Bird Studies Canada staff have been participating in the Western James Bay Shorebird Survey for several years. Our 2014 contingent included Janice Chard, Dayna LeClair, Tim Lucas, Stu Mackenzie, Ron Ridout, Adam Timpf, and Emily Rondel. They were part of a team of researchers monitoring the tidal flats for several migrating shorebird species. Each camp was situated within an Important Bird Area, and the data collected will be used to update Canada's IBA database.
The survey results continue to illustrate the region's critical - and unheralded - value as a migratory stopover for substantial numbers of shorebirds. In total, 26 species were observed, including a Western Sandpiper (very rare for the area). On August 11, all three camps reported a mass exodus of shorebirds as a major cold front passed through the area. Nearly 75,000 birds were tallied that day.
Additionally, 150 individual birds of three species were tagged with radio transmitters that were monitored by receivers for the Motus Wildlife Tracking System throughout their time on James Bay. A high proportion of this sample has since been detected throughout the arrays in Ontario and the eastern seaboard.
The Western James Bay Shorebird Survey is a cooperative effort spearheaded by Environment Canada's Canadian Wildlife Service, the Royal Ontario Museum, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Bird Studies Canada, and Moose Cree First Nation. The project is funded by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service's Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act program. Additional support for the 2014 expedition was provided by TD Friends of the Environment Foundation.
More at: http://www.bsc-eoc.org
