Alan spent a little extra time on the details of Netitishi in our ontbirds posting, so I've copied it here - just in case some blog viewers don't follow ontbirds!
Sooty Shearwater pictures soon!!!!!!!!
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Reporting from Moosonee.
Brandon R. Holden and myself have just returned from Netitishi Point on southern James Bay, where we were present on the dates of November 9 to 21 inclusive.
Highlights include the following;
RED-THROATED LOON:
November 17 -- 540 birds (record-high count for Ontario?) - I put down 555 for my count!
PACIFIC LOON:
November 14 - 1 winter adult
SOOTY SHEARWATER:
November 13 -- 1 bird
-- NEW to Ontario, if accepted by the OBRC; we watched the bird for fully 2-3 minutes in excellent conditions in sunny weather as it zipped up and down over the waves at relatively good distance, seen when the winds were WNW and fairly stiff. Distant photos taken by Brandon.
KING EIDER:
November 13 -- 1 bird
November 14 -- 1 bird
November 17 -- 4 birds
November 20 -- 26 birds (14 + 12)
GYRFALCON:
November 15 -- 1 gray-morph juvenile female
November 17 -- 1 gray-morph juvenile
PURPLE SANDPIPER:
November 17 -- 7 birds (pure flock)
November 18 -- 1 bird
November 20 -- 1 bird
RED PHALAROPE:
November 14 -- 6 birds
POMARINE JAEGER:
November 13 -- 1 dark-morph juvenile
November 17 -- 1 bird
November 20 -- 2 brown-morph juveniles (singles)
BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE:
November 17 -- 3 birds (1 + 2)
November 20 -- 2 birds
BLACK GUILLEMOT:
November 10 -- 2 birds (singles)
November 13 -- 1 bird
November 18 -- 1 bird
November 20 -- 24 birds (pure flock riding out a storm) not included in my notes
DOVEKIE:
November 10 -- 1 bird
November 12 -- 1 bird
-- NEW to northern Ontario and Moosonee/Moose Factory Area if accepted by the OBRC.
VARIED THRUSH:
November 10-15 -- 1 male
-- NEW to the Hudson Bay Lowlands of Ontario.
-- An odd story surrounds this sighting. On the first night (10th) we were sitting around our campfire well after sunset when in the fading light we saw the clear outline of a thrush fly through the camp clearly about 100 feet away. We both said to each other "What the heck was that?" Especially since at this time of year virtually no migrant land birds are present. We both agreed that it looked slightly too small and slim for American Robin, and it didn't look right for something like a Hermit Thrush. I repeatedly suggested to Brandon that it might have been a Varied Thrush, and in fact I went on several hikes trying to relocate it. On the 14th Brandon flushed something beside the trail and heard what sounded like thrush calls. The following morning (15th) I was just leaving camp when a bird flushed from my feet and landed only 20 feet away -- a beautiful male Varied Thrush! We never saw it again. The bird looked feeble, so presumably it perished.
LATE DATES:
Too numerous to detail here, but our perception re how late birds remain on James Bay continues to change with increased knowledge. On our last full day of observing on November 20, the following was still present -- 1200 Long-tailed Duck, 23 Black Scoter, 12 White-winged Scoter, 55 Red-breasted Merganser, 18 Glaucous Gull, etc. As late as November 17, 85 Sanderling and 10 Black-bellied Plover were still present! So when do waterbirds truly clear out of southern James Bay. At the moment, no one really knows!
NETITISHI POINT is located in extreme southern James Bay about mid-way between the mouths of the Moose River and Harricanaw Rivers. The location has some unique features. First, it is slightly elevated thus the spruce forest comes right up to the shore of the bay. And due to the slight elevation, one is safe from any super high tides that may occur, which can be quite dangerous especially during fall storms. Also, the low tide mark is quite close to shore, so even at low tide one can still easily see the shoreline.
NETITISHI POINT is a remarkable place, with majestic spruce (White I think) forest on ancient beach ridges, with the ground often covered with up to a foot of sphagnum moss. It is truly one of the great birding locations in Ontario. We were fortunate to be able to use a crude cabin that belongs to a Moose Factory Cree family, who use the site mostly for the spring good hunt.
On a daily basis we watched the incoming tide, sometimes watching for 7 hours straight or more. It can be quite challenging with very cold temperatures and strong winds. Brandon took it upon himself to build a very elaborate shelter our of driftwood during the first 2 days, which was excellent for providing relief from the elements.
WEATHER: It was quite balmy during our stay, and we only experienced a day or so of winds with a north component, which is probably the reason why we did not see any expected Northern Fulmars. Near the end of our stay the temperature plumaged to minus 19 celcius, which left a considerable amount of shore ice on the tidal flats, making observing anything of interest next to impossible. It was time to bale out and head back to Moosonee!
MAMMALS:
Bearded Seal -- several
Harbour (?) Seal -- numeous (photos will confirm ID)
Snowshoe Hare -- 2+
Deer Mouse -- 15 (former) permanent residents of the cabin
Short-tailed Weasel -- 1
River Otter -- 1
Striped Skunk -- 1
Red Squirrel -- abundant
Moose -- recent droppings
Black Bear -- old droppings
Timber Wolf -- fresh tracks on the beach
A special thanks to Brandon for suggesting this trip. I hadn't been to Netitishi Point since 1981 -- before Brandon was born!
DIRECTIONS (per OntBirds Co-ordinator requirements) -- From Toronto drive north 400 miles to Cochrane. Get on train to Moosonee, for 186 miles. At Moosonee take a taxi to the Airport. Get on helicopter. Take helicopter 21 due miles east to Netitishi Point. Land helicopter. You're there.
Brandon R. Holden and myself have just returned from Netitishi Point on southern James Bay, where we were present on the dates of November 9 to 21 inclusive.
Highlights include the following;
RED-THROATED LOON:
November 17 -- 540 birds (record-high count for Ontario?) - I put down 555 for my count!
PACIFIC LOON:
November 14 - 1 winter adult
SOOTY SHEARWATER:
November 13 -- 1 bird
-- NEW to Ontario, if accepted by the OBRC; we watched the bird for fully 2-3 minutes in excellent conditions in sunny weather as it zipped up and down over the waves at relatively good distance, seen when the winds were WNW and fairly stiff. Distant photos taken by Brandon.
KING EIDER:
November 13 -- 1 bird
November 14 -- 1 bird
November 17 -- 4 birds
November 20 -- 26 birds (14 + 12)
GYRFALCON:
November 15 -- 1 gray-morph juvenile female
November 17 -- 1 gray-morph juvenile
PURPLE SANDPIPER:
November 17 -- 7 birds (pure flock)
November 18 -- 1 bird
November 20 -- 1 bird
RED PHALAROPE:
November 14 -- 6 birds
POMARINE JAEGER:
November 13 -- 1 dark-morph juvenile
November 17 -- 1 bird
November 20 -- 2 brown-morph juveniles (singles)
BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE:
November 17 -- 3 birds (1 + 2)
November 20 -- 2 birds
BLACK GUILLEMOT:
November 10 -- 2 birds (singles)
November 13 -- 1 bird
November 18 -- 1 bird
November 20 -- 24 birds (pure flock riding out a storm) not included in my notes
DOVEKIE:
November 10 -- 1 bird
November 12 -- 1 bird
-- NEW to northern Ontario and Moosonee/Moose Factory Area if accepted by the OBRC.
VARIED THRUSH:
November 10-15 -- 1 male
-- NEW to the Hudson Bay Lowlands of Ontario.
-- An odd story surrounds this sighting. On the first night (10th) we were sitting around our campfire well after sunset when in the fading light we saw the clear outline of a thrush fly through the camp clearly about 100 feet away. We both said to each other "What the heck was that?" Especially since at this time of year virtually no migrant land birds are present. We both agreed that it looked slightly too small and slim for American Robin, and it didn't look right for something like a Hermit Thrush. I repeatedly suggested to Brandon that it might have been a Varied Thrush, and in fact I went on several hikes trying to relocate it. On the 14th Brandon flushed something beside the trail and heard what sounded like thrush calls. The following morning (15th) I was just leaving camp when a bird flushed from my feet and landed only 20 feet away -- a beautiful male Varied Thrush! We never saw it again. The bird looked feeble, so presumably it perished.
LATE DATES:
Too numerous to detail here, but our perception re how late birds remain on James Bay continues to change with increased knowledge. On our last full day of observing on November 20, the following was still present -- 1200 Long-tailed Duck, 23 Black Scoter, 12 White-winged Scoter, 55 Red-breasted Merganser, 18 Glaucous Gull, etc. As late as November 17, 85 Sanderling and 10 Black-bellied Plover were still present! So when do waterbirds truly clear out of southern James Bay. At the moment, no one really knows!
NETITISHI POINT is located in extreme southern James Bay about mid-way between the mouths of the Moose River and Harricanaw Rivers. The location has some unique features. First, it is slightly elevated thus the spruce forest comes right up to the shore of the bay. And due to the slight elevation, one is safe from any super high tides that may occur, which can be quite dangerous especially during fall storms. Also, the low tide mark is quite close to shore, so even at low tide one can still easily see the shoreline.
NETITISHI POINT is a remarkable place, with majestic spruce (White I think) forest on ancient beach ridges, with the ground often covered with up to a foot of sphagnum moss. It is truly one of the great birding locations in Ontario. We were fortunate to be able to use a crude cabin that belongs to a Moose Factory Cree family, who use the site mostly for the spring good hunt.
On a daily basis we watched the incoming tide, sometimes watching for 7 hours straight or more. It can be quite challenging with very cold temperatures and strong winds. Brandon took it upon himself to build a very elaborate shelter our of driftwood during the first 2 days, which was excellent for providing relief from the elements.
WEATHER: It was quite balmy during our stay, and we only experienced a day or so of winds with a north component, which is probably the reason why we did not see any expected Northern Fulmars. Near the end of our stay the temperature plumaged to minus 19 celcius, which left a considerable amount of shore ice on the tidal flats, making observing anything of interest next to impossible. It was time to bale out and head back to Moosonee!
MAMMALS:
Bearded Seal -- several
Harbour (?) Seal -- numeous (photos will confirm ID)
Snowshoe Hare -- 2+
Deer Mouse -- 15 (former) permanent residents of the cabin
Short-tailed Weasel -- 1
River Otter -- 1
Striped Skunk -- 1
Red Squirrel -- abundant
Moose -- recent droppings
Black Bear -- old droppings
Timber Wolf -- fresh tracks on the beach
A special thanks to Brandon for suggesting this trip. I hadn't been to Netitishi Point since 1981 -- before Brandon was born!
DIRECTIONS (per OntBirds Co-ordinator requirements) -- From Toronto drive north 400 miles to Cochrane. Get on train to Moosonee, for 186 miles. At Moosonee take a taxi to the Airport. Get on helicopter. Take helicopter 21 due miles east to Netitishi Point. Land helicopter. You're there.
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