Akimiski Island - Shorebirds

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Female Red-necked Phalarope in alternate (breeding) plumage on 25 May 2006.

On many days we heard and saw displaying Short-billed Dowitchers. Comments on subspecies: Akimiski Island is in the zone of intergradation between the nominate subspecies griseus which breeds mainly in Quebec and the inland subspecies hendersoni which breeds from northern Manitoba (Churchill) west across the northern Prairie Provinces to northeastern British Columbia. The appearance of Akimiski Island birds tended more towards griseus and intergrades. Ross James (1991) in his annotated checklist published by the Royal Ontario Museum stated, "...birds from Ontario can appear similar to either type or are of intermediate plumage...". Photo 9 June 2006.

Probable intergrade between hendersoni and griseus on 9 June 2006.

Probable intergrade between griseus and hendersoni on 9 June 2006.

This bird is more like nominate griseus in lacking cinnamon colour below breast. Photo 9 June 2006.

 Almost daily we saw migrating Black-bellied Plovers that were going farther north to breed. Photo 9 June 2006.

Beautiful lichens such as this Cladonia borealis Red Pixie-Cup grew in the burn behind the camp. The Akimiski vascular flora updated to 2005 is online at: http://www.erin.utoronto.ca/%7Ew3pkota/akimiskiflora/akiplants.html