 on 18th. Semipalmated Sandpiper: 185 adults on 17 July and 207 on 18th. Numbers should increase soon. Least Sandpiper: 111 adults on 17 July and 31 on 18th. White-rumped Sandpiper: 1 molting adult on 17 July and 1 on 18th. Numbers should increase soon. Pectoral Sandpiper: 6 adults on 17 July and 17 on 18th. This species does not molt during fall migration. Dunlin: 1 adult on 17 July and 3 on 18th. Curlew Sandpiper: An adult male found by Doug McRae. It is bright individual beginning prealternate molt. Short-billed Dowitcher: 6 adults on 17 July and 3 on 18th. Most were of the nominate subspecies griseus, which nests mainly in northern Quebec, but some breed west to James Bay. Wilson's Snipe: 4 on 17 July and 2 on 18th. OTHER OBSERVATIONS Pacific Loon: 1 adult on 18 July found by Mark Peck. Black Guillemot: 1 adult on 18 July found by Mark Peck. Merlin: 2 around camp. Yellow Rail: many "clicking" in coastal sedge marsh. Gray Jay: 1 adult with 2 blackish juveniles in spruce forest south of camp. Juvenile Gray Jays differ so much from adults that they were once thought to be a separate species. Juveniles molt into adult-like plumage mainly in August. Le Conte's Sparrow: fairly common. This sparrow also breeds at many inland areas across northern Ontario. Nelson's Sparrow: common in extensive coastal grass/sedge wetlands. The breeding subspecies alterus is often called the James Bay Sparrow. It is the more frequent of the two subspecies (alterus and nominate nelsoni) seen in migration in southern Ontario. White-winged Crossbill: 156, these birds are on the move looking for maturing cone crops and probably will nest in late summer in northern Ontario if they find abundant spruce crops. Map link shows considerable ice in James and Hudson Bays. http://www.natice.noaa.gov/pub/ims_gif/DATA/cursnow_usa.gif Reference: Wilson, N.C. and D. McRae. 1993. Seasonal and Geographical Distribution of Birds for Selected Sites in Ontario's Hudson Bay Lowland. Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. 145 pages. Jean will call again in a few days and I'll post an update. Ron Pittaway Minden and Toronto Ontario, Canada Subject: satellite tracking From: Patrick Leary <prleary AT BELLSOUTH.NET> Date: Thu, 16 Jul 2009 16:16:36 -0400 Members: Jean Iron's message is timely. Many may wish to visit the Seaturtle.org website for maps and plots of satellite-tagged shorebirds. This May, four WHIM were banded in coastal VA and many will find their subsequent movements very interesting. One bird in particular is wandering all over the low arctic after flying to the mouth of the McKenzie River. Another flew north then quickly returned to the east coast. The odd behavior of both birds may be reflective of the unusual spring conditions this year. On the website, simply scroll down the left side column for the target species. Click on a specific bird to access its map, then click again for a larger scale map. In addition to the 4 WHIM, there are maps and plots for six MAGO banded in GA this past winter. The "stay-at-home" specimens probably represent juveniles. Of these, note the odd detour of one migrant through the Great Lakes before turning west for ND. Finally, a number of REKN were fitted with data-loggers this spring and if any are recaptured (for data retrieval)this fall, we may obtain valuable insight into this specie's movements. PR Leary, Fernandina Beach Subject: James Bay Report # 1 From: Jean Iron <jeaniron AT SYMPATICO.CA> Date: Thu, 16 Jul 2009 15:02:52 -0400 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 Subject: Arctic Breeding Conditions in 2009 From: Jean Iron <jeaniron AT SYMPATICO.CA> Date: Fri, 26 Jun 2009 08:52:55 -0400 Yesterday we saw an adult Lesser Yellowlegs near Toronto and on Wednesday there was an adult Least Sandpiper in Hamilton at the west end of Lake Ontario. These are the first "fall migrant" shorebirds in southern Ontario and they are right on schedule. Several people asked us to comment about recent reports of a "Disastrous breeding season in the Arctic". The Arctic is huge; it is 3500 km from southern James Bay (subarctic) to northern Ellesmere Island. Most shorebirds have large breeding ranges and even in late years many birds breed successfully and rarely does the entire Arctic experience the same climatic conditions. We checked with northern researchers and summarized their comments below. Shorebird nesting in 2009 is poor in some regions but normal to good elsewhere. Ontario: Ken Abraham reports that conditions in the Hudson Bay Lowlands were about 10 days late from Attawapiskat south on James Bay, including Akimiski Island, with Canada Geese and Snow Geese hatching in mid June, more like the 1990s average than the 2000s average and within the overall norms. Other species on Akimiski Island were correspondingly late. His guess is that for those species that require shorter time there will be some reduction but not huge. Perhaps the predation effect will be somewhat greater if alternate species are less available. Because coastal snow, ice and water inundation conditions were similar from Cape Henrietta Maria to the Manitoba border, Ken expects that for Canada Geese nesting within 40 - 60 km from the coast, a much reduced effort and productivity will be the norm. Snow Geese at Cape Henrietta Maria were greatly down and the suggestion of a 90% reduction seems to fit what they saw on their survey. However, beyond 40 - 60 km inland, he thinks conditions will be different. Mark Peck said that species nesting away from the Hudson Bay Coast in boreal bogs and fens such as yellowlegs should not be severely impacted because much of the freeze took place near the coast. Manitoba: The situation is worse in northern Manitoba at Churchill where temperatures were well below normal until recently and the snow cover melted late. However, Erica Nol reports that birds have started to nest, just very late, and it won't be a complete bust for shorebirds if there are enough bare spots. Whimbrels and Hudsonian Godwits are nesting, but overall nesting success should be below average for most shorebirds in northern Manitoba. Nunavut: Snow melt was up to three weeks late in mainland Nunavut north of Manitoba. Recent temperatures have been close to normal. Much of Baffin Island is now snow free and conditions there and on Bylot Island are about normal. High Arctic breeders should have a good breeding year. Northwest Territories: Vicky Johnston suspects it will be a poor breeding year in parts of the Western Arctic. Spring was roughly three weeks late in Yellowknife on Great Slave Lake based on leaf-out. The Mackenzie Valley and Delta warmed early but then cooled off again. The Delta flooded slowly and the water receded slowly, so some prime shorebird breeding areas were subject to heavy predation. Yukon: Cameron Eckert reports a late spring, but once the heat came, everything shifted into high gear. Alaska: Declan Troy reports from the North Slope that the snow on the tundra is long gone. It was much warmer earlier in the month and his guess is that the breeding season has been early there. We will be recording the arrivals and numbers of adult and juvenile shorebirds in southern Ontario and may post updates. Acknowledgements: We thank Ken Abraham, Bruce Di Labio, Cameron Eckert, Michel Gosselin, Vicky Johnston, Erica Nol, Mark Peck, Ken Ross, Don Sutherland, and Declan Troy. Ron Pittaway and Jean Iron Toronto, Ontario Subject: Eastern Arctic Chill From: Patrick Leary <prleary AT BELLSOUTH.NET> Date: Thu, 25 Jun 2009 14:02:22 -0400 Members: We were copied a news report out of Winnipeg indicating unusually cold conditions and snow cover across the eastern arctic, including Hudson Bay. Apparently, the spring tourist season at Churchill went bust this year. Such late spring temps. and snow cover had not been experienced since the 1960's. These conditions were predicted to have dire consequences for breeding waterfowl and shorebirds throughout the region. Question: Are any shorebird researchers active on Akimiski Island this spring and can they report what they are witnessing there? Ditto for those working around Churchill. Thanks, PR Leary Subject: FW: Greater Sand-Plover 2009-05-26 -- Maybe??? From: Charlie Ewell <anhinga42 AT EMBARQMAIL.COM> Date: Tue, 26 May 2009 21:36:33 -0400 FYI Charlie Ewell Cape Coral, FL anhinga42 AT embarqmail.com http://www.birdpatrol.org Burrowing Owl Festival (Feb 21 2009) info at: http://www.ccfriendsofwildlife.org/ FL Ornithological Society info http://fosbirds.org _____ From: Birdbrains - Florida Birds/Natural History [mailto:BRDBRAIN AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU] On Behalf Of Bill Pranty Sent: Tuesday, May 26, 2009 9:27 PM To: BRDBRAIN AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Subject: [BRDBRAIN] Greater Sand-Plover 2009-05-26 -- Maybe ... and a Horned Lizarrd Good evening all, I stopped by Huguenot Memorial Park on my way to Fort Clinch State Park this afternoon. I arrived around 1430 and departed 2 hours later. The bird was not seen by anybody (there were 12-15 people looking) during that time, nor was it seen from 0800 to past 1100. The only potential sighting was around noon. I spoke with a fellow birder from Pittsburgh who had been there all day and he said that a woman (he didn't get her name but she had seen the bird before, so she's probably local) claimed that she saw the GSPL for about two minutes in the usual spot but then it "flew north." Neither of us knew exactly what that meant. An Arctic Tern was also reported in the same spot but was gone once the tide started dropping after noon. I found three adult male Painted Buntings in the park (none banded), including one just southwest of the restrooms/Sharky's shack that Brian Ahern found more than a week ago. Finally, as I was exiting the park, I was stunned to see a Horned Lizard (Phrynosoma spp) sunning in the road. It had a very thick tail and backwards-facing spikes on its head. By the time I found an unflooded spot to park, the lizard had run into the dunes, so no photos. Huguenot Park seems a strange place for this exotic, but it was located between the picnic area and the campground, so somebody must have lost their pet ... Best regards, Bill Pranty Bayonet Point, Florida _____ HotmailR goes with you. Get it on your BlackBerry or iPhone. To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ Subject: Fw: [FLARBA] 5/25/09--Greater Sand-Plover (continues), Duval County From: Charlie Ewell <anhinga42 AT EMBARQMAIL.COM> Date: Tue, 26 May 2009 00:47:53 +0000 Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T -----Original Message----- From: Margie Wilkinson Date: Mon, 25 May 2009 20:18:44 To: Subject: [FLARBA] 5/25/09--Greater Sand-Plover (continues), Duval County 5/25/09--Breeding plumage Greater Sand-Plover, Huguenot Memorial Park, Duval County. Observers: m.ob. Directions: Huguenot Memorial Park is located off of Heckscher Dr. (Rt.105/A1A), just south of Little Talbot Island (DeLORME pg. 58) Sand-Plover is being seen at Huguenot lagoon. Once past the entry gate, follow the main road along the St. John's River until it crosses over to the bayside beyond the campground. Once you access the bay shore, TURN LEFT, pass through the row of pilings and park on the Family Beach above the high tide line. Secure your vehicle then hike east along the boundary fence as it traces the shoreline east then north along the bay's east side. After a 5-8 minute walk, you will sight a small patch of cord grass high on the tide / wash flats to your left. Please stay behind barriers and park in designated places. Fees: $1.00/person before 10:00 a.m., $3.00/car after 10. Park open 8AM-8PM. Low tide best for viewing. ***************************************************************************************** Non-subscribers and subscribers: to report a rare bird, send pertinent details of observation to FLARBA AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU. If no email access, call 716/225-8055 to leave a message. To unsubscribe: send a message "SIGNOFF FLARBA" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU. To set to no mail: send a message "SET FLARBA NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU. To reach the FLARBA Archives go to http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/flarba.html Subject: Fw: [FLARBA] 5/23/09--Greater Sand-Plover (continues), Duval County From: Charlie Ewell <anhinga42 AT EMBARQMAIL.COM> Date: Sat, 23 May 2009 17:03:24 +0000 FYI Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T -----Original Message----- From: Margie Wilkinson Date: Sat, 23 May 2009 12:45:18 To: Subject: [FLARBA] 5/23/09--Greater Sand-Plover (continues), Duval County 5/23/09--Breeding plumage Greater Sand-Plover, Huguenot Memorial Park, Duval County. Observers: m.ob. Directions: Huguenot Memorial Park is located off of Heckscher Dr. (Rt.105/A1A), just south of Little Talbot Island (DeLORME pg. 58) Sand-Plover is being seen at Huguenot lagoon. Once past the entry gate, follow the main road along the St. John's River until it crosses over to the bayside beyond the campground. Once you access the bay shore, TURN LEFT, pass through the row of pilings and park on the Family Beach above the high tide line. Secure your vehicle then hike east along the boundary fence as it traces the shoreline east then north along the bay's east side. After a 5-8 minute walk, you will sight a small patch of cord grass high on the tide / wash flats to your left. Please stay behind barriers and park in designated places. Fees: $1.00/person before 10:00 a.m., $3.00/car after 10. Park open 8AM-8PM. Leach's Storm-Petrel also seen close on oceanside. ***************************************************************************************** Non-subscribers and subscribers: to report a rare bird, send pertinent details of observation to FLARBA AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU. If no email access, call 716/225-8055 to leave a message. To unsubscribe: send a message "SIGNOFF FLARBA" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU. To set to no mail: send a message "SET FLARBA NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU. To reach the FLARBA Archives go to http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/flarba.html Subject: Fwd: Greater Sand-plover, White-rumps, Red Knot From: Charlie Ewell <anhinga42 AT EMBARQMAIL.COM> Date: Thu, 21 May 2009 22:14:33 -0400 FYI Charlie Ewell Cape Coral, FL anhinga42 AT embarqmail.com http://www.birdpatrol.org Burrowing Owl Festival (Feb 21 2009) info at: http://www.ccfriendsofwildlife.org/ FL Ornithological Society info http://fosbirds.org -----Original Message----- From: Birdbrains - Florida Birds/Natural History [mailto:BRDBRAIN AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU] On Behalf Of Margie Wilkinson Sent: Thursday, May 21, 2009 10:36 PM To: BRDBRAIN AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Subject: [BRDBRAIN] [Fwd: [FLBIRDS] Greater Sand-plover, White-rumps, Red Knot] BirdBrains, Many thanks to Doris and Patrick Leary for the frequent updates on the plover and park conditions. -------- Original Message -------- Subject: [FLBIRDS] Greater Sand-plover, White-rumps, Red Knot Date: Thu, 21 May 2009 15:34:36 -0400 From: Patrick Leary Reply-To: Patrick Leary To: FLORIDABIRDS-L AT LISTS.UFL.EDU Huguenot Memorial Park, Duval Co. - Indeed the Greater Sand-plover survived the gale and was frequenting a wash flat near the SE corner of the park's inner basin this morning. We stopped briefly to verify the bird and departed to complete a Red knot survey. A note of caution for all planning a trip to HMP for the weekend: Starting tomorrow and continuing through the Memorial Weekend, the park will host a multitude of visitors with HUGE CROWDS on Sat. Sun. and Mon. For optimum viewing opportunities, plan to arrive early and depart around noon to avoid the mobs and traffic congestion. The park was hit hard by the gale with some damage to the entry road, but the inner basin shoreline seems passable. Per prior messages, please comply with all regulations and PARK IN DESIGNATED AREAS. The plover is now closer to the Family Beach near the bay access then the distant parking area at the far north end of the bay side barrier. Still present in Ft. George Inlet at the north end of HMP are ca 800 Red knot that were denied access to foraging habitats for several days due to the storm surge and suppressed ebb tides. While surveying knots on the south end of Lt. Talbot on the north side of the inlet, we noted three White-rumped Sandpipers. I suspect there are many more present in the area due to the gale. Doris and Patrick Leary, Fernandina Beach ------------------------------------------------ Margie Wilkinson St. Pete To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ Subject: Fw: [BRDBRAIN] Greater Sand Plover. Yes. Baird's Sandpiper. Huguenot Park From: Charlie Ewell <anhinga42 AT EMBARQMAIL.COM> Date: Thu, 21 May 2009 18:37:46 +0000 FYI Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T -----Original Message----- From: Michael Brothers Date: Thu, 21 May 2009 13:50:32 To: Subject: [BRDBRAIN] Greater Sand Plover. Yes. Baird's Sandpiper. Huguenot Park I just received this email from Roberto Torres who asked me to post this for Alex Harper. —----------------------------------------------------------------------------- I got a call from Alex Harper who relocated the Sand Plover around noon. He also found a Baird’s Sandpiper. I can’t post to Birdbrains or RBA from where I’m at, so please pass this along if you can. Thanks, (Roberto Torres) —-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Michael Michael Brothers Marine Science Center Ponce Inlet To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ Subject: [Fwd: Huguenot Park conditions] From: Charlie Ewell <anhinga42 AT EMBARQMAIL.COM> Date: Tue, 19 May 2009 14:25:15 +0000 FYI Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T -----Original Message----- From: Margie Wilkinson Date: Tue, 19 May 2009 09:32:09 To: Subject: [BRDBRAIN] [Fwd: [FLBIRDS] Huguenot Park conditions] -------- Original Message -------- Subject: [FLBIRDS] Huguenot Park conditions Date: Tue, 19 May 2009 08:51:43 -0400 From: Patrick Leary Reply-To: Patrick Leary To: FLORIDABIRDS-L AT LISTS.UFL.EDU Members: Please spread the word that NE Florida and Huguenot Park are currently experiencing extreme weather conditions with high winds, rain and storm surges along the coast. Huguenot Park MAY BE CLOSED upon arrival or conditions in the park may be highly adverse to access tidal habitats (shorelines flooded). When last reported, the Greater Sand-plover may have sought refuge in INACCESSIBLE habitats in the park. We received one extremely troubling report suggesting that sometime yesterday afternoon a visitor intruded into protected habitats pursuing the plover. Under NO circumstances is such behavior condoned or permitted. Any such behavior seriously threatens all the good will and positive feedback resulting from the responsible behavior of those visiting previously. For members associated with the ARBA, please post this message there ASAP. The extreme weather conditions are predicted to ease Thursday when local birders will verify the plover's continued presence. Until then, all potential visitors would be well advised to delay or forego plans to travel here for views of the plover. Thank you, Patrick Leary, Fernandina Beach ____________________________________________________________________________ FLORIDABIRDS-L Listserv mailing list information: Member photos I: http://bkpass.tripod.com/floridabirds.htm For archives: http://lists.ufl.edu/archives/floridabirds-l.html To set nomail: listserv AT lists.ufl.edu Message: set floridabirds-l nomail To reset mail: listserv AT lists.ufl.edu Message: set floridabirds-l mail To unsubscribe: listserv AT lists.ufl.edu Message: unsub floridabirds-l Jack Dozier memorial: http://tinyurl.com/6adm2m To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 8.5.325 / Virus Database: 270.12.33/2120 - Release Date: 05/18/09 06:28:00 To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ Subject: Datos de Phalaropus tricolor From: "Arne J. Lesterhuis" <arne_j_lesterhuis AT YAHOO.CO.UK> Date: Mon, 18 May 2009 19:26:18 +0000 Estimados Todos,������ (English below) � Estoy ayudando el Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences a desarollar el plan de conservaci�n de Phalaropus tricolor para todo su rango de distribuci�n. � Dicho plan intenta ser una herramienta de conservaci�n que gu�e las acciones futuras, y para tal fin es necesario identificar aquellos sitios de importancia para la especie hoy en d�a, para lo cual estoy compilando al m�ximo la informaci�n disponible. � Necesito contar con los siguientes datos (preferiblemente desde el a�o 90 a la fecha): � 1) Sitio de observaci�n y ubicaci�n del mismo (coordenadas preferiblemente) 2) Fecha 3) N�mero de individuos (as� sea aproximado) 4) H�bitat 5) Amenazas? De existir indicar cuales son. 6) Fuente (De aplicar: nombre y correo electr�nico del observador) � Los registros que recibo y que sean compilados en el plan de conservaci�n ser�n acreditados a los autores y agradecidos seg�n corresponda. � Quedo muy agradecido y atento a cualquier duda. � Arne -------------------- English: � Dear All, � I am helping Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences to develop a�Conservation Plan�for Wilson�s Phalarope Phalaropus tricolor for its�complete range. � The plan is intended�to be used as a conservation tool to guide future actions, and as such it is important to identify key areas for the species. Consequently, I try to compile all available information on the species. � I am looking for the following information for records of the species, primarily�from 1990 onwards: � 1)������ Locality and coordinates (where available) 2)������ Date 3)������ Number of individuals 4)����� �Habitat type 5)������ Threats? Please specify if there are any. 6)������ Source (name and e-mail of observer) �� All records�received will be included within the plan and will be accredited accordingly. � Many thanks in advance for your help � Arne Lesterhuis � Arne J. Lesterhuis Asunci�n,�Paraguay Skyper: arne.lesterhuis � Subject: Fw: [FLARBA] 5/18/09--Greater Sand-Plover (continues), Duval County From: Charlie Ewell <anhinga42 AT EMBARQMAIL.COM> Date: Mon, 18 May 2009 19:18:08 +0000 Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T -----Original Message----- From: Christian Newton Date: Mon, 18 May 2009 14:33:13 To: Subject: [FLARBA] 5/18/09--Greater Sand-Plover (continues), Duval County 5/14-5/18/09--Breeding Plumage Greater Sand-Plover, Huguenot Memorial Park, Duval County. Observers: m.ob. Directions: Huguenot Memorial Park is located off of Heckscher Dr. (Rt.105/A1A), just south of Little Talbot Island (DeLORME pg. 58) Sand-Plover is being seen at Huguenot lagoon. Once past the entry gate, follow the main road along the St. John's River until it crosses over to the bayside beyond the campground. Once you access the bay shore, TURN LEFT, pass through the row of pilings and park on the Family Beach above the high tide line. Secure your vehicle then hike east along the boundary fence as it traces the shoreline east then north along the bay's east side. After a 5-8 minute walk, you will sight a small patch of cord grass high on the tide / wash flats to your left. Please stay behind barriers and park in designated places. Fees: $1.00/person before 10:00 a.m., $3.00/car after 10. Park open 8AM-8PM. Incidents are being reported of photographers/birders approaching the bird ahead of the birding group and forcing it further back on the flats. Please observe the obvious consideration for others and for the welfare of the bird. ***************************************************************************************** Non-subscribers and subscribers: to report a rare bird, send pertinent details of observation to FLARBA AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU. If no email access, call 716/225-8055 to leave a message. To unsubscribe: send a message "SIGNOFF FLARBA" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU. To set to no mail: send a message "SET FLARBA NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU. To reach the FLARBA Archives go to http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/flarba.html Subject: Fw: [FLARBA] 5/17/09--Greater Sand-Plover, Duval County From: Charlie Ewell <anhinga42 AT EMBARQMAIL.COM> Date: Sun, 17 May 2009 15:01:20 +0000 Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T -----Original Message----- From: Margie Wilkinson Date: Sun, 17 May 2009 10:31:46 To: Subject: [FLARBA] 5/17/09--Greater Sand-Plover, Duval County 5/17/09--Breeding Plumage Greater Sand-Plover, Huguenot Memorial Park, Duval County. Observers: m.ob. Directions: Huguenot Memorial Park is located off of Heckscher Dr. (Rt.105/A1A), just south of Little Talbot Island (DeLORME pg. 58) Sand-Plover is being seen at Huguenot lagoon. Once past the entry gate, follow the main road along the St. John's River until it crosses over to the bayside beyond the campground. Once you access the bay shore, TURN LEFT, pass through the row of pilings and park on the Family Beach above the high tide line. Secure your vehicle then hike east along the boundary fence as it traces the shoreline east then north along the bay's east side. After a 5-8 minute walk, you will sight a small patch of cord grass high on the tide / wash flats to your left. Please stay behind barriers and park in designated places. Fees: $1.00/person before 10:00 a.m., $3.00/car after 10. Park open 8AM-8PM. Incidents are being reported of photographers/birders approaching the bird ahead of the birding group and forcing it further back on the flats. Please observe the obvious consideration for others and for the welfare of the bird. ***************************************************************************************** Non-subscribers and subscribers: to report a rare bird, send pertinent details of observation to FLARBA AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU. If no email access, call 716/225-8055 to leave a message. To unsubscribe: send a message "SIGNOFF FLARBA" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU. To set to no mail: send a message "SET FLARBA NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU. To reach the FLARBA Archives go to http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/flarba.html Subject: Greater Sand-Plover (continues) 5/16/09--Duval County, FL From: Charlie Ewell <anhinga42 AT EMBARQMAIL.COM> Date: Sat, 16 May 2009 15:20:23 -0400 Charlie Ewell Cape Coral, FL anhinga42 AT embarqmail.com http://www.birdpatrol.org Burrowing Owl Festival (Feb 21 2009) info at: http://www.ccfriendsofwildlife.org/ FL Ornithological Society info http://fosbirds.org -----Original Message----- From: Florida Rare Bird Alert [mailto:FLARBA AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU] On Behalf Of Margie Wilkinson Sent: Saturday, May 16, 2009 8:11 AM To: FLARBA AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Subject: [FLARBA] 5/16/09--Greater Sand-Plover (continues), Duval County 5/16/09--Breeding Plumage Greater Sand-Plover, Huguenot Memorial Park, Duval County. Observers: m.ob. Directions: Huguenot Memorial Park is located off of Heckscher Dr. (Rt.105/A1A), just south of Little Talbot Island (DeLORME pg. 58) Sand-Plover is being seen at Huguenot lagoon. Once past the entry gate, follow the main road along the St. John's River until it crosses over to the bayside beyond the campground. Once you access the bay shore, TURN LEFT, pass through the row of pilings and park on the Family Beach above the high tide line. Secure your vehicle then hike east along the boundary fence as it traces the shoreline east then north along the bay's east side. After a 5-8 minute walk, you will sight a small patch of cord grass high on the tide / wash flats to your left. Please stay behind barriers and park in designated places. Fees: $1.00/person before 10:00 a.m., $3.00 after 10. **************************************************************************** ************* Non-subscribers and subscribers: to report a rare bird, send pertinent details of observation to FLARBA AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU. If no email access, call 716/225-8055 to leave a message. To unsubscribe: send a message "SIGNOFF FLARBA" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU. To set to no mail: send a message "SET FLARBA NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU. To reach the FLARBA Archives go to http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/flarba.html Subject: Re: Fw: [BRDBRAIN] Greater Sand-Plover Yes! From: Diane Reed <dreedster AT AOL.COM> Date: Fri, 15 May 2009 10:44:46 -0400 The sand plover is still there.? Seen this morning at 10am.? Driving conditions are good for all vehicles. Diane Reed St. Augustine, FL -----Original Message----- From: Charlie Ewell To: SHOREBIRDS AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Sent: Fri, 15 May 2009 8:31 am Subject: [SHOREBIRDS] Fw: [BRDBRAIN] Greater Sand-Plover Yes! FYI ------Original Message------ From: Larry Manfredi Sender: Birdbrains - Florida Birds/Natural History To: BRDBRAIN AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU ReplyTo: Larry Manfredi Subject: [BRDBRAIN] Greater Sand-Plover Yes! Sent: May 15, 2009 8:05 AM John Kellam just called to report that the Greater Sand-Plover is being seen again this morning. It has been chasing away Wilson's Plovers which is a good sign that it may stick around for some time. Larry Manfredi Homestead, FL E-mail: birderlm AT bellsouth.net http://www.southfloridabirding.com To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T Subject: Fw: [BRDBRAIN] Greater Sand-Plover Yes! From: Charlie Ewell <anhinga42 AT EMBARQMAIL.COM> Date: Fri, 15 May 2009 12:31:08 +0000 FYI ------Original Message------ From: Larry Manfredi Sender: Birdbrains - Florida Birds/Natural History To: BRDBRAIN AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU ReplyTo: Larry Manfredi Subject: [BRDBRAIN] Greater Sand-Plover Yes! Sent: May 15, 2009 8:05 AM John Kellam just called to report that the Greater Sand-Plover is being seen again this morning. It has been chasing away Wilson's Plovers which is a good sign that it may stick around for some time. Larry Manfredi Homestead, FL E-mail: birderlm AT bellsouth.net http://www.southfloridabirding.com To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T Subject: Greater Sand-plover images From: Patrick Leary <PRleary AT BELLSOUTH.NET> Date: Thu, 14 May 2009 22:15:32 -0400 Visit this site for a few more images of the Greater Sand-plover sighted at Huguenot Park, Duval Co. FL today. These digiscope images were collected at distance from behind a marked boundary line protecting the park's tidal flats. For most of the afternoon the GSPL foraged near WIPL and occasionally engaged in aggressive disputes with same. http://www.flickr.com/photos/28226894 AT N03/?saved=1 Subject: FW: [FLARBA] Photo Update--5/14/09--Greater Sand-plover, Duval County From: Charlie Ewell <anhinga42 AT EMBARQMAIL.COM> Date: Thu, 14 May 2009 21:52:00 -0400 Directions to the area where the plover was seen below. Charlie Ewell Cape Coral, FL anhinga42 AT embarqmail.com http://www.birdpatrol.org Burrowing Owl Festival (Feb 21 2009) info at: http://www.ccfriendsofwildlife.org/ FL Ornithological Society info http://fosbirds.org _____ From: Florida Rare Bird Alert [mailto:FLARBA AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU] On Behalf Of Christian Newton Sent: Thursday, May 14, 2009 7:32 PM To: FLARBA AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Subject: [FLARBA]--5/14/09--Greater Sand-plover, Duval County 5/14/09--Breeding Plumage Greater Sand-plover, Huguenot Memorial Park, Duval County. Reporter: Wes Biggs, observers: Doris Leary, Lesley Royce & Carol Adams, Roger Clark. Directions: Huguenot Memorial Park is located off of Heckscher Dr. (Rt.105/A1A); just south of Little Talbot Island (DeLORME p.g 58) Sand-plover is being seen at Huguenot lagoon. Photo taken by Roger Clark. **************************************************************************** ************* Non-subscribers and subscribers: to report a rare bird, send pertinent details of observation to FLARBA AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU. If no email access, call 716/225-8055 to leave a message. To unsubscribe: send a message "SIGNOFF FLARBA" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU. To set to no mail: send a message "SET FLARBA NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU. To reach the FLARBA Archives go to http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/flarba.html Subject: FW: Greater Sand-Plover photo by Roger Clark From: Charlie Ewell <anhinga42 AT EMBARQMAIL.COM> Date: Thu, 14 May 2009 21:49:58 -0400 FYI Charlie Ewell Cape Coral, FL anhinga42 AT embarqmail.com http://www.birdpatrol.org Burrowing Owl Festival (Feb 21 2009) info at: http://www.ccfriendsofwildlife.org/ FL Ornithological Society info http://fosbirds.org -----Original Message----- From: Birdbrains - Florida Birds/Natural History [mailto:BRDBRAIN AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU] On Behalf Of Larry Manfredi Sent: Thursday, May 14, 2009 7:04 PM To: BRDBRAIN AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Subject: [BRDBRAIN] Greater Sand-Plover photo by Roger Clark I am posting this wonderful photo by Roger Clark of Jacksonville of the Greater Sand-Plover. I sure hope it sticks around for the weekend. The photo can be seen here: http://www.southfloridabirding.com/images/tasphotos/Greater_Sandplover.jpg Larry Manfredi Homestead, Fl E-mail: birderlm AT bellsouth.net http://www.southfloridabirding.com To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ Subject: GREATER SANDPLOVER reported in northeast Florida From: Charlie Ewell <anhinga42 AT EMBARQMAIL.COM> Date: Thu, 14 May 2009 16:00:18 -0400 FYI Charlie Ewell Cape Coral, FL anhinga42 AT embarqmail.com http://www.birdpatrol.org Burrowing Owl Festival (Feb 21 2009) info at: http://www.ccfriendsofwildlife.org/ FL Ornithological Society info http://fosbirds.org -----Original Message----- From: Wes Biggs To: Flabirding AT yahoogroups.com; FLORIDABIRDS-L AT LISTS.UFL.EDU Sent: Thu, 14 May 2009 12:52 pm Subject: [FlaBirding] GREATER SANDPLOVER !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hi All, 12:30 PM The second Western Hemisphere record of Greater Sandplover is now being photographed by Roger Clark in the basin at Huguenot Memorial Park off Hecksher Drive in Jacksonville. The bird was found late this AM by Doris Leary, Lesley Royce & Carol Adams. The bird is in breeding plumage. Wes Biggs Orlando Cell Phone # 407-376-6967 After 1:00 PM _________________________________________________________ Subject: South Carolina shorebird migration and rarities From: Nate Dias <offshorebirder AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Tue, 12 May 2009 08:45:43 -0700 I saw my fourth South Carolina RUFF of 2009 this past weekend - on both Saturday and Sunday while doing ISS surveys and other shorebird field work in mid-coastal South Carolina. I have been averaging 3 Ruff sightings per year in coastal SC since 2006 (2 in 2006, 3 in 2007, 3 in 2008, now 4 in 2009). It is becoming obvious that northbound spring Ruff are stopping at managed wetlands in coastal South Carolina more and more in the past few years (perhaps to the detriment of Delaware and New Jersey, to hear friends up there talk about it). Chris Snook also saw this weekend's bird (a Reeve) on Saturday and confirmed the I.D. Chris has more experience with Ruff than most people in North America, since he is a British birder who has also banded them at a major wintering site in Senegal, Africa. I got a slightly better look at the Reeve again on Sunday, while surveying some impoundments when Chris was working at a different location. I know this is not the Ruff our group found 2 weeks before in the same general area, since the previous bird was a male with the beginnings of a black bib. We saw 29 shorebird species over two days this past weekend; 28 species on Sunday and 27 (including a Baird's Sandpiper) on Saturday. Peep numbers exploded over the past week; Semipalmated Sandpipers are right on schedule - but Western Sandpiper numbers seem VERY abnormally low this spring along the SC Coast. There are still surprisingly large numbers of Short-billed Dowitchers present - we saw thousands both days and 2200+ in a single impoundment Sunday! Dunlin numbers are still high - we saw thousands for the weekend and many hundreds in several impoundments. I think our high count for Dunlin in a single impoundment was a bit over 1200. Semipalmated Sandpiper numbers remained high and continued to increase - thousands observed both days. After a drop in numbers the weekend before, Stilt Sandpipers put on a good show - we had several dozen again this past weekend. We also had thousands of Semipalmated Plovers each day. The Baird's Sandpiper was striking and in full alternate plumage - we noted the bird's larger size compared to nearby "peeps", silvery-gray back with black spots, the subtle supercilium, wingtips extending past the tip of the tail (flapping in the breeze at times), the "long and slim" appearance of the bird, and the short + ever-so-slightly drooped bill. It helped that a White-rumped Sandpiper was foraging near the Baird's - this allowed for pretty direct comparison. We also had 3, possibly 4 American Golden-Plovers Sunday (need to go over some photos to be sure). We also noted some "beach birds" slightly inland in drained waterfowl impoundments (former ricefields) - Red Knot, Ruddy Turnstone and Wilson's Plovers. The only rare bird Chris missed seeing was a Gray Kingbird I blundered into Sunday while driving from the beach to the cabin to get our lunch and some insect balm (microbrew beer) for use in the late afternoon. Lest the weekend's rarities seem like a completely wonderful experience, we had to contend with plenty of serious biting insects - sand gnats, mosquitoes, deer flies (hordes), horse flies (quite a few) and Cow Flies (not a lot, but they are HUGE). It is one thing to endure them for a few minutes on the way to/from the car - another thing entirely to endure them for hours on end while walking long distances, counting shorebirds, taking photos + video, and so forth. We paid in blood for our shorebirds! Shorebird species list for the weekend: -------------------------------- Black-bellied Plover AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER Wilson's Plover Semipalmated Plover Killdeer American Oystercatcher Black-necked Stilt American Avocet Spotted Sandpiper Solitary Sandpiper Greater Yellowlegs Willet Lesser Yellowlegs Whimbrel Ruddy Turnstone Red Knot Sanderling Semipalmated Sandpiper Western Sandpiper Least Sandpiper White-rumped Sandpiper BAIRD'S SANDPIPER Pectoral Sandpiper Dunlin Stilt Sandpiper RUFF Short-billed Dowitcher Long-billed Dowitcher Wilson's Snipe Nathan Dias - Charleston, SC Subject: Just Announced - GIS Mapping Workshops in Georgia From: New Urban Research <nur AT URBAN-RESEARCH.INFO> Date: Wed, 25 Mar 2009 13:12:47 -0700 Hey group, We're trying to get the word out regarding a couple of upcoming GIS mapping workshops in Georgia. The workshops are geared toward beginners who would like to map demographic information for Georgia communities. Great for Health, Environmental, Advocacy, Housing, Non-Profit Agencies, etc Mapping Georgia Communities: An Introduction to GIS & Community Analysis Atlanta: May 14th and 15th, 2009* Classroom Resource Group Learning Center - One Glenlake Parkway, Suite 200 Atlanta , GA, 30328 *These are one-day workshops (8:30am - 4:30pm). Participants choose which day to attend. Audience: Beginners, anyone interested in mapping their community. Focus: This workshop is customized for each location. This hands-on workshop focuses on teaching the fundamentals of using a Geographic Information System (GIS) for community analysis. Participants will learn to create thematic maps with Census data, Geocoding (Address mapping) and Spatial Queries. Other features of the workshop are learning to extract Census data and good map layout and design. For more information about the Georgia workshop, please visit www.nur-online.com Gina Clemmer New Urban Research, Inc. 877.241.6576 | www.urban-research.info Subject: Sociable Lapwing issue again From: Gyorgy Szimuly <gyorgy.szimuly AT mac.com> Date: Mon, 23 Mar 2009 16:00:09 +0100 Dear Listers, Sorry for cross-posting. Recent images of killed Sociable Lapwings posted on surfbirds.com. Just for your information: http://www.surfbirds.com/cgi-bin/gallery/display.cgi?gallery=gallery16 Direct links to the images: http://www.surfbirds.com/media/gallery_photos/20090322090219.JPG http://www.surfbirds.com/media/gallery_photos/20090322090016.JPG Text quoted: "Sociable Lapwing, Syria, north of Deir ez-Zor March 10, 2009 �Remco Holfland Remains of a male and female, shot and eaten the previous day by local hunters. They said between 2,000 and 3,000 were present in the general area, of which we saw a flock of 65 (see above). Flocks of 8 and 26 were seen in other areas few days earlier." So the case seems to be continued. Hunting of these shorebirds is still an issue (and I guess it remains for a while) in the Middle East. I would be happy to learn more about the international efforts on stopping illegal hunting of Sociable Lapwings in the Middle East or anywhere along the migration route. BR: Szimi ---------- Gyorgy Szimuly (Szimi) Skype: szimistyle.com iChat: gyorgy.szimuly AT mac.com URL: http://www.szimistyle.com [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ This list is maintained by the Ornithological Society of the Middle East, Caucasus and Central Asia. Read all about us at http://www.osme.org To unsubscribe by email send an empty email message to:- MEBirdNet-unsubscribe AT yahoogroups.com Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MEBirdNet/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MEBirdNet/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:MEBirdNet-digest AT yahoogroups.com mailto:MEBirdNet-fullfeatured AT yahoogroups.com <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: MEBirdNet-unsubscribe AT yahoogroups.com <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ Subject: Sociable Lapwing issue again From: Gyorgy Szimuly <gyorgy.szimuly AT MAC.COM> Date: Mon, 23 Mar 2009 16:00:09 +0100 Dear Listers, Sorry for cross-posting. Recent images of killed Sociable Lapwings posted on surfbirds.com. Just for your information: http://www.surfbirds.com/cgi-bin/gallery/display.cgi?gallery=gallery16 Direct links to the images: http://www.surfbirds.com/media/gallery_photos/20090322090219.JPG http://www.surfbirds.com/media/gallery_photos/20090322090016.JPG Text quoted: "Sociable Lapwing, Syria, north of Deir ez-Zor March 10, 2009 �Remco Holfland Remains of a male and female, shot and eaten the previous day by local hunters. They said between 2,000 and 3,000 were present in the general area, of which we saw a flock of 65 (see above). Flocks of 8 and 26 were seen in other areas few days earlier." So the case seems to be continued. Hunting of these shorebirds is still an issue (and I guess it remains for a while) in the Middle East. I would be happy to learn more about the international efforts on stopping illegal hunting of Sociable Lapwings in the Middle East or anywhere along the migration route. BR: Szimi ---------- Gyorgy Szimuly (Szimi) Skype: szimistyle.com iChat: gyorgy.szimuly AT mac.com URL: http://www.szimistyle.com Subject: banded DUNL confirmed and identified From: Patrick Leary <prleary AT BELLSOUTH.NET> Date: Tue, 10 Mar 2009 18:08:48 -0400 Thanks to those who generously assisted our efforts to ID a source for the banded DUNL we recently sighted. Ultimately, a series of contacts from Alaska to the east coast narrowed the search to the proper source below. Note the bird's age. What cannot be shared is the remarkable, pristine, condition of the bird's full complement of bands despite their long exposure. Via this search, we learned that Alaskan north slope DUNL receive a Y above FG on the tibia but with no add color bands below. Conversely, the DelBay DUNL receive Y above FG WITH add color bands on the tarsus. Although we have sighted marked: SAND, RUTU and REKN banded in DelRay, this was our first banded DUNL from any location. A flagged REKN sighted on the same series of AMOY surveys as the DUNL was banded the previous year in SW Florida. Patrick and Doris Leary Hi Pat, Thanks so much for reporting your resighting. That dunlin was banded 9 May 2000 at Thompsons Beach, Delaware Bay, NJ. We've been monitoring weight gain of shorebirds during spring stopover on the Delaware Bay since 1997. The color bands individualize each bird which allows us to track their movement around the bayshore during their stay. Thanks again, Patti Patti Hodgetts Research Associate New Jersey Audubon Society 600 Route 47 North Cape May Court House, NJ 08210 Phone: 609 861-0700 Fax: 609 861-1651 Subject: color-banded Dunlin From: Patrick Leary <prleary AT BELLSOUTH.NET> Date: Sat, 28 Feb 2009 22:15:19 -0500 Members: We are seeking contact info re researchers or projects involving color-banded DUNL in NA. We have digital images and pertinent data on a color-banded DUNL recently sighted in Dixie County, FL (upper gulf coast) Your assistance is appreciated, Doris and Pat Leary, Fernandina Beach, FL Subject: Eurasian Woodcock survey by hunters From: Gyorgy Szimuly <gyorgy.szimuly AT MAC.COM> Date: Mon, 16 Feb 2009 16:15:15 +0100 Dear Waderers, Sorry for crossposting! I am not sure I should be happy by a Hungarian initiative for the survey of the population of the Eurasian Woodcock in Hungary. You can read the story behind in my blog: http://href.hu/x/87d3 I would like to know more about the best and applicable monitoring method for estimating the breeding population of this elusive shorebird. I am looking for help of experts within the network who can share thoughts which would be greatly appreciated. Thanks: Szimi ---------- Gyorgy Szimuly (Szimi) Skype: szimistyle.com iChat: gyorgy.szimuly AT mac.com URL: http://www.szimistyle.com Subject: Article - Turns out the red knot is not alone in its plight From: Eric Stiles <eric.stiles AT NJAUDUBON.ORG> Date: Sun, 1 Feb 2009 19:04:09 -0500 The Newark Star Ledger Turns out the red knot is not alone in its plight Sunday, February 01, 2009 BY BRIAN T. MURRAY Star-Ledger Staff Tiny and easily overlooked among the hordes of more spectacular shorebirds streaming up and down the Atlantic Coast, the semipalmated sandpiper is suddenly standing out in the fragile ecological ballet that unfolds annually at the Delaware Bay. The little brown bird, named because of its partially webbed feet, is providing new insight into the link scientists have drawn between the plummeting population of the more celebrated red knot sandpiper and dwindling number of horseshoe crab eggs on the New Jersey and Delaware shores. A team of five researchers with New Jersey Audubon and a Dutch scientist, wrapping up a month of field work last week in the South American wintering grounds of the semipalmated sandpiper, announced that they have found evi dence the species also is in serious decline -- and likely for the same reason as the red knots. In the 1980s, about 2 million semipalmated were counted by researchers on the 4,000-mile coastline of Suriname and neighboring French Guiana, where scientists say 85 percent of the world's population of the bird winters annually. Last month, only 400,000 of the birds were found in aerial surveys by the New Jersey Audubon expe dition. "We had already found a 50 percent decline over 15 years by 2006. Now, this is a 70 to 80 percent decline since the survey in the 1980s. I think it's alarming," said David Mizrahi, the team leader. The problem, he said, appears to be in the Delaware Bay -- also the controversial source of the red knot's troubles. The area has been called the East Coast's Serengeti because of the natural marvel that unfolds each spring. For eons, most of the Atlantic Coast population of horseshoe crabs have arrived at the bay to lay the eggs of a new generation. In turn, millions of shorebirds migrating from southern wintering grounds land to feast on those eggs -- a crucial meal as they continue their trek to northern breeding grounds. "About 80 percent of the world's population of red knots go through the Delaware Bay on their return north. About 60 percent of the world's population of semipal mated sandpipers come through at the same time," Mizrahi said. "There just doesn't seem to be a major change down in the wintering areas of either the red knot or the semipalmated sandpiper to ex plain a decline in either species. The Arctic breeding grounds of the red knot also have not changed ... But what we do know is that there have been changes in the stopover area both birds share in North America," he said. New Jersey and Canadian biologists have insisted for years that a decline in horseshoe crab eggs in the Delaware Bay is causing the decline in red knots, which fly 10,000 miles from wintering grounds as far south as Tierra del Fuego. Where the birds once found 50,000 eggs per square meter, there are now 20,000. Biologists also have concluded the red knots are arriving in Arctic breeding grounds too underweight to mate. Last year, they said the entire Western Hemisphere's population of red knots was between 18,000 and 33,000 birds -- down from 100,000 to 150,000 about 20 years ago. Preliminary reports this year show slightly lower counts. The data drove New Jersey officials to impose a moratorium last spring on harvesting the crabs by fisherman who use them as bait in a lucrative conch and eel industry. But New Jersey is the only East Coast state to impose a ban, and it remains contentious. "It really gets down to the fact that the focus has been on the harvest of horseshoe crabs because it's an easy target. But the conserva tion issues really need to be considered in a larger context," said Greg DiDomenico, executive director of the Garden State Seafood Association. "Why point to one group's im pact, when there are so many other possibilities? To some extent their research has been a conclusion in search of a study." No one disputes over-harvesting dramatically reduced crab numbers by the 1990s. But they re bounded after federal and state restrictions on fishermen's hauls were imposed in 1996, and last year the fishermen pointed to a study showing 20 million crabs in the Delaware Bay area. Delaware still permits crab harvesting, limiting hauls to male crabs and a maximum of 100,000 annually. The same restriction was recommended last year by a majority on the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, a group of 15 states, including New Jersey, formed to coordinate conservation and management of Atlantic Coast fisheries. Fish companies have condemned New Jersey's ban, which put 39 local harvesters out of business. The red knot's plight, they insist, may have more to do with the bird's natural inability to compete for survival. Enter the semipalmated sandpiper. "The semipalmated sandpipers cement the underpinning that something more is in play here than just a problem isolated to the red knots," said Eric Stiles of the New Jersey Audubon expedition. "The semipalmated sandpipers don't winter in the same area as the red knot or breed in the same areas. They only share this one stopover area, the Delaware Bay, and they, too, are in decline." The research team spent three weeks capturing 2,500 semipal mated sandpipers, taking blood and tissue samples and fitting them with identifying legbands. The data will be used in monitoring the semipalmated this spring as they return to the Delaware Bay. "But in order to nail this all down, we must ultimately get to the breeding grounds as well to confirm that the problem is in the North American stopover," Mizrahi said. "We're following the model our colleagues in Canada and the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife have already used on the red knots." Subject: Re: Bar-tailed Godwit migration From: Patrick Leary <prleary AT BELLSOUTH.NET> Date: Tue, 20 Jan 2009 18:19:33 -0500 RE: Bar-tailed Godwit migration research- a highly insightful presentation is available via a link on the Manomet website (see below for direct link), this includes: maps of satellite-tagged birds(showing distance / time traveled, stop-over sites, arctic breeding grounds, etc. Subject: bird cannibalism from the cold! From: "Norman D.van Swelm" <Norman.vanswelm AT wxs.nl> Date: Sat, 17 Jan 2009 02:39:04 +0100 Have a look here: http://members.lycos.nl/radioactiverobins/snipes-waders/cannibalism%20in%20the%20cold.htm Cheers, Norman No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG - http://www.avg.com Version: 8.0.176 / Virus Database: 270.10.7/1893 - Release Date: 14/01/2009 6:59 _______________________________________________ UKbirdnet mailing list ukbirdnet AT rhea.dcs.bbk.ac.uk http://rhea.dcs.bbk.ac.uk/mailman/listinfo/ukbirdnet Subject: Bar-tailed Godwit migration From: Dominic Mitchell <dominic.mitchell AT BIRDWATCH.CO.UK> Date: Tue, 6 Jan 2009 22:39:31 -0000 Forwarded from the BirdsinRussia list, with apologies for cross-posting: >>>> Dear all, A paper on the migration of Bar-tailed Godwits from Alaska to New Zealand has just been published in Proc Roy Soc B - it is available for free download, open access at http://journals.royalsociety.org/content/224x500552515823/ Happy reading David Melville (posted on behalf of the authors) >>>> Rgds -- Dominic Mitchell Managing Editor, Birdwatch Solo Publishing Ltd The Chocolate Factory, 5 Clarendon Road London N22 6XJ, UK Tel: 020 8881 0550 / Web: www.birdwatch.co.uk Save the Azores Bullfinch! Visit www.justgiving.com/priolo -- * Please consider the environment before printing emails * The information contained in this email and any attachments is confidential and may be legally privileged. If you have received it in error, you are on notice of its status. It is intended solely for the addressee. Any unauthorised use is strictly prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient please notify the sender immediately and delete the email and any attachments. While Solo Publishing protects its systems from virus attacks and other harmful events, the company gives no warranty that this message (including any attachments) is free of any virus or other harmful matter, and accepts no responsibility for any loss or damage resulting from the recipient receiving, opening or using it. Subject: Fw: [EBN] Shorebirds in the cold From: "Norman D.van Swelm" <Norman.vanswelm AT WXS.NL> Date: Fri, 2 Jan 2009 11:02:14 +0100 Harry, I forgot to mention the link where you can see one of the leucistic birds which died of the cold. The taxidermist gave it reddish-brown eyes though we don't know if that is justified, when I found it it was frozen stiff, eyes closed: http://members.lycos.nl/romave/radioactrobins-L2/abnormal%20plumages/colour%20mutation.htm Norman D.van Swelm wrote:> Perhaps because they are weaker than normal birds. Anyway all those I > encountered during severe winters died. They were leucistic at least, > there was one all white Oystercatcher, I don't remember the eye-colour but > all adult Oystercatchers have red irises anyway! > Cheers, Norman > Harry Lehto wrote: >I don't see why albinos would suffer because of the > cold? > Do you mean the very rare true albinos or various whitish/other color > morphs?< Subject: Shorebirds in the cold From: "Norman D.van Swelm" <Norman.vanswelm AT WXS.NL> Date: Thu, 1 Jan 2009 16:45:03 +0100 Winter has struck the North Sea coasts. Ice on the beaches is forming rapidly. Thus it seems we will have a severe winter coming. Nothing new as every decade in the past had between one and three such winters. What happens next is a mass exodus of waders south or southwest to ice-free estuaries in France, Spain and Portugal. However not all waders leave. In the Rhine-Meuse estuary in particular thousands of Oystercatchers, Icelandic Redshank, Curlews, Sanderlings, Turnstones, Dunlin, Greenland Knots and some Bar-tailed and Icelandic Godwits will stay behind and try to withstand the frost. The first waders to die in these wintery conditions are invalids with deformed bills, one foot etc. followed by inexperienced first-winter birds but also albino's. Adult experienced birds are the last to go as they usually feed in the deepest parts of the estuary rich in shellfish and other food . We haven't had severe winters since the middle of the nineties and hence no large scale mortality among waders though we did so on Eider ducks which starved en masse. However if this winters sets through we expect a higher than usual mortality since the Dutch government has allowed large scale over-fishing of Mussels and Cockles in the past decade while the British government allowed at least one estuary to be demolished. I would like to know if this pattern of winter mortality among waders living on the frontiers of winter is found elsewhere. Happy New Year, Norman Subject: Address Change From: "Thomas J. Dunkerton" <Woundedmallard67 AT AOL.COM> Date: Fri, 28 Nov 2008 20:55:55 EST Greetings All, I'm officially abandoning my aol address. Some of you are recipients of e-mails from me from another address as well, so if you get multiple "address change" notifications, take your pick as to which one to use as I'm trimming it down to two e-mail addresses. Some of you have simply been added to my address book automatically via listservs, if this is the case, please disregard this message. In the meantime I'd like to ask a favor of you. Could you please respond via my new address: _woundedmallard AT gmail.com_ (mailto:woundedmallard AT gmail.com) Please Sign off with your full name so that I may try to keep a neater address book this time around and copy and paste names corresponding to your e-mail addresses. Thank you. Tom Dunkerton _www.TJDunkerton.com_ (http://www.tjdunkerton.com/) **************Life should be easier. So should your homepage. Try the NEW AOL.com. (http://www.aol.com/?optin=new-dp&icid=aolcom40vanity&ncid=emlcntaolcom00000002) Subject: FW: Banded Snowy Plovers- please report From: Charlie Ewell <anhinga42 AT EMBARQMAIL.COM> Date: Thu, 6 Nov 2008 12:53:35 -0500 FYI Charlie Ewell Cape Coral, FL anhinga42 AT embarqmail.com _____ Subject: Banded Snowy Plovers- please report Hello all, Snowy Plovers are state listed- threatened in Florida, and recent surveys suggest this species is continuing to decline in parts of their range in the state, particularly the Southwest. Research determining the underlying reasons for these declines is ongoing, and one important aspect of this work is gaining a better understanding of the annual movement and distribution patterns of Snowy Plovers in Florida. To this end, biologists have individually marked Snowy Plovers throughout Florida with unique color-band combinations, and we need your help re-sighting and reporting observations of these individuals as we continue to build a better picture of where and when Snowy Plovers move. If you see a banded Snowy Plover. 1. Approach the bird slowly, and please try to avoid any disturbance to the bird (Life is rough enough for a plover!) 2. Record the following information: a) BAND COMBINATION- please write a detailed description of the bands, the i) color and ii) relative position to other bands, and iii) position on each leg (left or right, and upper leg-tibia or lower leg-tarsus). See examples of band combos and colors at the Florida Bird Conservation Initiative website: http://www.floridaconservation.org/FBCI/docs/FBCI_SNPL_Banding_key.pdf Types of bands used: metal (aluminum) and color bands. Colors: possible colors include red (R), orange (O), yellow (Y), dark green (G), light green (g), dark blue (B), light blue (b), white (W), and black (K). No bands are bi-colored/tri-colored (2/3 colors on one band). Sometimes two bands of the same color are placed over each other on a leg (this may look like one very tall band). Remember that bands can discolor, and occasionally fall off. Please specify if you are unsure of any of the bands or if you failed to see all parts of the leg clearly. b) LOCATION- use a GPS unit, find your lat and long on a map (http://www.getlatlon.com/), or write a detailed description (please include common place names that we can use to plot your location on a map). c) DATE/TIME d) NOTES- i) describe any injuries, ii) with a flock? (if so, flock size and composition) 3. If possible, get photo-documentation. 4. Please report your observations to the following emails: rpruner AT ufl.edu; bsmith AT sccf.org; wendy.bear AT myfwc.com; chris.burney AT myfwc.com Chris Burney Shorebird Partnership Coordinator Species Conservation Planning Section Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Southwest Regional Office 3900 Drane Field Rd Lakeland, FL 33811 Phone: (863) 648-3200 Fax: (863) 701-1248 Email: chris.burney AT myfwc.com Subject: Reminder: Sign Up Today for Beginners' GIS Workshop From: New Urban Research <nur AT URBAN-RESEARCH.INFO> Date: Tue, 4 Nov 2008 10:20:15 -0800 > Good afternoon, > I'm writing to remind you about this great opportunity coming up next week > in Atlanta. We're getting the word out to the environmental and ecological > groups in community and hope you'll join us. Please let me know if you > need additional information. > > Gina Clemmer > New Urban Research, Inc. > >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > > Mapping Georgia Communities: An Introduction to GIS & Community Analysis - > One Day Workshops > > Atlanta: November 13 & 14* > 8:30 am to 4:30 pm > Classroom Resource Group Learning Center > One Glenlake Parkway, Suite 200 > Atlanta , GA 30328 > *One Day Workshops. Participants choose which one day to attend. > > Audience: Beginners, anyone interested in mapping their community. > > Focus: This workshop is customized for each location. > > This hands-on workshop focuses on teaching the fundamentals of using a > Geographic Information System (GIS) for community analysis. Participants > will learn to create thematic maps with Census data, Geocoding (Address > mapping) and Spatial Queries. Other features of the workshop are learning > to extract Census data and good map layout and design. > > For more information about the Georgia workshops, please visit > http://www.urban-research.info/workshops/georgia-gis.htm. > > Workshop Host: New Urban Research, a national professional research > organization and ESRI Business Partner. > > Gina Clemmer > New Urban Research, Inc. > 877.241.6576 | www.urban-research.info > Subject: James Bay Shorebirds - Akimiski Photos From: Jean Iron <jeaniron AT SYMPATICO.CA> Date: Wed, 10 Sep 2008 21:17:51 -0400 Please see several pages of shorebird photos from my August trip to Akimiski Island in James Bay, Nunavut, Canada. The 6 reports filed from the field are appended. http://www.jeaniron.ca/2008/AkimiskiAug08/index.htm Jean Iron Toronto, Ontario Subject: Fw: [BIRDWG01] Shorebird ID help From: Robert Wallace <chnuts AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Tue, 2 Sep 2008 09:13:06 -0700 ----- Forwarded Message ---- From: Pastor Al Schirmacher To: BIRDWG01 AT LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU Sent: Tuesday, September 2, 2008 10:18:46 AM Subject: [BIRDWG01] Shorebird ID help My son, Nathan Schirmacher, took these photos of a shorebird (http://www.flickr.com/photos/natester166) at Foley Sewage Ponds, Foley, MN (central part of state) on Saturday, August 30th - click on the "Mystery Shorebird" section to the right, click on the photos to enlarge. We have discussed the ID without resolution, and would appreciate feedback. This bird fed alone, would not associate with the six Stilts present. Thanks! Al Schirmacher Princeton, MN Mille Lacs & Sherburne Counties Join or Leave BIRDWG01: http://listserv.arizona.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=birdwg01 Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdwg01.html Subject: Pesticides at stop-over sites From: Patrick Leary <prleary AT BELLSOUTH.NET> Date: Wed, 27 Aug 2008 11:55:28 -0400 Message following was excerpted from a recent post (by another member) to the Floridabirds Listserve. Note: The same issue/concern has been discussed with local management re flooded athletic fields in Fernandina Beach in NE Florida. During TS conditions, local fields also attract: Pectoral, Buff-breasted, Solitary, White-rumped, Semipalmated, Least and Western Sandpipers, yellowlegs, plovers, Red and Red-necked Phalaropes and other migrant shorebirds. "The really sad part about finding the migratory sandpipers was, being at a flooded ball field, the water drew up the army worms that the birds were happily feeding on like crazy. While I was there checking out all the species present, the park employee drove out a big truck with a chemical tank on the back and started to poison the field so the "fine citizens of Ormond Beach" could have their nice green ball fields. We had quite a long discussion about what they were doing and, as we were chatting all the migratory sandpipers flew off and that was the end of that. I tried to tell him what had just happened but he has a job to do and needs the pay check to feed his family. We are at such odds in this world." PR Leary, Fernandina Beach, FL Subject: James Bay Shorebirds - Akimiski Report # 6 From: Jean Iron <jeaniron AT SYMPATICO.CA> Date: Tue, 26 Aug 2008 15:30:13 -0400 This is Jean Iron's last report from Akimiski Island for the period 20 - 25 August 2008. She was a volunteer surveying shorebirds for the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (OMNR) and Trent University. Note increasing proportions of juveniles for many species listed below. Black-bellied Plover: 7 on 21 Aug, 6 on 22nd, 9 on 23rd, 7 on 24th. All molting adults, a couple in almost full alternate plumage. American Golden-Plover: 4 on 21 Aug, 1 on 22nd, 2 on 23rd, 1 on 24th. All molting adults. Semipalmated Plover: 14 on 21 Aug, 10 on 22nd, 4 on 23rd (mostly juveniles), 35 all juveniles on 24th. Killdeer: 1 or 2 per day, usually heard. 1 juvenile on 25 Aug. Greater Yellowlegs: 26 on 21 Aug, 13 on 22nd, 12 on 23rd, 51 on 24th. Mostly juveniles with a few molting adults. One adult on 25 Aug in wing molt with gap in flight feathers. Greater Yellowlegs is one the few shorebirds that undergoes wing molt at staging areas. Most shorebirds delay wing and tail molt until reaching the wintering grounds. Lesser Yellowlegs: 30 on 21 Aug, 19 on 22nd, 27 on 23rd, 65 on 24th. All juveniles. Whimbrel: 7 including 1 adult and 1 juvenile eating berries on 20 Aug, 9 mostly juveniles on 21st, 4 on 22nd, 2 on 23rd, 33 flyovers and 2 juveniles on ground on 25th. There are likely still good numbers of juveniles eating berries on the coastal barrens of southwestern Hudson and western James Bay. Wilson and McRae (1993) reported 225 on 7 September and 20 on 11 September at Longridge Point, 57 km north of Moosonee, indicating that some stay well into September. Hudsonian Godwit: 7 on 21 Aug, 5 on 23rd, 29 mostly juveniles on 24th, 40 on 25th. Most adults depart James Bay during the last 10 days of Aug. Juveniles leave later after fattening. Marbled Godwit: 6 on 21 Aug, 3 on 22nd, 4 on 23rd, 2 on 24th. All juveniles. Jean remarked that these juveniles had noticeably shorter bills than adults in May, based on her photos of both age classes. Ruddy Turnstone: Mostly juveniles. 37 on 21 Aug, 29 on 22nd, 30 (3 ad & 27 juv) on 23rd, 7 on 24th, 35 (3 ad & 32 juv) on 24th, +20 (1 ad) on 25th. Turnstones molt very little before reaching the wintering grounds so the two age classes easy to distinguish in fall migration. Red Knot: Flocks flying south. 15 on 21 Aug, 9 on 22nd, 100 on 24th, they landed for about 5 minutes and then moved north with about 40 birds splitting off and continuing north. The others landed for 5 minutes. A few fed and some slept briefly before taking flight. 3 of these birds had traces of alternate plumage, but considering the date most may have been juveniles. Semipalmated Sandpiper: 660 (a few molting ad) non-molting juveniles on 21 Aug, 615 (a few ad) on 22nd, 297 on 23rd, 400 (2 ad) on 24th. Note sharp reduction in numbers with most juveniles now much farther south. Most will depart before September. Least Sandpiper: 3 non-molting juveniles on 21 Aug. Most Leasts leave before September. White-rumped Sandpiper: First juvenile banded on 19 Aug, 1300 adults and 2 juveniles on 20th, 1730 adults and 2 juveniles on 21st, 1600 adults and 2 juveniles on 22nd, 1500 adults on 23rd, 1700 including 2 juveniles on 24th. Most juveniles still farther north. Timing of juvenile migration and their numbers in James Bay not known. Pectoral Sandpiper: 7 adults on 21 Aug, 4 adults on 22nd, 6 including first 2 juveniles on 24th. Dunlin: 1 molting adult still with a good black belly patch. Most Dunlins of the subspecies hudsonia stage along west coasts of Hudson and James Bays in August and September, where adults and juveniles molt to basic (winter) plumage before departing in late September and October. This is the reason we do not see molting adults and full juveniles with rare exceptions south of James Bay. Banding: 10 species of shorebirds banded in August. DIFFERENT SPRING and FALL IMPORTANCE of JAMES BAY: In spring many arctic shorebirds migrate north rapidly through the centre of the continent largely bypassing James Bay. In fall most shorebirds move more easterly towards the Atlantic Coast. This results in much larger numbers using James Bay (probably several million birds) during southbound migration, where wide tidal flats and intertidal marshes provide an abundance of bivalves, gastropods, crustaceans, worms and dipteran (fly) larvae (Ross et al 2003). Other Birds: Juvenile Northern Goshawk on 21 and 22 Aug, adult Sharp-shinned Hawk on 20 - 23 Aug, 2 juvenile Northern Harriers on 25 Aug, 2 juvenile Bonaparte's Gulls on 24 Aug, 8 Caspian Terns on 24 Aug and 4 (2 adults each with dependent juvenile) on 25th, 2 juvenile Arctic Terns on 25 Aug, adult Parasitic Jaeger on 24 Aug, Bank Swallow, 3 on 22 Aug, 1 on 23 and 24th, Boreal Chickadee, 2 Le Conte's Sparrows on 22 Aug, White-winged Crossbill, 4 on 20 and 21 Aug, 5 on 22nd, Common Redpoll, 8 on 21 Aug, 4 on 22nd. Migration of American Pipits with 30 on 21 Aug, 20 on 22nd and 23rd. Butterflies: The 20 - 23 August very warm with above normal temperatures. List from David Beresford and Ben Walters: Common Ringlet, Aphrodite Fritillary, possible Clouded Sulphur, Palaeno Sulphur, Giant Sulphur, Pink-edged Sulphur, White Admiral, and Cabbage White. Ben and David also had another (different species) of unidentified Fritillary. Polar Bears: Female with 3 cubs on 21 and 23 Aug, one with 2 cubs, 2 with 1 cub, and several singles. Last sea ice in Hudson Bay disappeared 24 August. http://www.natice.noaa.gov/pub/ims_gif/DATA/cursnow_usa.gif Literature Cited: (1) Ross, K., and K. Abraham, R. Clay, B. Collins, J. Iron, R. James, D. McLachlin, R. Weeber. 2003. Ontario Shorebird Conservation Plan. Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment Canada. Hard copies available by email from Wildlife DOT Ontario AT ec.gc.ca with name and postal address. (2) Wilson, N.C. and D. McRae. 1993. Seasonal and Geographical Distribution of Birds for Selected Sites in Ontario's Hudson Bay Lowland. Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, 145 pages. This is Jean's final report. The camp closed yesterday and crew flew out by Ontario Government Twin Otter to Moosonee and Timmins. From plane they saw 7 Polar Bears on Akimiski. South of island were 3 Belugas. Ben Walters spotted 20 seals on Longridge Point north of Moosonee. Jean is grateful to Ken Abraham (OMNR) and Erica Nol of Trent University for the opportunity to survey shorebirds and assist researchers. Ron Pittaway Toronto / Minden Ontario, Canada Subject: James Bay Shorebirds - Akimiski Report # 5 B From: Jean Iron <jeaniron AT SYMPATICO.CA> Date: Wed, 20 Aug 2008 17:03:46 -0400 Continued from part A. Post # 5 is divided into two emails A and B. This is part B. SHOREBIRD POPULATION TRENDS: Are shorebirds declining? Bart et al. (2007) discussed shorebird population trends. They analyzed long-term shorebird data from two survey regions: the North Atlantic and Midwest USA regions. The North Atlantic region showed an overall decline of 2.17% per year (P = 0.004). Among 30 species, 73% showed declines, 9 species declined significantly and none increased significantly. The Midwest region showed no clear evidence of an overall decline in 29 species. The authors stated, "The finding that trends were quite different in the North Atlantic and Midwest regions makes us reluctant to calculate rangewide trend estimates." In the North Atlantic Region, three possible causes for the decline in total numbers were evaluated: 1. Movement hypothesis: that the timing of migration changed and caused the decline was not supported by the data; another aspect of the movements hypothesis is that shorebirds moved through faster in recent years, but this could not be evaluated with existing data. 2. Change in detection hypothesis: no evidence was found for a net shift of shorebirds from surveyed to non-surveyed sites. 3. Population change hypothesis: this hypothesis says that "the reduction in total numbers recorded is due to a reduction in size of the breeding population." The authors state, "While results are mixed for some species, the overall picture indicates a disproportionate number of declines across many shorebird species in North America...particularly in eastern Canada and the northeastern United States". They say that a decline in shorebird numbers is supported by surveys in other areas such as the Ontario Shorebird Survey, checklist programs in Quebec, Breeding Bird Surveys in the USA and Canada, aerial surveys in North and South America, and counts during research projects in western Canada and surveys on the Arctic breeding grounds. Conclusion: The shorebird decline in the North Atlantic region appears to be caused by declines in population size, but the authors cannot exclude the hypothesis that declines were due to a changes in movements during migration, such as passing through the region more quickly. They state that, "An urgent need exists for more long-term data sets, especially from northern breeding grounds and from western North America...". Other Birds: Canada Geese and Whimbrels actively eating Bufflaloberries (Shepherdia canadensis), adult Parasitic Jaeger on 19 Aug, Great Blue Heron, Northern Harrier, Tree Swallow on 19 Aug, 3 Gray Jays behind camp on 19 Aug, Yellow Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, "Western" Palm Warbler, Blackpoll Warbler, Lincoln's Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, 3 Common Redpolls on 19 Aug, White-winged Crossbill. Polar Bears: A big male and a female with 3 cubs are interrupting surveyors, banding and Trent Masters student Lisa Pollock's important shorebird study. Polar Bears are also eating the abundant Bufflaloberries based on remains in their droppings. Wildflowers: Jean loves Akimiski's subarctic remoteness and beauty. It is now bright with an abundance of Arctic Daisy (Chrysanthermum arcticum), Marsh Ragwort (Senecio congestus), Northern Grass of Parnassus (Parnassia palustris), pinkish purple Beach Pea (Lathyrus japonicus), and pale purple Northern Gentians (Gentianella amarella). Scientific and common plant names from the "Flora of the Hudson Bay Lowland and its Postglacial Origins" by John L. Riley, published in 2003 by the National Research Council of Canada, 236 pages. Note last remaining sea ice in Hudson Bay close to Manitoba and Ontario. http://www.natice.noaa.gov/pub/ims_gif/DATA/cursnow_usa.gif Literature Cited: Bart, J., Brown, S., Harrington, B., and R.I.G. Morrison. 2007. Survey Trends of North American Shorebirds: Declines or Shifting Populations? Journal of Avian Biology 38(1): 73-82. We thank Ken Abraham and Andrew Jano for helpful comments and information. Next report in a few days. Ron Pittaway (for Jean Iron) Minden and Toronto Ontario, Canada Subject: James Bay Shorebirds - Akimiski Report # 5 A From: Jean Iron <jeaniron AT SYMPATICO.CA> Date: Wed, 20 Aug 2008 16:52:28 -0400 Post # 5 is divided into two emails A and B. This is first part A. Jean Iron's report for the period 14 - 19 August 2008 by satellite phone from Akimiski Island 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. Akimiski is the largest island in James Bay with an area of 3208 sq km based on Landsat imagery (Andrew Jano, retired OMNR, pers. comm.). Note that this figure is larger than published figures because it includes coastal mudflats and intertidal marshes, both are substantial along the north and east shore. Akimiski is Nunavut's deep south, only other large island in James Bay is Charlton, which is 105 km farther south. Nunavut's northernmost land is Ellesmere Island close to the North Pole. Akimiski is part of Nunavut and not adjacent Ontario because the Act of Parliament establishing Nunavut (which was part of Northwest Territories until 1999) included in the new territory all of the islands in Hudson Bay, James Bay and Ungava Bay. Nunavut is the largest jurisdiction in size and it has the smallest population of Canada's 10 provinces and 3 northern territories. This post includes recent information on the probable overall decline of shorebirds in North America. Corrections: (1) The 200,000 Semiplamated Sandpipers reported under Shorebird Population Estimates in previous report # 4 was a typo. It is 2,000,000. (2) I apologize to Bridget Olson, Wildlife Biologist from Utah who is studying Marbled Godwits using satellite transmitters, for spelling her surname with an e in previous reports. New bird for Nunavut: Jim Richards, co-author of the Nunavut bird checklist, tells me that the 2 juvenile Wilson's Phalaropes photographed on 13 August on Akimiski Island and reported in previous report # 4 is the first documented record for Nunavut. Jim is preparing a major revision to the checklist and hopes to have it ready to go to press at the end of August. It will be published by the Canadian Wildlife Service. If you know of unusual or new birds for Nunavut, please email Jim Richards at jmr DOT naturepix AT rogers.com Shorebird Banding and Lice: 8 species of shorebirds banded to date by a crew led by Ben Walters. Two juvenile Hudsonian Godwits caught together on 15 Aug showed strong sexual dimorphism in size and bill length. Males are smaller and have shorter bills. Assistant Professor David Beresford of Trent is studying the lice found on the shorebirds. They are not sucking lice; rather they are chewing lice that eat feathers and dead skin. Recent strong winds with gusts to 70 km/hr and Polar Bears are restricting banding. Forecast for next few days is sunny and above seasonal temperatures. Recent Observations: Shorebird are listed in checklist order: Note turnover from adults to juveniles this past week for several species. Recent tides have been very high because of strong north winds and a full moon. Black-bellied Plover: 9 molting adults on 16 Aug, 17 adults on 17th, 24 adults on 18th. Juveniles still near the breeding grounds. American Golden-Plover: 4 molting adults on 16 Aug, 17 on 18 Aug. Juveniles still near the breeding grounds. Semipalmated Plover: 30 adults and 3 juveniles on 15 Aug, 20 adults and 7 juveniles on 18th. The low proportion of juveniles is a puzzle. Most are likely farther north near the breeding grounds. They should be moving soon. Greater Yellowlegs: 27 on 18 Aug, molting adults are still more common, about 60%. Lesser Yellowlegs: 49 (including 1 molting adult) on 16 Aug, 26 juveniles on 17 and 18th. Spotted Sandpiper: A juvenile banded on 15 Aug. Whimbrel: First juvenile on 13 Aug, 9 unaged on 15th, 10 unaged birds included 1 adult and 2 juveniles on 16th, 11 unaged and 1 adult on 17th, 7 unaged and 1 adult on 18th. Whimbrels are wary and hidden in low vegetation feeding on berries making them difficult to see and age before they flush. This is the crossover period when both adults and juveniles present, but the percentages of the age classes are difficult to determine. Whimbrel can be aged if seen well. When comparing worn adults and fresh juveniles, note that adults have plainer less contrasting wing coverts and tertials; whereas these feathers on fresh juveniles are heavily and distinctly checkered with white. Hudsonian Godwit: 44 on 17 Aug, 15 on 18th included 11 juveniles. Proportion of juveniles is increasing as they move south into James Bay to fatten for the long, usually non-stop, flight to South America. Marbled Godwit: 1 juvenile on 16 and 17 Aug. 1 unaged on 18th. Most adults have now departed James Bay. The first report of a Marbled Godwit in the James Bay area was one on 29 August 1860 near Moose Factory east of Moosonee (Todd 1963). Ruddy Turnstone: 18 (included 3 adults) on Aug 16, 52 mostly juveniles on 17th, 70 on 18th included 7 adults. They were flipping small stones and seaweed. Red Knot: 85 on 18 Aug, most were adults with body molt well advanced. None had coloured leg flags. Some were either adults in full basic plumage or juveniles, but could not be aged because of distance. Most juveniles are still near the breeding grounds. Sanderling: 1 unaged on 17 Aug, 5 unaged on 18th because of distance. Semipalmated Sandpiper: Very few adults. 2000 on 16 Aug (< 1% adults), 2100 on 17th, 1520 on 18th. Least Sandpiper: 1 juvenile on 16 Aug, 6 juveniles on 17th. Least is an inshore sandpiper, not a bird Akimiski's broad tidal flats. White-rumped Sandpiper: First juvenile photographed on 19 Aug, most juveniles still farther north near breeding grounds. The timing of juvenile migration and numbers for James Bay not known. 2500 adults on both 17 and 18 Aug with body molt well advanced. Wing and tail molt of adults offset until they reach wintering grounds. Pectoral Sandpiper: 50 on 17 Aug, 28 on 18th, all non-molting adults. Adult Pectorals undergo their complete annual prebasic molt (body/wings/tail) after migration on the wintering grounds. Dunlin: 54 mainly molting adults in various stages of molt on 18 Aug. Some may have been juveniles, but Jean was not certain because of distance. Short-billed Dowitcher: 4 juveniles on 17 Aug. Adults are now well south of breeding grounds. Continued in part B in next email. Ron Pittaway (for Jean Iron) Minden and Toronto Ontario, Canada Subject: James Bay Shorebirds - Akimiski Report # 4 From: Jean Iron <jeaniron AT SYMPATICO.CA> Date: Thu, 14 Aug 2008 15:13:22 -0400 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 Subject: James Bay Shorebirds - Akimiski Report # 3 From: Jean Iron <jeaniron AT SYMPATICO.CA> Date: Sat, 9 Aug 2008 14:50:43 -0400 This is Jean Iron's report for the period 6 - 8 August 2008 from Akimiski Island, Nunavut, in James Bay. She is a volunteer with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (OMNR) and Trent University under the direction of Research Scientist Ken Abraham. The camp is on the island's northeast coast (53 deg 06 min N, 80 deg 57 min W). Nights are cool and day temperatures reach 15C. Morning fog and 9 Polar Bears are restricting surveys. Recent observations below. "Lesser" Snow Goose: 41 near camp on 6 Aug. Black-bellied Plover: 25 adults on 8 Aug. Semipalmated Plover: 92 on 6 Aug. Greater Yellowlegs: 49 on 7 Aug, 50% juveniles. Lesser Yellowlegs: 105 on 7 Aug, 90% juveniles. Whimbrel: 15 on 8 Aug, not aged because of distance. Hudsonian Godwit: 50+ on 8 Aug including 10 juveniles. Correction - the flock of Hudsonian Godwits photographed in London, Ontario, reported in the previous post # 2 was on 4 August 2008, not 4 July. Marbled Godwit: Bridget Olsen reports that 3 of the 5 godwits fitted with satellite transmitters in late May 2008 have departed Akimiski. (1) 75688 that was captured 3 km east of camp on 25 May departed Akimiski Island sometime after the evening of 31 July. It was in South Dakota on 2 August and subsequently moved into North Dakota. (2) 80794 was captured with 80795 at Byer's Creek 7 km west of camp on the morning of 27 May. It migrated along the north shore of Lake Superior on 29 July and was in central South Dakota on 31 July, then also moved into North Dakota. (3) 80795 was last on Akimiski Island around 6 p.m. on 29 July. On 31 July it transmitted, apparently in flight, over Nebraska and is currently in southeastern Colorado. Bridget and Adrian Farmer soon will be working on a publication with all the details. Until recently the James Bay population was thought most likely to winter along the southeastern coast of the United States (Morrison et al. 2006), where counts estimated 2226 birds a few years ago (Winn et al. 2006). The origins of the southeast Atlantic wintering birds remain a mystery. Bridget Olsen is going to Georgia in September with 8 transmitters to mark the wintering birds to resolve that question. Ruddy Turnstone: 6 adults on 8 Aug. Sanderling: 21 molting and faded adults on 8 Aug. Semipalmated Sandpiper: 1000+ on 6 Aug, 40% juveniles. White-rumped Sandpiper: 3000+ molting adults on 6 Aug, 1800 on 8 Aug. Pectoral Sandpiper: 136 adults on 7 Aug. Short-billed Dowitcher: 12 juveniles on 8 Aug. 1. Shorebird and Waterfowl Breeding Success in 2008: In July, Ken Abraham (OMNR) was along the northwest coast of Hudson Bay and on Southampton Island, Nunavut. He reports (fide Jim Leafloor of Canadian Wildlife Service) that lemming numbers are generally high in the Eastern Arctic from Churchill, Manitoba, to Bylot Island (latitude 73 deg), Nunavut. Waterfowl and shorebirds are having a good breeding season because nest predators (foxes, gulls, jaegers, hawks, owls, etc.) are preying on lemmings instead of birds. When lemmings are scarce, nest depredation is much higher on birds and breeding success is low. Tundra lemmings, Brown and Collared, are not found south to Akimiski so the situation is different there. This summer voles and other small mammals are low on Akimiski so nest depredation was high (OMNR). The above are examples of the alternative prey hypothesis. 2. Birds whose most southerly breeding range is the James Bay area: Snow Goose (most southerly breeding is Akimiski), Ross's Goose, Tundra Swan, King Eider, "Hudson Bay" Common Eider (subspecies sedentaria), Surf Scoter, Black Scoter, American Golden-Plover, Whimbrel, Hudsonian Godwit, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Dunlin (subspecies hudsonia), Purple Sandpiper (subspecies belcheri), Stilt Sandpiper, Short-billed Dowitcher, Red-necked Phalarope, Parasitic Jaeger, Northern Shrike, American Tree Sparrow, Harris's Sparrow, Lapland Longspur, Smith's Longspur, and Hoary Redpoll. 3. Diurnal Raptors and Shorebirds: Osprey, Northern Harrier, and an adult Merlin with juvenile learning to prey on shorebirds. Merlins breed near camp. Recent studies elsewhere indicate that shorebirds are flushing more frequently and spending shorter periods of time at staging areas apparently linked to increasing numbers of Peregrine Falcons, Merlins, etc. Peregrines do not breed in the James Bay area because of the flat topography. Snow and ice map link. Note the last remaining sea ice in Hudson Bay. This long lasting ice and cold water contribute to subarctic conditions extending deep into Eastern Canada. The ice persisting longest at the bottom end of Hudson Bay is due to water circulation patterns, making that coastline one of the best places for Polar Bears in summer, and that coast is a major fall staging area for Polar Bears waiting for freeze-up. http://www.natice.noaa.gov/pub/ims_gif/DATA/cursnow_usa.gif Polar Bear and Climate Change research. http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/en/Newsroom/LatestNews/MNR_E004159.html We thank Ken Abraham and Bridget Olsen for information. Next report in a few days. Ron Pittaway and Jean Iron Toronto / Minden, Ontrario Canada Subject: James Bay Shorebirds - Akimiski Report # 2 From: Jean Iron <jeaniron AT SYMPATICO.CA> Date: Wed, 6 Aug 2008 15:52:16 -0400 This is Jean Iron's report for period 3 - 5 August 2008 via satellite phone from Akimiski Island in James Bay. Jean is a volunteer surveying shorebirds to support studies on birds and habitat use by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (OMNR) and Trent University. There are 50 shorebird species on the Ontario Bird Checklist (Ontario Field Ornithologists 2008) with 35 species occurring regularly in the province (Ontario Shorebird Conservation Plan 2003). There are 31 species on the Nunavut Bird Checklist for the Bay Islands Region (Richards et al. 2002). Aerial surveys by the Canadian Wildlife Service (CWS) and OMNR indicate that tens of thousands of shorebirds use Akimiski's north coast in fall migration. Jean's migration chronology from 1 - 25 August will be the first extended ground survey for one location on the island. Shorebird Study: Master's student Lisa Pollock of Trent is studying the importance of the Akimiski north shore habitats to migrating shorebirds under the co-supervision of Dr. Erica Nol (Trent) and Dr. Ken Abraham (MNR/Trent). Her study includes taking core samples to determine food availability on the tidal flats, quantifying habitat use by recording birds according to macro and micro-habitat location, color banding shorebirds to determine how long individuals use the study area, and monitoring numbers species and age composition of shorebirds over the migration period. Dr. David Beresford of Trent is assisting with the identification of invertebrates in the mud samples and advising Lisa with sampling methodology. In addition to Jean, summer students Danica Hogan, Andree Daoust-Messier, and Trent M.Sc. student Ben Walters are all assisting with various aspects of the study. Recent sightings below. Semipalmated Plover: several adults. Killdeer: several, not aged. Greater Yellowlegs: 23 with a mix of adults and juveniles on 4 Aug. Lesser Yellowlegs: 91 on 4 Aug, mostly juveniles. Whimbrel: 1 on 4 Aug, not aged but probable migrating adult at this date. Hudsonian Godwit: 52 molting adults and 4 juveniles on 5 Aug. World population estimated at 70,000 birds and probably relatively stable (Morrison et al. 2006). A small number probably breed on Akimiski Island at the southern range limit. About 50% of the world's population stages along the west coast of James Bay (Sutherland and Peck in Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas 2007). Southbound migration is concentrated in a narrow lane a few km wide along the west coast of Hudson and James Bays. Most adults reach James Bay in late July and early August, while at the same time a few hundred over-flying adults appear in the Madeleine Islands (Quebec) in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and Maritime Provinces. Most adults depart James Bay in the last 10 days of August after fattening for a non-stop flight to South America. Juveniles gather on the west coast of James Bay and leave mid-September to early October (Godfrey 1986, The Birds of Canada). Occasional flocks are seen in southern Ontario including a recent flock. Dave Martin sent me a photo taken by Don Taylor of 24 adults photographed near London (ON) on 4 July 2008. These observations are usually associated with big thunderstorms. Marbled Godwit: 1 on 3 Aug, not aged. Ruddy Turnstone: 6 adults on 3 Aug, 1 on 4 Aug. Semipalmated Sandpiper: 1600 with 20-30% juveniles. Least Sandpiper: 4 juveniles on 5 Aug. White-rumped Sandpiper: 2500 molting adults. Pectoral Sandpiper: 150 adults. First juveniles not expected until mid August. Short-billed Dowitcher: 3 juveniles on 5 Aug including 1 banded by Ben Walters. Most adults have departed the breeding grounds by this date. Other Birds: Snow Goose, Mallard, American Black Duck (23 on 2 Aug, more common than Mallard), Northern Pintail (commonest puddle duck), Common Goldeneye, 3 Sandhill Cranes on 3 Aug, Common Loon 1 worn and faded year-old Glaucous Gull on 4 Aug, 3 adult and 1 juvenile Bonaparte's Gulls on 4 Aug, 5 Arctic Terns on 3 Aug, 3 Caspian Terns on 4 Aug (small numbers breed on James Bay), Boreal Chickadee, Yellow Warbler with young, Wilson's Warbler, Fox Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow feeding young, 12 White-winged Crossbills on 5 Aug. Mammals: On Sunday at noon a female Polar Bear and cub were swimming at high tide in front of camp. Seven Polar Bears including 2 females each with a cub have been keeping researchers close to camp, in accordance with a well-established safety policy designed for the purpose of keeping both researchers and bears safe. These bears are curious and not aggressive. Explosive bangers and other noise-makers are used to scare them. The camp is protected by a combination of electric fence and 10 foot enclosure fencing. On Sunday a Lynx ran onto the mudflat chasing geese, but soon gave up. One Snowshoe Hare sighted near camp. Voles: OMNR has done extensive live trapping this summer. Small mammal numbers are very low, for example, no Meadow Voles have been caught. Other small mammals are low. This is reflected in the absence of Short-eared Owls and very few sightings of Northern Harriers. Selected References: (1) Ontario Shorebird Conservation Plan by K. Ross, K. Abraham, R. Clay, B. Collins, J. Iron, R. James, D. McLachlin, and R. Weeber. 2003. Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment Canada. Hard copies available; email with full postal address. (2) 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. (3) Richards, J.M., Y.R. Tymstra and A.W. White. 2002. Birds of Nunavut: A Checklist. Birders Journal, vol 11, no 1. I thank Ken Abraham for information. Next update in a few days. Ron Pittaway Minden and Toronto Ontario, Canada Subject: Palm Beach County FL Ag fields - 18 species of shorebirds From: Robert Wallace <chnuts AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Sun, 3 Aug 2008 18:18:23 -0700 Greetings - on Saturday 8/2 I met up with intrepid Miami birders Roberto "Toe" Torres, Paul "Life is Good" Bithorn, Trey "Big Lens" Mitchell and a number of others, for a tour of the Sugar Cane and sod fields east of Belle Glade FL (near Lake Okeechobee). The farmers flood the fields to control nematodes and weeds before planting, creating prime conditions for migrating shorebirds. This management system has been in practice for many years by area farmers, and draws literally thousands of migrating shorebirds, and thousands of herons, egrets, ibises, storks and other water birds to the fields as they dry up. The spectacle can be dramatic. We found 2 large fields, totaling maybe 500 acres between them, that had the following birds: Black-necked Stilt - 2000+ American Avocet - 50 Black-bellied Plover - 200 Semipalmated Plover - 20 Killdeer - 300 Greater Yellowlegs - 2000+ Lesser Yellowlegs - 5000+ Solitary Sandpiper - 5 Spotted Sandpiper - 3 Short-billed Dowitcher - 10 Long-billed Dowitcher - 10 Stilt Sandpiper - 300+ Ruddy Turnstone - 3 Least Sandpiper - 5000+ Semipalmated Sandpiper - 1000+ Western Sandpiper - 100+ Pectoral Sandpiper - 50+ White-rumped Sandpiper - 1 plus: White Pelican - 10 Wood Stork - 500+ Herons and Egrets - 2000++ Gull-billed Tern - 40 Caspian Tern - 20 Black Tern - 10 Least Tern - 4 This is an excellent example of what could be accomplished if governmental agencies and water management districts were to actively manage for shorebird populations during migration months of April-May, and July-Sept. Many public lands in Florida are old farm lands, and are already diked and have the infrastructure in place to control water levels. These places include Lake Apopka Restoration Area (the former Zellwood muck farms, once the premier shorebird site in Florida when farmers practiced the same flooding in the 1970s), Lake Woodruff NWR, Merritt Island NWR (including Shiloh Marsh), Paynes Prairie near Gainesville, St. Marks NWR (Mounds Pools), and many others. Are there other readers of the shorebird list that have experience with getting agencies to adopt management plans to promote shorebird habitat? The NWRs are actively managed for ducks by raising water levels during the winter, why not lower them during shorebird migration? Bob Wallace Alachua FL Subject: James Bay Shorebirds - Akimiski Report # 1 From: Jean Iron <jeaniron AT SYMPATICO.CA> Date: Sun, 3 Aug 2008 08:58:44 -0400 Jean Iron called late last night (Aug 2) by satellite phone from Akimiski Island, Nunavut, in James Bay. She is volunteering again with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (OMNR) under the general direction of Research Scientist Ken Abraham (OMNR) and Professor Erica Nol of Trent University. There are 6 people including Jean in camp from OMNR and Trent. I'll report more about their studies in future posts. James Bay reaches deep into Eastern Canada between Ontario and Quebec. Hundreds of thousands of shorebirds stage on the wide tidal flats and coastal marshes in transit between the Arctic and wintering areas in Central and South America. Aerial surveys indicate that the north coast of Akimiski Island is particularly important to southbound shorebirds. Jean will be recording the shorebird species, numbers, plumages/ages (adults and juveniles), stages of molt, movements related to tides, and habitats used for feeding and roosting. She'll also document much of the above with photographs. Yesterday thousands of distant shorebirds stretched along the coast, but surveyors were able to identify and count only birds within 1.5 km of camp. Today they will survey farther from camp. Recent sightings below. Semipalmated Plover: 12 on August 1, 7 on August 2. No colour-banded local birds suggesting migrants. Greater Yellowlegs: 70 on August 2. Mostly adults. Lesser Yellowlegs: 150 on August 2. Mostly juveniles. Hudsonian Godwit: 34 molting adults on August 2. Marbled Godwit: 2 in flight on August 2. The 5 adult godwits fitted with transmitters this spring are still on the island. No nests were found this summer during thorough searches. Jean will be watching closely for juveniles indicating breeding this year. Ruddy Turnstone: 12 adults (no signs of molt) on August 2. Semipalmated Sandpiper: 500 mostly adults with a good proportion of juveniles. Juveniles will soon outnumber adults. Based on previous colour marking, some Semipalmateds from James Bay go to the tidal flats at the north end of the Bay of Fundy in New Brunswick. Others were sighted in Ottawa (Ontario) and at Presqu'ile Provincial Park on Lake Ontario and elsewhere. White-rumped Sandpiper: 1000 molting adults on August 2, most common shorebird. When adult White-rumpeds depart James Bay, most bypass southern Ontario apparently going east across Quebec to the Gulf of St. Lawrence and Maritime Provinces. Pectoral Sandpiper: 64 non-molting adults feeding among the bright yellow Mastodon Flowers (Senecio congestus) in the marshy inshore. Dunlin: 3 adults still mainly in worn breeding plumage. Mammals: 5 Polar Bears were close to camp yesterday, including a female with a cub. About 50 Polar Bears annually summer on Akimiski Island waiting for freeze-up in late fall. These are the most southerly Polar Bears in the world. On Friday's flight from Moosonee to the island, 13 Belugas (white whales) including a female and calve were sighted midway between Akimiski and the Ontario coast. Satellite image of Akimiski Island, largest island in James Bay. The camp is on the northeast coast. http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=17995 Note sea ice off Ontario's north coast. This is annually the last part of Hudson Bay to have sea ice. http://www.natice.noaa.gov/pub/ims_gif/DATA/cursnow_usa.gif Jean will phone me every few days to post updates. Ron Pittaway Toronto and Minden Ontario, Canada Subject: NUmenius sp. From: Mauricio Ugarte-Lewis <mugartelewis AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Sun, 27 Jul 2008 20:07:44 -0700 HI everybody: I am new in the list, i am from Peru; this time i am just starting with  a question for everybody, i upload in the birdingperu web page two BAD pics of a Curlew that i am not able to identify, maybe someone can help with this, because seems to be no one can with this so far http://www.birding-peru.com/picsfiles/photos.asp?idtipopic=1&paginaactual=2 Thanks in advance L.Mauricio Ugarte-Lewis Curador - Área de Ornitología,Coleccion Científica Museo de Historia Natural U.N.S.A Luna Pizarro 925, Los Pinos Vallecito - Cercado Arequipa, Perú http://ornitologiamusa.blogspot.com/ http://birding-south-peru.blogspot.com/ ____________________________________________________________________________________ Yahoo! MTV Blog & Rock >¡Cuéntanos tu historia, inspira una canción y gánate un viaje a los Premios MTV! Participa aquí http://mtvla.yahoo.com/ Subject: Fw: [SDBIRDS] Red-necked Stint photos, 23 July 2008, San Diego Bay From: Jay K <azure.jay AT EARTHLINK.NET> Date: Thu, 24 Jul 2008 06:24:52 -0700 Hello All, Matt Sadowski discovered San Diego County, California's first record of Red-necked Stint yesterday. For international birders reading this, the species is rare but nearly annual vagrant to both coasts, I believe most typically in July and August. See details below. Jay Keller, San Diego, CA USA -----Forwarded Message----- >From: Matt Sadowski >Sent: Jul 23, 2008 5:25 PM >To: sdbirds AT yahoogroups.com >Subject: [SDBIRDS] Red-necked Stint photos, 23 July 2008, San Diego Bay > >I got to work early this morning and had to wait for a coworker so I grabbed my coffee and took a stroll along the mudflats. >Shorebird numbers were low so I wasn't expecting much until I saw a rather reddish-throated Calidris foraging in the distance on the >upper/drier part of the mudflat. My first thought was stint but the rational part of my brain was saying "calm down, it's just a >Sanderling". As the the bird crossed paths with a Western Sandpiper (showing relative size) that thought process was put to a halt. >Eventually I could see it was rather fatter looking than a WESA with shorter legs, the posture being more like Least Sandpiper >(although obviously larger). The face was pale with a pale red wash on the throat and spots below that on the sides of the breast. I >started taking many docu-shots from a distance. Since my phone had just informed me that it had run out of minutes it was at this >point that I realized I would need to leave the bird and find a pay phone. > >Luckily the bird stayed on the mudflats until about 11:00 and I was able to get some closer shots before it flew to the sandspit >southeast of the mudflat, where we left it. > >Photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/68911779 AT N00/ > >Driving past later, during the peak of the high tide, I did not see any birds roosting on the sandspit so the small shorebirds >either roosted somewhere in the drier Least Tern nesting area (restricted) to the south or somewhere else altogether. Hopefully the >bird is back out there right now (17:22, tide dropping). There is no point in looking for it during high tide because even if it was >roosting somewhere in the area it would not be readily visible from the bike path viewpoint. > >Google map: http://tinyurl.com/5wf6pn > >Matt Sadowski >Chula Vista > Subject: Shorebird Sampling this Winter From: Andrea Lyn Storm-Suke <andreastormsuke AT TRENTU.CA> Date: Wed, 23 Jul 2008 12:28:00 -0400 Hello, I am a graduate student working out of Trent University looking at the use of stable isotopes to elucidate patterns of migratory connectivity in Semipalmated Plovers. I am wondering if 1) anyone will be sampling shorebirds on their wintering grounds between January and April 2009 (anywhere from the coastal southern east or west US to Mexico, the Caribbean or South America). If so, would it be possible for you to collect the 7th primary feathers from wintering Semipalmated Plovers (or Killdeer), in addition to collecting a water sample from the sampling location. And/or 2) if anyone is aware of other individuals sampling wintering shorebird that I might be able to contact. I appreciate any information or help that can be provided. Thank you very much for your time. Andrea Storm-Suke Subject: Least Tern Survey Methodology From: Jenifer Hilburn <ecojen AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Thu, 17 Jul 2008 08:54:22 -0700 Hello�all, I am looking for a standarized,�or even informal survey methodology for (inland, although any would work) Least Terns? Thanks Jen � Jenifer D. Hilburn Island Ornithologist St. Catherines Island Georgia, USA � ________________________________ The task is still impossible, but it is slowly yielding to a persistent unwillingness to accept that reality. Timothy Keith-Lucas ________________________________ ----- Original Message ---- From: Robert Wallace To: SHOREBIRDS AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Sent: Monday, July 14, 2008 7:25:29 AM Subject: [SHOREBIRDS] Shorebird migration, Ponce Inlet Greetings - The first wave of shorebirds was on the sandbar inside Ponce Inlet this weekend (also because the 4th of July boat traffic was absent) - about 100 plovers (mostly SEPL and WIPL), a small group of BBPLs, Willets, 1 Greater Yellowlegs, and a group of RUTUs. There was a juvenile Great Black-backed Gull on the beach, but my guess is this was a summer holdover. Bob Wallace New Smryna Beach FL Subject: Shorebird migration, Ponce Inlet From: Robert Wallace <chnuts AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Mon, 14 Jul 2008 04:25:29 -0700 Greetings - The first wave of shorebirds was on the sandbar inside Ponce Inlet this weekend (also because the 4th of July boat traffic was absent) - about 100 plovers (mostly SEPL and WIPL), a small group of BBPLs, Willets, 1 Greater Yellowlegs, and a group of RUTUs. There was a juvenile Great Black-backed Gull on the beach, but my guess is this was a summer holdover. Bob Wallace New Smryna Beach FL Subject: Eskimo Curlew: Damn few and they're not all deid! From: "Norman D.van Swelm" <Norman.vanswelm AT WXS.NL> Date: Fri, 4 Jul 2008 14:56:36 +0200 Martin Collinson wrote: >I feel there's been (until you) no rebuttal of this Eskimo Curlew claim because many people thought it was not necessary.< Peter Adriaens wrote: >Next, you will probably come up with similar 'evidence' of a breeding population of Ivory-billed Woodpeckers in The Netherlands!< Guys! Believe me, I know how you feel. Had I known I was photographing an Eskimo Curlew my hands would have started to tremble indefinitely and I would not even have been able to take the poor quality photo's as Ron has described them so kindly. Fortunately I only saw a tiny brown curlew amidst a group of curlews which were harassed by our local Goshawk. Thank you Mr.Goshawk! This kind of encounters don't come cheep! I have been screening every group of curlews that crossed my path over the last thirty years or so and the only rarity I expected to come across one day was the Slender-billed Curlew as there have been quite a few observations in The Netherlands over the last hundred years or more. Guys, my advise to you is: take a brake. Relax, or come and visit the Oostvoorne beach, the Eskimo Curlew may still be there! Who knows? There is plenty of affordable accommodation, the food is excellent, the weather fine and you only have to check thousands of shy, moulting curlews. What better way of spending your time than mourning you've just missed an Eskimo Curlew? Back to th� bird! Jerry Tangren wrote: >I wouldn't worry about the plumage color, but that bill just looks funny for any bird. Any chance the photo was enhanced to bring out its shape?< Well Jerry, what you see is fragments of larger pictures cut out just bring out the bird from the larger group of curlews. Remember that the distance between me and the birds is about 70 meters or so. Jerry Tangren wrote: > I'd also like to believe. Whatever happened to the secret Canadian breeding > population of the late 20th century?< I couldn't possibly comment! Ron Pittaway wrote: >The poor quality photos show no > diagnostic characters of an Eskimo Curlew. Its size cannot be > properly evaluated. The wings linings appear gray not tawny. The bill > seems too heavy, too deep-based, too long, and too strongly decurved > for an Eskimo Curlew.< I could see the comment on size coming therefore we will include a picture on the site soon, taken in Naturalis i.e. the National Museum for Natural History in Leiden here in The Netherlands, of skins of a Curlew N.arquata found in Oostvoorne and a Little Curlew N.borealis . Little Curlew is smaller than Eskimo Curlew as you know but the three Eskimo Curlews in the museum are mounted specimens and in spite of much persuasion we couldn't get our friend the collection manager to stretch one of the Eskimo's a bit for the occassion. The colour and size of our bird leave only two species to choose from: Little and Eskimo. I think Eskimo is the one but I can assure you that the two in hand are surprisingly similar! David Sonneborn wrote: >I saw a Little Curlew in Alaska which was collected (so no doubt about the identity) and in the late 60"s I may have seen an Eskimo Curlew ( I still think I did although it was not a good date) in North Carolina. SO I must be an expert. The underwing of the Little Curlew was similar to that in your photos while the putative Eskimo Curlew put its wing up which was "cinnamon". So I vote for Little.< David, your vote will be taken seriously. We have taken pictures of the underwing of Little Curlew in Naturalis which will we will show soon. You can compare them with the pictures of Eskimo Curlew on the site of the Britisch Museum. My impression is that the contrast and colour do not differ much. Gyorgy Szimuly wrote: > Before this news rocks the World I have some comments... > I guess sides and underwing coloration is not as rufus/tawny as it > should be and the belly is quite white which is fine for Little Curlew. > Also the leg projection is not quite obvious on the highly cropped > images. Was it visible on the field? Based on the image the upperwing > doesn't look 'uniformly dark' as Hayman et al says.< Gyorgy, please compare the pictures from Naturalis and the BM, my impression is that the underpart colouration of the two species is quite similar. Gyorgy Szimuly wrote: > Any chance of a top-side view of the flying bird where wing pattern and rump visible? < All I the pictures I took can be seen here: http://members.lycos.nl/radioactiverobins/snipes-waders/eskimo%20curlew%20numenius%20borealis.htm Gyorgy Szimuly wrote: > By the way... a Little Curlew record would also be awesome for the > Netherlands. :))))< Yes. Bob OBrien wrote: > I've only seen one little curlew which I photographed extensively in > California years ago but i agree with your comments on the bill. > BUT...This is too incredible. Are there supposed to be links to other > photos on this page (for the other 7 shorebirds)? If so they don't work. > It would be useful to see all the photos to help judge this incredible > find among photos of 'known' birds. > Congratulations (?) & best regards,< Thank you for your kind congrats Bob! Bill Benner wrote:>I am curious how you can tell that this is not a Little Curlew (Numenius minutus). I have never seen either species, so I don't really have any experience. I thought, though, that N. borealis had cinnamon wing linings--brighter than the bird in the photos? Thanks for any help,< > On Thu, 3 Jul 2008, Norman D.van Swelm wrote: >> Hi Bill, Of course Little Curlew crossed my mind, it wasn't like: Oh look an Eskimo Curlew! Little has a different shaped and shorter bill and it's legs are projected beyond the tail. Under ideal conditions the cinnamon may be brighter but this bird was at quite some distance besides have a look at the skins in the British Museum the cinnamon is not as bright as in some illustrations in ID guides.< As mentioned above we made a number of pictures of Little Curlews Numenius minutus in Naturalis. There are quite a few skins in the collection from birds shot in the former Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) and the Philippines. Alas there are only three mounted Eskimo Curlews without date, one with location Brazil and for the other two: North America. They will be placed on the site soon, so keep an eye on: http://members.lycos.nl/radioactiverobins/snipes-waders/eskimo%20curlew%20numenius%20borealis.htm All the best, Norman Subject: Re: [BIRDWG01] (Eskimo Curlew) Damn few and they're not all dead! From: Jerry Tangren <tangren AT WSU.EDU> Date: Thu, 3 Jul 2008 08:24:00 -0700 I wouldn't worry about the plumage color, but that bill just looks funny for any bird. Any chance the photo was enhanced to bring out its shape? I'd also like to believe. Whatever happened to the secret Canadian breeding population of the late 20th century? --Jerry On 7/3/08 5:54 AM, "Jean Iron" wrote: > There has not been a rebuttal to this extraordinary claim of an > Eskimo Curlew, so I offer my views. The poor quality photos show no > diagnostic characters of an Eskimo Curlew. Its size cannot be > properly evaluated. The wings linings appear gray not tawny. The bill > seems too heavy, too deep-based, too long, and too strongly decurved > for an Eskimo Curlew. > > The accepted sightings in Texas from 1945 to the 1960s never reported > more than two birds (Oberholser 1974). The last photograph of an > Eskimo Curlew was taken in March 1962 in Texas, reproduced in The > Shorebird Guide 2006. The last specimen was shot in the Barbados, > West Indies, on 4 September 1963. I have often wondered if bird in > the 1962 Texas photo and the 1963 Barbados specimen are the same > individual given that there were perhaps only three very old Eskimo > Curlews alive in 1963. There is no evidence that any of the claimed > sightings since the 1960s was correctly identified. None was accepted > by a museum authority or records committee. Most authorities state > that the Eskimo Curlew is "presumed extinct". The recent photos from > the Netherlands do not change its status. The Eskimo Curlew probably > has been extinct for almost 50 years. > > This is my only post about this bird. > > Ron Pittaway > Minden, Ontario > Canada > > > At 04:54 PM 7/2/2008, Norman D.van Swelm wrote: > > Have a look here please: > > http://members.lycos.nl/radioactiverobins/snipes-waders/eskimo%20curlew%20nume > nius%20borealis.htm > > Cheers, Norman > > Join or Leave BIRDWG01: http://listserv.arizona.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=birdwg01 > > Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdwg01.html > > > > Join or Leave BIRDWG01: http://listserv.arizona.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=birdwg01 > > Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdwg01.html Subject: Re: (Eskimo Curlew) Damn few and they're not all dead! From: Jean Iron <jeaniron AT SYMPATICO.CA> Date: Thu, 3 Jul 2008 08:57:53 -0400 There has not been a rebuttal to this extraordinary claim of an Eskimo Curlew, so I offer my views. The poor quality photos show no diagnostic characters of an Eskimo Curlew. Its size cannot be properly evaluated. The wings linings appear gray not tawny. The bill seems too heavy, too deep-based, too long, and too strongly decurved for an Eskimo Curlew. The accepted sightings in Texas from 1945 to the 1960s never reported more than two birds (Oberholser 1974). The last photograph of an Eskimo Curlew was taken in March 1962 in Texas, reproduced in The Shorebird Guide 2006. The last specimen was shot in the Barbados, West Indies, on 4 September 1963. I have often wondered if bird in the 1962 Texas photo and the 1963 Barbados specimen are the same individual given that there were perhaps only three very old Eskimo Curlews alive in 1963. There is no evidence that any of the claimed sightings since the 1960s was correctly identified. None was accepted by a museum authority or records committee. Most authorities state that the Eskimo Curlew is "presumed extinct". The recent photos from the Netherlands do not change its status. The Eskimo Curlew probably has been extinct for almost 50 years. This is my only post about this bird. Ron Pittaway Minden, Ontario Canada At 06:48 PM 7/2/2008, you wrote: >Have a look here please: > >http://members.lycos.nl/radioactiverobins/snipes-waders/eskimo%20curlew%20numenius%20borealis.htm > >Cheers, Norman Subject: Re: Damn few and they're not all deid! From: Gyorgy Szimuly <gyorgy.szimuly AT T-ONLINE.HU> Date: Thu, 3 Jul 2008 04:03:55 +0200 Hi Shorebird Lovers, Before this news rocks the World I have some comments... I guess sides and underwing coloration is not as rufus/tawny as it should be and the belly is quite white which is fine for Little Curlew. Also the leg projection is not quite obvious on the highly cropped images. Was it visible on the field? Based on the image the upperwing doesn't look 'uniformly dark' as Hayman et al says. Any chance of a top-side view of the flying bird where wing pattern and rump visible? Could you exclude an abnormal sized Whimbrel? Don't get me wrong I am not sceptic but having an Eskimo Curlew record today is not a daily issue. I don't want to start an 'Ivory- billed Woodpecker-like' discussion here but proper ID is a key. By the way... a Little Curlew record would also be awesome for the Netherlands. :)))) BR: Szimi ---------- Gyorgy Szimuly (Szimi) Skype: szimistyle iChat: gyorgy.szimuly AT mac.com URL: http://www.szimistyle.com Blog: http://web.mac.com/gyorgy.szimuly On 2008.07.03., at 1:27, Norman D.van Swelm wrote: Hi Bill, Of course Little Curlew crossed my mind, it wasn't like: Oh look an Eskimo Curlew! Little has a different shaped and shorter bill and it's legs are projected beyond the tail. Under ideal conditions the cinnamon may be brighter but this bird was at quite some distance besides have a look at the skins in the British Museum the cinnamon is not as bright as in some illustrations in ID guides. All the best, Norman > I am curious how you can tell that this is not a Little Curlew > (Numenius minutus). I have never seen either species, so I don't > really have any experience. I thought, though, that N. borealis > had cinnamon wing linings--brighter than the bird in the photos? > Thanks for any help, Bill Benner Whately, Franklin Co., MA, USA billb55 AT aol.com -----Original Message----- From: Norman D.van Swelm To: SHOREBIRDS AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Sent: Wed, 2 Jul 2008 6:48 pm Subject: [SHOREBIRDS] Damn few and they're not all deid! Have a look here please: http://members.lycos.nl/radioactiverobins/snipes-waders/eskimo% 20curlew%20numenius%20borealis.htm Cheers, Norman