Ken Abraham of the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (OMNR) called last night (1 May) by satellite phone from Akimiski Island in James Bay. Akimiski is the largest island in James Bay and is part of Nunavut. It is 19 km east of Ontario's west coast and 1050 km north of Toronto. The OMNR crew arrived on the island four weeks earlier than usual this year. The crew comprises Ken Abraham, Stacy Gan, Dan Kennedy, Valerie Miller, Erin Scharf, and a helicopter pilot. It is an extremely early spring around southern James Bay. Akimiski was mostly snow free by mid April. The crew didn't have much snow shoveling to open camp. There is considerable open water south of Akimiski Island, but the pack ice is solid along the north shore.
OBSERVATIONS 1. Geese: Canada Goose (Branta canadensis interior subspecies). Nesting is advanced at least 3-4 weeks with first hatching expected around 23-24 May and finishing by 10 June. Some are still laying eggs. Stacy Gan, M.Sc student, is studying the effects of predation on Canada Geese including the relationship to habitats, nest sites, frequency of visits, types of predators, and daily survival rates over the 5 weeks of laying/incubation. This year Stacy also will be testing the "alternative prey hypothesis". Most years Red Foxes depredate Canada Goose nests by taking eggs and goslings. However, this year voles are abundant so foxes are presumably eating voles while geese and other birds should undergo much less predation. Lesser Snow Geese are back on the west portion of the island where they nest. 2. Raptors and Voles: Raptors should do well this year because it is a high vole abundance year. Voles, nests and runs are everywhere. Short-eared Owl: two pairs and one nest with 8 eggs on 29 April. Northern Hawk Owl: a pair in spruce woods behind camp. Snowy Owl: this first record for the Akimiski seems remarkable, but is explained because researchers aren't usually on the island except in late spring and summer when Snowys are breeding much farther north. Rough-legged Hawk: at least 2 per day. Northern Harriers have arrived back. 3. Shorebirds: First Killdeer on 22 April and Greater Yellowlegs on 29 April. 4. A few Glaucous Gulls. Small numbers of Glaucous Gulls winter on Hudson Bay around leads kept open by strong tidal currents and wind. 5. Passerines: Big flocks of Lapland Longspurs and Snow Buntings are migrating through every day. Only male Laplands until 1 May when small numbers of females were in the flocks. First Horned Lark on 1 May. Also a few American Tree Sparrows, one redpoll, and a pair of Gray Jays at camp. 6. Polar Bear: Four are already on shore depredating Canada Goose nests. The first Polar Bears are usually not seen until mid June. One large male on 22 April was near camp. A female with a small cub of the year is very unusual on land now. They should be on the sea ice fattening on Ringed Seals. 7. Wood Frogs and Boreal Chorus Frogs singing all week. 8. Moosonee Sightings: Our friend Audrey Nowicki is teaching school in Moosonee near southern James Bay. Audrey was attracted to the teaching job in Moosonee after volunteering last June to study Yellow Rails along the James Bay coast with the Royal Ontario Museum. Audrey reports that Wilson's Snipe are back in numbers and winnowing over the wetlands. She also has seen Ruffed Grouse, Great Blue Heron, Herring Gull, Belted Kingfisher, Tree Swallow, American Robin, Winter Wren, Common Grackle, Dark-eyed Junco, Lincoln's Sparrow, American Tree Sparrow, and a flock of 8 Lapland Longspurs in high breeding plumage. Audrey photographed a melanistic Red Fox a few weeks ago and will report the frog species she is hearing to Frog Watch. Ken Abraham will phone us again with updates. Jean Iron and Ron Pittaway Toronto, Ontario _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to ONTBIRDS mailing list [email protected] For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
