Posting for Ken Burrell <<<<<>>>>>> Birders, Mike Burrell, John Klymko, Devin Turner and myself went up to the Moosonee area for 3 days (Friday-Sunday) and birded the area. Our highlights are listed below. Friday August 24: On the Polar Bear Express: 1 Mourning Dove – 20km north of Otter Rapids Usual species, White-winged Crossbill and Sandhill Cranes Moosonee Waterfront: 2 Ruddy Turnstones 1 Mourning Dove 15 Arctic Terns – a cold front went through and these birds showed up after the showers Saturday August 25: Moosonee Waterfront 2 Red Crossbill’s 15+ Yellow Warbler’s – this species was common given the relatively late date, along the Moose River Ship Sands Island: the weather was cool ~12 degrees and strong NNW winds. We walked the east shore north from about halfway. We walked a large sedge marsh for several km and at the north end were several km of exposed mudflats. We learned later that there has been a Polar Bear roaming the area and were particularly happy to not have met up with it. Apparently 2 other Polar Bears have also been seen along the coast nearby. When we were dropped off we came across the worst mosquitoes we had ever encountered (covered head to toe!) but as we walked in more unsheltered areas the numbers of mosquitoes totally dropped off. On the tidal flats, we estimated ~5,000 shorebirds, many were far out and were unidentifiable and with strong NNW winds we didn’t want to wander too far out onto the flats. Canada Goose ~500 – appeared to all be giants, likely returning molt migrants Snow Goose – 359 Whimbrel – 25 Wilson’s Snipe – 3 Sandhill Crane – 46 (we found a dead individual in a large sedge flat) Greater Yellowlegs – 45 Killdeer – 3 Nelson’s Sharp-tailed Sparrow – 8 Le Conte’s Sparrow - 12 Hudsonian Godwit – 30, in flocks of 23, 1 and 6 (the group of 6 was part of a mixed Godwit flock!) Marbled Godwit – 16, in flocks of 3, 6, and 7 (the group of 3 circled us and landed less than 100m!) Pectoral Sandpiper – 6 Sanderling – 7 Arctic Tern – 5, a juvenile flew within 20 feet of us White-rumped Sandpiper – 1 Black-legged Kittiwake – 6, in groups of 1, 4 and 1 (these birds (all juveniles) flew within 50m. of us, the last bird came from the south and circled our group within 30 feet and flew back south) Red Knot – 4 (all juveniles) Peregrine Falcon – 1 carrying a Greater Yellowlegs Semipalmated Sandpiper – ~3,500 Black-bellied Plover – 15 Least Sandpiper – 30 Semipalmated Plover – 45 Red-throated Loon – 1, while we were waiting for our guide a breeding plumaged bird flew past our group heading north towards the bay Sunday August 26: Moose Factory Tennessee Warbler – 4 American Redstart – 1 Purple Finch – 5 Yellow Warbler - 10 Moosonee (Dump and Sewage Lagoons) Boreal Chickadee – 5 Lesser Yellowlegs 1 (the only one of the trip) In total we saw 95 species, including 18 species of shorebirds. We would have liked to spend more time along the coast but had to leave Sunday and were only in the area for 1 full day. Email me privately for directions. Good Birding, Ken Burrell Heidelberg, Ont burrellsc@golden.net -- Mark Cranford ONTBIRDS Coordinator Mississauga, Ont. mark.cranford@ofo.ca 905 279 9576