[birdky] Arctic Breeding Conditions

A more detailed report of arctic breeding conditions which was posted on the 
Iowa listserve is copied below.  It is more promising than the previous report.

David Roemer
Bowling Green

  Subject: Arctic Breeding Conditions in 2009 

 Yesterday we saw an adult Lesser Yellowlegs near Toronto and on Wednesday 
there was an adult Least Sandpiper in Hamilton at the west end of Lake Ontario. 
These are the first "fall migrant" shorebirds in southern Ontario and they are 
right on schedule. 


 Several people asked us to comment about recent reports of a "Disastrous 
breeding season in the Arctic". The Arctic is huge; it is 3500 km from southern 
James Bay (subarctic) to northern Ellesmere Island. Most shorebirds have large 
breeding ranges and even in late years many birds breed successfully and rarely 
does the entire Arctic experience the same climatic conditions. We checked with 
northern researchers and summarized their comments below. Shorebird nesting in> 
2009 is poor in some regions but normal to good elsewhere. 


 Ontario: Ken Abraham reports that conditions in the Hudson Bay Lowlands were 
about 10 days late from Attawapiskat south on James Bay, including Akimiski 
Island, with Canada Geese and Snow Geese hatching in mid June, more like the 
1990s average than the 2000s average and within the overall norms. Other 
species on Akimiski Island were correspondingly late. His guess is that for 
those species that require shorter time there will be some reduction but not 
huge. Perhaps the predation effect will be somewhat greater if alternate 
species are less available. Because coastal snow, ice and water inundation 
conditions were similar from Cape Henrietta Maria to the Manitoba border, Ken 
expects that for Canada Geese nesting within 40-60 km from the coast, a much 
reduced effort and productivity will be the norm. Snow Geese at Cape Henrietta 
Maria were greatly down and the suggestion of a 90% reduction seems to fit what 
they saw on their survey. However, beyond 40-60 km inland, he thinks conditions 
will be different. Mark Peck said that species nesting away from the Hudson Bay 
Coast in boreal bogs and fens such as yellowlegs should not be severely 
impacted because much of the freeze took place near the coast. 


 Manitoba: The situation is worse in northern Manitoba at Churchill where 
temperatures were well below normal until recently and the snow cover melted 
late. However, Erica Nol reports that birds have started to nest, just very 
late, and it won't be a complete bust for shorebirds if there are enough bare 
spots. Whimbrels and Hudsonian Godwits are nesting, but overall nesting success 
should be below average for most shorebirds in northern Manitoba. 


 Nunavut: Snow melt was up to three weeks late in mainland Nunavut north of 
Manitoba. Recent temperatures have been close to normal. Much of Baffin Island 
is now snow free and conditions there and on Bylot Island are about normal. 
High Arctic breeders should have a good breeding year. 


 Northwest Territories: Vicky Johnston suspects it will be a poor breeding year 
in parts of the Western Arctic. Spring was roughly three weeks late in 
Yellowknife on Great Slave Lake based on leaf-out. The Mackenzie Valley and 
Delta warmed early but then cooled off again. The Delta flooded slowly and the 
water receded slowly, so some prime shorebird breeding areas were subject to 
heavy predation. 


 Yukon: Cameron Eckert reports a late spring, but once the heat came, 
everything shifted into high gear. 


 Alaska: Declan Troy reports from the North Slope that the snow on the tundra 
is long gone. It was much warmer earlier in the month and his guess is that the 
breeding season has been early there. 


 We will be recording the arrivals and numbers of adult and juvenile shorebirds 
in southern Ontario and may post updates. 

    
 Acknowledgements: We thank Ken Abraham, Bruce Di Labio, Cameron Eckert, Michel 
Gosselin, Vicky Johnston, Erica Nol, Mark Peck, Ken Ross, Don Sutherland, and 
Declan Troy. 


  Ron Pittaway and Jean Iron 






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