Well, I've been back from the Hudson Bay coast for a few weeks now (I
was there June 6-22). Unfortunately I have been moving to our new
place since I have been back so haven't had a lot of time for the blog
(or editing photos so I could do a blog post). Anyways, I am still
without internet so I haven't even submitted everything to eBird yet but
when I do I will be sure put some links to the more interesting
checklists.
The trip was awesome, there was a crew of
8 of us staying at the really sweet Burnt Point research camp. The
camp is about 3km from the coast and about 50 km east of the Winisk
River. It is real tundra there so lots of completely new things for me
to see! Most of the study area is wet tundra (basically wet sedge
meadows with small moss hummocks) but there are also numerous small
ponds, often with small willows and heath-lichen ridges which is more of
what I pictured tundra to look like. As a group we had 87 species over
the two weeks in the study area. The weather was quite cool and windy
most days (winter jackets and hats necessary) so insects weren't too
exciting (only 2 species of odes) but migrant butterflies had certainly
made it there with Red Admirals and both ladies seen regularly. Question
Marks had made it to at least Moosonee on June 6 when we stopped to
refuel.
The birds were awesome with shorebirds nesting
everywhere. We had about 8-9 nests of Least Sandpiper, Whimbrel and
Semipalmated Plover. Plus a single American Golden-Plover nest and a
handful of Killdeer and Snipe plus some other cool stuff like 2
Red-throated and 1 Pacific Loon nests, Parasitic Jaeger nest and lots of
Willow Ptarmigan nests!
Anyways, I'll let some photos and video speak for themselves....
Smith's Longspurs were around on the bigger ridges.
Ice was still right to shore when we arrived
White-rumped Sandpipers were still moving through when we arrived
Molt migrant Snow Geese
Caribou were seen basically everyday
Flame-tipped Lousewort
Parasitic Jaeger "nest"
Mama (or Papa?) both adults let us know we weren't welcome
Whimbrel on heath-lichen ridge with flowering Lapland Rosebay
American Golden-plover near nest
Arctic Fritillary, my only lifer butterfly
1 pair of Short-billed Dowitchers was present at the very south end of study area
Arctic Tern colony (18+ adults) at south end of study area
Long-tailed Duck on nest
Me at the coast near the end of the trip
Semipalmated Plover doing a half-hearted broken wing display
Female Willow Ptarmigan
Camp pond at midnight
Frosty Lapland Rosebay
Red-throated Loon on nest
Common Redpoll in birch. Redpolls were indeed common and I was pretty sure I heard Hoaries once or twice
Northwest end of Akimiski Island, Nunavut. Check out that ice in the background!
First look at the camp. Looking north.
Scared up a Compton's Tortoiseshell
First Willow Ptarmigan sighting....!
Hudsonian Godwit at camp pond. Hard frost that night froze a skim of ice on pond.
The White-crowned Sparrows we saw were quite variable. From pale-lored individuals like this to completely dark lores.
Painted Lady was probably the most common butterfly I saw
