James Bay Shorebirds - North Point

31 July to 14 August 2015

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White-rumped and Semipalmated Sandpipers on 2 August at North Point on southwestern James Bay, Ontario. Our highest day total count of all shorebirds was 26,055 on 6 August 2015. We surveyed all shorebirds with a focus on these five: White-rumped and Semipalmated Sandpipers, Dunlin, Hudsonian Godwit and Red Knot.

 

Video 1 Shorebirds Feeding        Video 2 Shorebird Flocks  

 

Video 3 Shorebird Flocks           Video 4 Shorebird Flocks

 

I surveyed at North Point which is 25 km north of Moosonee.

 

Recently arrived from the Canadian Arctic, this White-rumped Sandpiper is in worn breeding plumage. We counted 12,000 molting adults on 7 August. James Bay is the most important fall staging area for this sandpiper in North America. After fattening most overfly southern Canada and the United States going to South America.

 

Adult Semipalmated Sandpiper molting into winter plumage on 8 August. James Bay and the Bay of Fundy are the two most important stopover sites for southbound Semipalmated Sandpipers in North America. They fatten over 2-3 weeks or more before making a non-stop flight of several days to northern South America. High count was 12,050 on 7 August 2015.

 

Adult Dunlin, subspecies hudsonia, beginning molt from breeding to winter plumage on 9 August.

 

Molting and fattening Hudsonian Godwits on 12 August. High count was 700 on 6 August. Most fly non-stop to South America.

 

Video of Hudsonian Godwits feeding at North Point

 

White-rumped and Semipalmated Sandpipers with Ruddy Turnstones resting at high tide.

 

Please go to Shorebirds - Page 2