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June 2009

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Subject:
From:
Bill Whan <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Bill Whan <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Tue, 23 Jun 2009 08:40:00 -0400
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        Things are always more complicated than I think. Adding to the
information I posted the other day, here are a couple of items. First, a
post from yesterday by Tom Johnson in Churchill, Manitoba:

"Manitoba birders,
Summer has finally settled on Churchill after a long, cold, snowy, and
unstable spring.  Very small numbers of shorebirds have initiated
nesting within the past week - these have been Whimbrel, Hudsonian
Godwit, American Golden-Plover, Semipalmated Plover, and Short-billed
Dowitcher - we (Cornell University shorebird crew) have yet to find
nests for the majority of shorebird species that nest here, including
Least Sandpiper, Dunlin, Stilt Sandpiper, Red-necked Phalarope, etc.
If these species don't intiate nesting very soon, it is likely that
they will fail locally this year.  Recently, more Smith's Longspurs
and Alder Flycatchers have arrived, and Yellow Warblers finally
started nest-building yesterday (very late for here).
Today while doing point counts along the eastern 4 km of Launch Rd.
near the Churchill Northern Studies Centre, I heard a
Chestnut-collared Longspur call twice as it flew over (!).  Though
this local mega was not photographed, the identification was solid
(rich, three note "chrrt-chrrt-chrrt" flight call) and others heard
the bird and were able to immediately compare it to flight call
recordings on my iPod.  I will post if the bird is relocated.  The
flyover was on Launch Rd. adjacent to the Churchill Wildlife
Management Area sign with the polar bear on it.  Along with many
Smith's and a single Lapland, this made for a special three longspur
day in Churchill.
Yesterday was the first day that the Twin Lakes Road was open to car
travel this summer.  A quick jaunt into the boreal forest along Cook
St. turned up a female Spruce Grouse, flyover White-winged Crossbills,
and a Bohemian Waxwing, among other typical Twin Lakes breeders.
Some recent Churchill photos are here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bonxie88

Cheers,
Tom"

        Second, a weather map from Environment Canada:

http://www.weatheroffice.gc.ca/saisons/image_e.html?
img=mfe1t_s&title=forecasts

        As you can see, the temperature in the Hudson Bay region, including
Churchill, is indeed low, but temperatures in other areas such as the
goose areas of the high Arctic apparently have above-normal
temperatures. I imagine therefore that cold-weather effects on
high-latitude nesters are unlikely to be widespread. Churchill-area
shorebird species nest in many other Arctic sites, so significant
effects on the species level seem unlikely as well.
        So it looks like a real catastrophe may not be in the offing. We who
live in the migratory pathway from Hudson Bay will likely notice the
return of increased numbers of failed breeders among the
shorebirds--indeed, some have started to show up record-early already,
judging by reports. These should be adults in fairly intact breeding
plumage, and it'll be fun studying them and learning how they'll be
dealing with all this--what routes they'll take, whether they'll linger,
if their molt timing might be different, etc. Maybe whimbrels will nest
in my back yard...
Feeling relieved,
Bill Whan


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