Garry Budyk, John Weier and John Hays have been committed volunteers, not just for the IBA Program, but also for many of Manitoba’s avian monitoring programs, including the Breeding Bird Atlas, Chimney Swift Initiative and Breeding Bird Surveys. A recent trip by all three to Delta Marsh has given us an excellent opportunity to highlight their amazing contributions to the Manitoba IBA Program, through good old fashioned bird monitoring, and the confirmation of an IBA trigger at one of Manitoba’s most well-known IBAs.

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On Saturday September 8th, the three amigos made their way to Delta Marsh to count hawks, part of the annual Nature Manitoba Fall Hawk Watch. During the day of birding, they managed to encounter some high numbers of birds. Most impressively was a total of Franklin’s Gulls of 10,500. An IBA trigger, being more than 1% of the global breeding population of this species! This was almost half the total birds encountered, with there also being 7,120 Ring-billed Gulls. The vast majority of these birds were on open flats at Lynch’s Point in the northwest corner of the IBA. They also found two Red Knot, an excellent species to find in southern Manitoba at this time of year.

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Here are the total birds for the day, within the IBA of course (the guys also have other lists outside the IBA).

Snow Goose	26
Canada Goose	2,570
Blue-winged Teal	160
Northern Shoveler	6
Gadwall	6
American Wigeon	3
Mallard	202
Northern Pintail	2
Green-winged Teal	17
Bufflehead	1
Hooded Merganser	2
Ruddy Duck	1
Sharp-tailed Grouse	8
Pied-billed Grebe	7
Horned Grebe	1
Western Grebe	4
Rock Pigeon	6
Mourning Dove	19
Sandhill Crane	145
Black-bellied Plover	1
Semipalmated Plover	4
Marbled Godwit	6
Red Knot	2
Sanderling	20
Baird’s Sandpiper	3
Least Sandpiper	5
Pectoral Sandpiper	5
Semipalmated Sandpiper	22
Spotted Sandpiper	3
Greater Yellowlegs	2
Lesser Yellowlegs	17
Bonaparte’s Gull	42
Franklin’s Gull	10,500
Ring-billed Gull	7,120
California Gull	1
Herring Gull	2
Common Tern	3
Forster’s Tern	44
Double-crested Cormorant	13
American White Pelican	80
Great Blue Heron	4
Great Egret	2
Osprey	1
Northern Harrier	5
Sharp-shinned Hawk	1
Cooper’s Hawk	1
Bald Eagle	1
Red-tailed Hawk	8
Belted Kingfisher	2
Downy Woodpecker	1
Northern Flicker	8
Merlin	3
Peregrine Falcon	1
Eastern Phoebe	1
Blue Jay	2
Common Raven	3
Horned Lark	2
Barn Swallow	36
Black-capped Chickadee	4
Red-breasted Nuthatch	1
Marsh Wren	3
American Robin	2
European Starling	61
American Goldfinch	12
Clay-colored Sparrow	1
Vesper Sparrow	1
Savannah Sparrow	1
Swamp Sparrow	2
Yellow-headed Blackbird	5
Red-winged Blackbird	324
Rusty Blackbird	12
Brewer’s Blackbird	100
Common Grackle	6
blackbird sp.	100
American Redstart	1
Magnolia Warbler	1
Blackpoll Warbler	1
Yellow-rumped Warbler	1

2018 was an eventful summer for the Manitoba IBA program, which had a full itinerary of events which included numerous bird-blitz at different IBAs, workshops, community outreach events, habitat restoration, and attendance at summer fairs. This summer’s success was driven by a huge turnout of volunteers who dedicated their time (and gas money!) to helping monitor bird diversity and abundance across the province. It is obvious that the Manitoba IBA program is growing, and we wish to thank our generous financial donors and everyone who participated in events this summer. We are already looking forward to spring of 2019!

To really appreciate how much was accomplished this year, we have put together a detailed timeline of our events below:

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May 5^th – We headed out to Sandy Bay IBA near Langruth to engage the local community in bird watching and monitoring. We were expecting to find high counts of Western Grebes along the shoreline, but a late spring and ice cover foiled our expectations.

Read more here.

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May 6^th – Kicking off events early, the IBA program brought a multitude of volunteers out to North, West, and East Shoal Lakes IBA to survey for Western Grebes and other waterbirds. It was a brisk morning with ice still on the lake, but that didn’t stop anyone from counting a total of 766 Western Grebes!

Read more here

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May 12^th – We joined Oak Hammock Marsh in celebrating International Migratory Bird Day. Morning events took place at Oak Hammock Marsh with presentations by Christian Artuso and bird walk hosted by Tim, Lynnea, Paula, and Christian.

 

Read more here

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May 23^rd and 24^th – Nature Conservancy of Canada, Manomet Shorebird Recovery Program, and the Manitoba IBA program organized and hosted an International Shorebird workshop in southwestern Manitoba. It was a fantastic workshop which laid down the groundwork for initiating ISS surveys here in Manitoba. Never heard of ISS before? Read about it here for more details.

Read more here

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June – IBA intern Lynnea Parker accounts her adventures in the southwest surveying for grassland birds and species at risk. These survey efforts were apart of the SARPAL program, which is now in its second year.

Read more here

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June 3^rd – The breeding season kicked off with an Oak Lake and Plum Lakes IBA Blitz. The day was full of great sighting and high counts of birds. Some noteworthy mentions include Cattle Egret, Upland Sandpiper, Red-headed Woodpecker, Loggerhead Shrike, Mountain Bluebird, Sprague’s Pipit, and Chestnut-collared Longspur. Read all about this successful start to the summer.

Read more here

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June 9^th – The program joined forces with the Nature Conservancy of Canada to look for species at risk on their properties near East Shoal Lake.

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July 11^th – Manitoba’s brand new Clear Your Gear program was supported by the Manitoba IBA program. We hosted a shoreline cleanup event at St. Ambroise Beach Provincial Park. Volunteers and event coordinators were equally surprised by the sheer quantity of commercial gill nets which were removed from 3km of shoreline (blog post Read more here

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July 15^th – The IBA program hosted its first ever species-specific blitz, which was for Red-headed Woodpeckers. This event took place at the Kinosota-Leifur IBA which great success. 51 individuals were found, and 34 breeding pairs were confirmed.

Read more here

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July 26^th – Christian, Rebekah, Josh, and Ward conducted the first ever official International Shorebird Survey (ISS) in Manitoba at Oak Lake and Plum Lakes IBA! The survey revealed how important water levels are for shorebird habitat. Only 12 species of shorebirds were detected, with Lesser Yellowlegs, Killdeer, and Wilson’s Phalarope the most abundant.

Read more here

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July 29^th – Christian, Colin, Gillian, and Tim conducted the first ever Whitewater Lake ISS survey. 21 species of shorebirds were detected. Special highlights included 1,440 Long-billed Dowitcher and 418 American Avocet. Continue reading about this great kickoff to the fall ISS season.

Read more here

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August 12^th – The Delta Marsh IBA Blitz took place bright and early to beat the heat with a daytime high of 36 degrees Celsius. 5 groups covered the entire IBA area finding a total of 156 species and 19 shorebird species. Although a whopping 19,564 individual birds were counted, shorebirds were few and far between. The Least Sandpiper with 388 individuals was the most abundant shorebird species. Checkout what happened at Delta Marsh.

Read more here

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August 15^th and 16^th – Tim Poole flew to Gillam in northern Manitoba to introduce the IBA program to Fox Lake Cree Nation. The IBA program is excited to have the opportunity to work with the Fox Lake Cree Nation in establishing a monitoring program for the remote Nelson River Estuary and Marshy Point IBA.

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August 16^th – The annual Weed Pull for Plovers event took place with Joanne Smith (Sandy Bar IBA Caretaker). 24 volunteers turned out for this event and significant progress was made restoring habitat for shorebirds and waterbirds.

Read more here

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August 22^nd – Tim and Lynnea conducted the 2^nd fall season International Shorebird Survey (ISS) at Whitewater Lake. While most of the areas surveyed had low counts of shorebird, one particular spot along the route was a sight to behold – 6,000 to 8,000 thousand shorebirds of different species were found flocking together!

Read more here

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August 26^th – 20 volunteers comprising 6 groups surveyed North, West and East Shoal Lakes IBA and surrounding areas. Although bird activity was in its seasonal decline, this IBA did not disappoint with 152 species and 7,868 individuals! 25 Red-headed Woodpeckers were found and 15 different species of shorebirds.

Read more here.

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With so many events already concluded, let’s not forget about these upcoming opportunities to engage with bird conservation before the 2018 season ends.

September 21 – Riverton Sandy Bar Weed Pull Event (ROUND 2)

Please join the IBA program one more time this year to improve shorebird and waterbird habitat at the Sandy Bar IBA. Drinks and snacks will be provided at 8:30am and the group will depart for the sand bar with weed-whacking supplies at 9:00am. Expected end time is 12:30pm.

October 14 –Swans and Cranes… Oh My!

Oh my indeed! Come join us in southwestern Manitoba to help find, count, and record the anticipated arrival of hundreds (if not thousands!) of swans, geese, ducks, and cranes. The large gatherings of these congregational birds is a sight to behold every fall in Manitoba. We will need all the help we can get.

If you don’t believe us, check out this blog post: Blast from the past: Historical observations and fall birding in southern Manitoba (check it out here).

On August 15^th and 16^th, the Tim Poole, Manitoba IBA Program Coordinator, was invited to attend the Gathering of the Fox Lake Cree Nation. This was funded through the generous support of Nature Canada’s IBA Local Action Fund (LAF), and coordinated with the Centre for Indigenous Environmental Resources (CIER). Our intention was to reach out to members of the community in relation to the Nelson River Estuary and Marsh Point IBA, part of which is in Fox Lake’s territory. This is first part of the story of a fantastic journey in the north.

As a program, we have a strong interest in building relationships with communities living on the land, working on the land, and using the land in their local IBA. We are currently into the second year of a three year project to reach out to communities around the four Manitoba Hudson Bay coastline IBAs. Before moving on, it would be worth giving a summary description of these IBAs for readers unfamiliar with this area.

The most well known Manitoban IBA in Hudson Bay is the Churchill and Vicinity IBA. In year 1 of our grant, Bonnie Chartier and I delivered a number of outreach activities in the IBA (to read more about our trip, see blog 1, blog 2, blog 3, blog 4, blog 5). In 2018, Bonnie returned in early August, and a university professor from the USA, Kit Schnaars, was moving forward with setting up a local birding group for the summer months.

Churchill is a well known birding spot, and was designated IBA for a number of species, namely Ross’s Gull, Little Gull (Churchill hosts a large proportion of North America’s small breeding population of both these species), Snow Goose, Whimbrel and Ruddy Turnstone, among others.

North of Churchill and Vicinity IBA is the Seal River Estuary IBA. Bonnie actually managed to visit the Seal River this summer for a day, thanks to the generosity of Churchill Wild, and was able to promote the glories of this spectacular area for birds and birding. The Seal River Estuary was designated due to its large concentrations of Pectoral Sandpiper and Black Scoter, but is also a major stopover for other shorebirds. For more information on this area, see this piece by Dr Christian Artuso on the birds of this area.

Close to the Ontario border is the Kaskattama River Estuary IBA. This IBA is our remotest one, a tough achievement given the competition! There is a hunting lodge, but little else. In fact, it is so remote, no one during the Manitoba Breeding Bird Atlas made it here, even though there was attempts! It was designated for large migratory concentrations of Cackling Goose and Hudsonian Godwit.

Finally, we come to the Nelson River Estuary and Marsh Point IBA. This includes York Factory, the old fur trading post. The IBA was designated for incredible concentrations of Red Knot and Black Scoter, and takes in parts of Wapusk National Park, all the way across the Nelson and Hayes Estauries, almost as far as Cape Tatnum.

All these IBA’s are known for their high concentrations of birds. What many of us living in the south of Manitoba forget though, is that these IBAs are not just about birds. They are about people. Manitoba’s northern indigenous communities have lived here for longer than any reference can be found to an IBA, and long before any European touched down in North America. For thousands of years, people have lived in these IBAs, taking advantage of the bountiful natural resources to live and thrive. The IBAs are therefore not just special for birds, they are also part of the cultural and social traditions for Manitoba’s northern Cree First Nations, and not just part of tradition, but also part of these communities present lives.

Fox Lake is one of these communites. Their band office is in Gillam, their main reserve around 30 minutes north of the town, but their territory is in the vast boreal and coastal areas along the Nelson River up the estuary. Members of this community still use these lands, and for this reason, we are interested in talking with them, about the IBA.

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Arriving in Gillam on the 14^th August, I was driven from the airport by Joanne from Fox Lake, to Kettle Camp, a place used by contractors working on Hydro Projects. This was on the recommendation of Val from Fox Lake. Joanne also drove me in to Gillam next morning to meet my ride up to the launch on the Nelson River. As someone who needs to stretch his legs and go exploring, I found Kettle Camp somewhat claustrophobic. Why? Well, let’s just say that this is apparently also a favourite haunt of bears! A short walk around the grounds indicated that birds were already thin on the ground, a few Common Raven, Ring-billed Gulls and the occasional Bald Eagle being all I could find. Mid-August in the northern boreal is probably not the liveliest time to go I suppose!

I was to drive to the boat launch on the Nelson River with Gord Bluesky. I had come across Gord’s name previously as he was the Land and Resources Manager for Brokenhead Ojibway Nation. Brokenhead is on the edge of the Netley-Libau Marsh, so Gord has long lived in the shadow of an IBA! Although he is a band member of Brokenhead in Treaty 1, he is now based in Thompson with his young family doing a similar role for Fox Lake. This hour was an important learning experience for me. Gord explained about the history of Fox Lake, the relationship with the land, and many of the injustices that have been faced by this community, since colonialism, and more recently, the development of hydroelectric dams. Gord used the word ‘resilient’ to describe Manitoba’s northern First Nations in the face of what must have been overwhelming social and environmental change. Since my visit, this abuse was documented in a report from the Clean Environment Commission.

The drive also gave us the opportunity to view some of the developments in this area, including the Longspruce Hydro Dam, where pelicans gathered to feed on fish, and Bald Eagles sat along the dykes, and even posed on the bridge, looking for a bite to eat.

We arrived at the boat launch at 10:30 at Keewatinohk Converter Station. The boat drivers were already there, but there was a bit of a problem. Not enough water! Apparently, in summer, the water at the hydro dams is held back overnight, and released slowly throughout the day to feed air conditioners in Winnipeg (and no doubt elsewhere in the south, they just mentioned Winnipeg). Interestingly, the exposed rocks and gravel at this time was ideal habitat for foraging shorebirds, and about an hour later, it was pretty obvious, that these birds had been displaced – a number of shorebirds were seen flying along the river in small flocks. Although the initial foraging conditions were ideal for these migrating birds, the ever rising water levels must eventually displace them throughout the day.

The boat trip was uneventful – well, for our boat anyway! The guys from Fox Lake certainly seemed to know the river, and were able to pass through smoothly. Another boat carrying some other non-indigenous people unfortunately managed to knock its propeller on some rocks – more than once! Needless to say, the driver of this boat did not come from Fox Lake! There were good numbers of shorebirds, including Sanderling, Least Sandpiper, Semipalmated Plover and Greater Yellowlegs. I also picked out an Arctic Tern in among the Common Terns. I expected to see more ducks. There were a few small groups, but given the timing, I had hoped I might see some movement of mergansers and other northern and boreal ducks. Timing is everything when doing migration counts.

The boat trip to Deer Island lasted about one hour. The Nelson is a steep banked river, and not surprisingly for northern Manitoba, surrounded by boreal forest. The steep banks were  showing signs of erosion, and in some places I was told that this was happening fast. For example, a trail along the edge of the Fox Lake Camp on Deer Island had completely fallen into the Nelson River since 2017. I am no expert on these matters, but I did wonder whether the unnatural hold back and release of water was having an impact. Certainly, it must be doing so behind the dams, and one area near the boat launch appeared to be hollowing out quickly.

Needless to say, this is not a conversation about the good and bad of energy policy, merely an eyewitness account of the current state of the river from a short journey.

Deer Island is located to the south and west of the Nelson River Estuary and Marsh Point IBA boundary, and in the middle of the Nelson River. It is a large rocky island covered in conifer trees, with a ground flora of blueberries, Labrador Tea, and other ericaceous shrubs. Just to the north is Wapusk National Park, and this area is full of wildlife. The bear watcher would spot caribou on the mainland coming down to drink from the river each morning. Black bear are present, and one was spotted near some blueberry pickers on the first afternoon of our visit. Moose are also present in this area.

Earlier in the summer, members of Fox Lake had demolished an old camp and built a new one. The rebuild took four days to complete. The camp was small, about enough for around thirty people to stay the night, and included a kitchen/eating cabin, a generator, and that all important outhouse. The first person that one would meet on entering the camp was the bear guard. The bear guard was to be on duty all night – no rest for this critical person!

The organisation of this gathering was down to a number of people from within the Fox Lake Band. Initially, I was going to deliver a talk on that first afternoon, but we decided to delay it until the next morning. Instead, I made my way back up stream with Gord, Stephanie, part of the environmental team at Fox Lake, and her husband Jimmy. Jimmy is someone who has boated on the Nelson River for most of his life, and knew the river really well. He also knew his birds, having assisted with some Species at Risk monitoring with the Keeyask Hydro Project. We came to the spot where the Nelson River was joined by a smaller river – I cannot remeber which river, but I do remember everyone commenting on how the river conditions were much rougher when the Weir River joined the Nelson.

Jimmy and Gord fished, and Stephanie showed me one of the Fox Lake hunting cabins above the shore. I found Spruce Grouse poop – did I ever mention that I was a co-author on a study on the impacts of recreational disturbance on grouse – we used poop as a proxy for distribution of birds? I know my grouse poop! Red-breasted Merganser, Greater Scaup, Osprey and Least Sandpipers were noted in this area. The guys were failing to catch anything, so Stephanie showed them how it was done, catching a pike. The guys also caught walleye afterwards – but due to their small size, all fish were returned to the water.

We headed back to camp once another boat made its way downriver – we had been waiting for this boat to return. On return to camp, and following an excellent supper, three boats headed up river. It was now 7:30, and we were leaving later than we hoped, mainly because we had to wait for the tide to move out at the estuary – this is after all a very large river! We were to travel downriver for an hour and then turn around – darkness was after all closing in. A Polar Bear had been spotted on Gillam Island well within the IBA boundary, and there was some hope we might almost get that far. Well, we could see Gillam Island by 8:30, and Hudson Bay, so we did get pretty close. But did we make it to the IBA? Jimmy thought maybe, just, but maybe not. I had my GPS on track, and later downloaded it, and here is the result (drum roll please).

By my reckoning, we were within a few hundred metres of the IBA. Gutting! It was though a useful trip, and along with the rest of this visit, will hopefully will open up future opportunities for working together. We did get to point out some birds as the darkness closed in, including a small flock of Sanderling, no doubt looking for a spot to roost for the night. A Great Blue Heron flew overhead, and Semipalmated Sandpiper whipped around the shorelines. The Bald Eagle total for the day must, if I had included the birds seen on the morning drive, have tipped almost 50. Greater Yellowlegs and Ring-billed Gulls were also around, but the teasing prospect of the estuary left me wanting more! Maybe next year I will finally get to enter this special IBA!

Returning to camp, we slept in the new huts, made by members of the community specially for the gathering. The following morning, I awoke early wake-up to see if any wildlife was wandering along the shoreline. Alas, maybe due to the strong winds whipping up the river, there was little to be spotted. Later in the morning, I did spot a Peregrine Falcon swooping along the river, and a Northern Harrier swooping over, what I suspect was some open bog habitat to the east. The newly named Canada Jay, called Whisky Jack by the people at Fox Lake, started calling midway through the morning as well.

After breakfast, I gave a presentation about the IBA Program and the significance of the Nelson River Estuary for birds. I hope they enjoyed it! For certain, there is already a heap of knowledge within the community, and the community shared about some of the birds they recognised and had seen previously in good numbers in the estuary. As we had done the birding part of the workshop over the previous day, that was my official time over.

The remainder of the day was spent talking with people, birdwatching, and waiting for the boat to come back. There was an appearance by a Blackpoll Warbler and Yellow Warbler. I was also given a lesson in how to make a dream catcher by two wonderful sisters from out west, who had come to share their knowledge of medicines. A Golden Eagle was the highlight of the boat ride back, and then a great conversation with a member of the community on my way back to Gillam – did I mention the topnotch organisation, with shuttle vehicles taking members of the community from the Fox Lake Reserve and Gillam to the boat launch and back?

Another night in Gillam was unadventurous – although I did achieve a unique experience riding to the airport in the local garbage truck! Before my flight out, I had time to head to Gillam Beach, and find Wilson’s Warbler, Sharp-shinned Hawk and a nice photogenic group of Greaterr Yellowlegs to finish off a successful trip.

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As with any trip such as this, there are many people who worked hard to make it work. Special thanks to Shianne McKay from CIER for setting this up. Val was the primary organiser of our participation at Fox Lake, but also thank you to Conway, and Joanne for their help. Finally to Gord, Stephanie, Jimmy, Brandy, John, and everyone else involved in organising the gathering, and for Fox Lake for being so welcoming.

I hope that this will be the start of something, that we can work together to highlight the Nelson River Estuary, it’s unique place in Manitoba’s wildlife, and just maybe show Manitoban’s in the south, a flavour of the north, its rich natural treasures and its wonderful people.

The following release has been published by Nature Conservancy Canada, and relates to the International Shorebird Survey which we have partnered in launching in Manitoba this fall (full story found here). The release is timely following our initial surveys at Whitewater Lake and Oak Lake (survey report 1, survey report 2)

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Nature Conservancy of Canada, partners and volunteers conducting surveys to learn more

Since late July, some of Canada’s most amazing travellers will have started their fall migration. Shorebirds are a diverse groups of migratory birds, a few species of which have some of the longest migration distances in the feathered world. But they are in trouble, and more needs to be done to help them.

The good news is that a number of local, national and international organizations are working together to learn how best to conserve them here in Manitoba.

Shorebirds come in various shapes and sizes, but this group of birds is strongly associated with shallow water habitats found on beaches or shorelines of lakes, shallow wetlands and in flooded fields or grasslands, where they forage for food in the mud and sand.

The migratory route that passes through the prairies is sometimes referred to as the central flyway. A handful of the species that move through Manitoba will stay and breed, raising their young, before returning south for the winter. Others only stop temporarily for food and rest on their way north or south. Whether for breeding or refuelling, Manitoba’s wetlands are incredibly important for these birds on their journeys.

Declining populations

This group of birds is declining quickly. A 2016 report on the State of the North American Birds indicated a 70 per cent decline in shorebird populations since the early 1970s. Causes of that decline range from habitat loss in breeding and wintering areas and along migratory pathways, changes in predation pressure, pollution, changes in food availability, changing climate conditions, and being repeatedly disturbed while resting and feeding.

Loss of habitat or stresses to birds during stopovers can have a significant impact on migrating birds. If the birds are not healthy and strong when they reach their breeding site, their ability to successfully raise their young falls significantly.

We need to learn more about shorebirds in Manitoba and other parts of the central flyway. How many are there? Where do they go? Which areas are the most important for them? Manitoba has a storied history of shorebird research in the Hudson Bay lowlands, but information on significant stopover sites in the midcontinent is more limited. Answering these questions will help ensure that efforts to conserve them will be as effective as possible. While a significant amount of work has been done on shorebirds on the East Coast, and more recently the West Coast, there is fewer data in the prairie regions.

Working together

Over a year ago, the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) began discussions with partner organizations in both Canada and the U.S. to establish a monitoring system as part of the International Shorebird Survey (ISS). This spring, NCC, Manomet, the Manitoba Important Bird Areas Program (IBA), Bird Studies Canada and Environment and Climate Change Canada led an effort to establish a monitoring program in Manitoba. Over the past months, NCC and partners have identified sites to be surveyed and protocols for long-term surveying in ephemeral wetlands, complementing work by the IBA program and numerous volunteers. Survey data collected using ISS methods are used to calculate shorebird population trends, examine the distribution of shorebirds, the routes they use during migration and the locations of the most important stopover sites.

Key information about shorebird conservation was shared at a spring workshop held near Oak Lake. Participants were trained in shorebird identification and survey methods. These methods are currently being piloted in southwestern Manitoba. If successful, the program will eventually expand to other parts of the province and the prairies.

In late July, staff from Bird Studies Canada and the Manitoba Important Bird Area Program trained staff from NCC and volunteers from the IBA Program on Manitoba’s first shorebird surveys at Whitewater Lake near Deloraine, and Oak Lake.

What you can do

Simple, everyday things like cleaning up garbage along wetlands, beaches and shorelines and not allowing your pets to disturb birds while they are resting and foraging can help. If you are a birding enthusiast, consider submitting your data to databases such as eBird so it is available to researchers and conservation organizations. Donating to non-profit organizations working on shorebird conservation is also great way to contribute.

If you are interested in volunteering for future shorebird surveys, contact the Nature Conservancy of Canada or the Manitoba IBA Program.

Learn more

To learn more about shorebirds and the work that is being done in Manitoba, check out these blogs by the Manitoba IBA:
https://importantbirdareasmb.ca/2018/05/31/manitoba-shorebird-conservation-management-and-monitoring-workshop-day-1/
https://importantbirdareasmb.ca/2018/06/07/manitoba-shorebird-conservation-management-and-monitoring-workshop-day-2/
https://importantbirdareasmb.ca/2018/07/31/the-international-shorebird-survey-iss-in-manitoba-an-encouraging-start

this post by Manomet:
https://www.manomet.org/publication/shorebird-conservation-management-and-monitoring-workshop-in-manitoba/

and this link to the International Shorebird Survey
https://www.manomet.org/project/international-shorebird-survey/

About

The Nature Conservancy of Canada is Canada’s leading not-for-profit, private land conservation organization, working to protect our most important natural areas and the species they sustain. Since 1962, NCC and its partners have helped protect 2.8 million acres (more than 1.1 million hectares), coast to coast. We have conserved and protected over 65,000 acres (26,305 hectares) across nine natural areas critical to Manitoba’s biodiversity. To learn more, visit natureconservancy.ca.

The shorebird workshop was funded in part by the Government of Canada’s Natural Areas Program (NACP), a unique public-private partnership led by the Nature Conservancy of Canada, Manomet, and Environment and Climate Change Canada.

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On August 26th, 2018, the Manitoba IBA Program were joined by 20 volunteers to go forthwith and count birds in the North, West and East Shoal Lakes IBA. And what a lovely morning was had by all! Tim Poole summarises a morning of haze, sunshine, and a fair few birds.

Manitoba sunrises can be quite spectacular, and Sunday morning was no different. The drive to Shoal Lakes seemed to offer the ideal conditions for sunrise photography: the mist appeared to hover over the waters and trees; the sky above was perfectly clear and; the sun peaked over the horizon with perfect timing.

It seems I was not the only person to think this, and the below offerings were taken by volunteers out and about on Sunday morning.

 

Well, that was quite some trail of images. I guess anyone still reading by this point will be impressed with: a) the photography skills of our volunteers and; b) the inspiration of a Manitoba Interlake sunrise.

‘BUT WHAT ABOUT THE BIRDS’ I hear you shout. Well, they were pretty great too. After all, Shoal Lakes is a birding spot which rarely disappoints.

We had 20 volunteers turn out Sunday morning in total. Most had attended at least one IBA event previously, but we were also fortunate to have master birder, Rudolf Koes, and Master of Ornithology, Jenny Yoo, join us for their first ever IBA events. We decided with such good numbers to split the IBA into 5 areas, and even add a sixth on the northeastern boundary, looking to see if there were any significant avian gems in this relatively underexplored area. Below is our survey area for the morning.

Each group set out to count as many birds as possible, focusing also on those all important Species At Risk. Here we offer a quick summary from each group.

Group 1 (checklist 1, checklist 2, checklist 3, checklist 4, checklist 5, checklist 6, checklist 7)

Our first group consisted of Jo, Betsy and Sabina. We set them the task of birding the eastern side of the IBA. They began at East Shoal Lake east of Erinview. One of the highlights was a Peregrine Falcon, always a highlight bird on a blitz (usually because it has the effect of putting up every other bird present in the area).

Raptors would feature heavily in most groups over the day, and Cooper’s Hawk was seen relatively frequently.

Of course, waterbirds were going to always be a highlight in a lake system IBA, and here was no different. 150 Western Grebes were counted at East Shoal Lake. A further 44 were spotted on North Shoal Lake from the now accessible PR416 where it turns to the north along the lake shore. Indeed, the shorelines were beginning to recede along the lake, providing habitat for long-legged waders such as the Great Blue Heron and Great Egret. Before lunch, they also managed to find one of the Least Bitterns along the north side of North Shoal Lake – a good thing, as the bird was obviously hunkered down when other groups drove through the area.

Group 2 (checklist 1, checklist 2)

Our southern group consisted of Lewis, Ken, Jock and Chris. This group were tasked with discovering whether there were spots to access the lake from the south, and counting from where the lake can be accessed at the south ends of East and West Shoal Lakes. The group managed to find 39 western Grebes, and 7 species of shorebirds, including Semipalmated – Plover and Sandpiper – and a few Baird’s Sandpiper.

Chris was scribe for the morning and made a couple of interesting observations, comparing what he was seeing with what was noted at Delta Marsh earlier in the month:

‘Just a couple of observations, especially after doing the Delta count two weeks ago. As we mentioned in the car, total blackbird numbers were way down, with no Brewers seen. Also no swallows identified except Barn. There were also a lot of singleton sightings (15 species by a quick count).’

You will see at the end if the observations about low numbers of blackbirds and swallows was the same for other groups, but let’s just say that these comments appear pertinent…

Group 3 (checklist)

The below was written by Lynnea Parker. En route to the start, this group were fortunate to spot a posing Bald Eagle in the early morning sunshine.

‘Group 3 was located on the west side of the three lakes and contained the north half of West Shoal Lake and the northwestern side of East Shoal Lake. Tim Poole was dropped off at the crossing of North and East Shoal Lake to walk across the decommissioned road as part of group 1. After dropping Tim off to fend for himself, Jenny, Katharine and myself (Lynnea) decided to head back south to the beginning of our survey area. We found good numbers of Western Grebe on West Shoal Lake despite their distance and obscurity in the scope. This first stop along the shoreline also provided a good learning opportunity to get reacquainted with the differences between Forester’s Tern and Common Tern. 

At East Shoal Lake, we had very limited access to look for waterbirds. The cattails were very tall and stretched out far into the lake. Despite this, we were able to find a piece of ground just elevated enough to count grebes on the lake with a scope. We were also surprised to hear American Avocets calling from the opposite side of the cattails.

Our most interesting observation of the day however was watching Common Grackles feed on acorns. The birds at first appeared to be Brewer’s Blackbirds, but we realized a short while later that they were actually Grackles which were molting and had rather unusual looking tails. Some birds even had a starling-like profile in flight, with no tail at all! 

We finished off our survey with a fantastic Red-headed Woodpecker that Katharine spotted as we were leaving. We quickly backtracked to the area she had seen it disappear and were able to confirm the sighting. This event was also Jenny’s first time participating in an IBA event, and she did a great job as notetaker and learning the avian 4-letter codes.’

Group Tim (checklist 1, checklist 2)

Look at the map for Group 3, and you will spot points mentioning “DROP TIM’ and ‘PICKUP TIM’. My role in this blitz was to put my life in danger, and walk the flooded PR415 from west to east. This is a route previously walked in blitzes by Christian (for example August 2015, October 2015 and May 2018). In the past, the walk was impressive due to the large number of Sora and Virginia rails scuttling across the road. I had high expectations obviously that these birds would be much obliging on this occasion. The Common Yellowthroat numbers have previously also been impressive along here

Lynnea, Katharine and Jenny dropped me at my start point, and I was immediately impressed by the cacophony of calling songbirds, Western Grebes and corvids. There were two Eastern Wood-Pewee’s calling from the trees – or was it three pewees?Regardless, over a short period, I was able to detect six species of flycatcher (Yellow-bellied, Great-crested, Least, Alder, Eastern Wood-Pewee and Eastern Phoebe), and 11 species of Wood Warbler (American Redstart, Magnolia, Cape May, Blackburnian, Black-and-White, Yellow, Tennessee, Nashville, Palm, Common Yellowthroat and Northern Waterthrush). A Lincoln’s Sparrow was also quickly followed by a Le Conte’s Sparrow.

Onward I trotted. Well, not too far. Being elevated on a track, it was easy to spot the 78 Western Grebes bobbing up and down along the northern shore of East Shoal Lake. Cutting down into the mud, there was space to walk and check for shorebirds along the edge. Lesser and Greater Yellowlegs, Least Sandpiper, and the obligatory Killdeer were present here. A quick check, and with ducks, overhead herons and pelicans, I must have counted around 60 species, and I was not even an hour in. In fact, I probably covered only a few hundred metres that first hour, focusing as it were, on getting closer to the lake.

The shorebird list started to pick up. Pectoral Sandpipers flew overhead. Least Sandpipers were appearing and Semipalmated Plover were spotted distantly feeding on mudbanks in what must have been flooded fields. Pelicans and Caspian Tern also gathered on the shores in small groups. Great Egrets were also regularly popping up, as were the obligatory Bald Eagle and Northern Harrier.

Around the bend, and things would not slow up. eventually, about a mile from the east shoreline of North Shoal Lake, I could make out Western Grebes, both on within the adjacent wetlands, and in the lake itself. Over 150 were present here. A couple of juvenile Blac-crowned Night Heron flush, followed by a duck, and lo and behold, a Least Bittern, a marvelous miniature heron. Stilt Sandpipers also made an appearance south of the road, near an abandoned hut. In fact, the hut may not be completely abandoned as evidenced by quad tracks, and a couple walking their dog.

Eventually I could see my rescuers on the far end of the track, Jo, Betsy and Sabina, and I made my way to safety. Well, I say safety, but to my surprise, the Sora and Virginia Rail numbers were not what I expected, the road being completely dry in all but one slightly muddy spot.

In total I noted 86 species of bird, including 12 species of shorebird. numbers were not significant in any areas, but it is clear to me that if the lake levels continue to drop, the habitat is going to become very VERY suitable for shorebirds.

Finally, a note on the road. This road has been closed since the three Shoal Lakes became one (didn’t the Spice Girls sing a song about this?). Most of the road would be driveable now, if it were not for some small areas of extreme damage. The western end is especially bad, probably due to people attempting to drive on a flooded road. There is also a hole in the road in the east end, which would be impossible for a vehicle to drive over. On the other hand, it is an excellent walk. I wore rubber boots (wellies), and needed them briefly when I left the road, and at one low point, but even then, the water was very shallow.

Group 4 (checklist)

Has any IBA blitz group been as overloaded with very highly regarded birders as this one? Gene Walz (author of ‘Happiness is a Rare Bird), Rudolf Koes, and Peter Taylor (all three were contributors to the ‘Birds of Manitoba’, Rudolf doing the spectacular paintings, and Peter being the editor-in-chief, plus Rudolf and Peter are editors of the Manitoba Breeding Bird Atlas). That’s some team – no pressure guys!

This group counted around the northern end of North Shoal Lake. In total they found 86 species, including 10 species of shorebird. Highlights included 47 Semipalmated Plover, and 58 Killdeer. They also found 5 Red-headed Woodpecker.

Group 5 (checklist 1, checklist 2)

A couple of years ago, we designed an IBA extension to take in an area north of North Shoal Lake around Lindal’s Lake. this area was covered by Garry, John W and John H.

This group also managed to find a fair few Red-headed Woodpecker, a total of 9 including 5 juveniles. Another Species-at-risk recorded was the Bobolink, the group finding 4 in total.

Another treat was the group of 12 Trumpeter Swans, a species which is a great success story having once been extirpated from our province.

Group 6 (checklist)

Bonnie, Pat and Dave were our final group, and we set them a task of looking for birds around Dennis Lake, north of Inwood, and outside the IBA boundary. This was an interesting section, very little in the way of waterbirds, but with a fair few Red-headed Woodpeckers, at least 6 in total. Sharp-shinned Hawk was another highlight. There appeared to be good numbers of Barn Swallows, over 200 in fact, and even a couple of Brown Thrasher.

Thanks!

Before heading to the results section, thank you to everyone, Jo, Betsy, Sabina, Chris, Jock, Ken, Lewis, Katharine, Jenny, Lynnea, Rudolf, Peter, Gene, Garry, John W, John H, Pat, Dave, and Bonnie. Thank you especially to the anonymous donor who paid for lunch for everyone at Rosie’s in Inwood, and our other supporters, including Environment and Climate Change Canada, Manitoba Fish and WIldlife Enhancement Fund, TD Friends of the Environment Foundation, and Noventis Credit Union.

Results

A total of 152 species and 7,868 individuals was  impressive. This included 15 species of shorebird. The most abundant species was the Barn Swallow, with 994 individuals counted, and followed by western Grebe, a very tidy 900 individuals. Least Bittern were spotted on two occasions.

Red-headed Woodpecker – Before posting the total number of birds, we thought it would be good to show a map of the distribution of Red-headed Woodpeckers. 18 were recorded in the IBA, and this would equate to a trigger under the national criteria. We also counted 7 outside the IBA boundary, to give a total of 25.

Canada Goose	440
Trumpeter Swan	12
Wood Duck	13
Blue-winged Teal	441
Northern Shoveler	29
Gadwall	63
American Wigeon	1
Mallard	546
Northern Pintail	6
Green-winged Teal	26
dabbling duck sp.	150
Canvasback	52
Redhead	13
Ring-necked Duck	21
Lesser Scaup	5
Bufflehead	1
Common Goldeneye	8
Hooded Merganser	13
Ruddy Duck	27
duck sp.	128
Pied-billed Grebe	51
Red-necked Grebe	3
Eared Grebe	2
Western Grebe	900
Rock Pigeon	12
Mourning Dove	31
Ruby-throated Hummingbird	1
Virginia Rail	1
Sora	5
American Coot	220
Sandhill Crane	38
American Avocet	9
Semipalmated Plover	59
Killdeer	84
Stilt Sandpiper	20
Baird’s Sandpiper	13
Least Sandpiper	98
Pectoral Sandpiper	34
Semipalmated Sandpiper	13
peep sp.	41
Long-billed Dowitcher	1
Short-billed/Long-billed Dowitcher	6
Wilson’s Snipe	23
Spotted Sandpiper	3
Solitary Sandpiper	12
Greater Yellowlegs	62
Willet	2
Lesser Yellowlegs	87
Greater/Lesser Yellowlegs	23
shorebird sp.	30
Bonaparte’s Gull	22
Franklin’s Gull	10
Ring-billed Gull	113
Herring Gull	4
gull sp.	113
Caspian Tern	11
Common Tern	3
Forster’s Tern	16
Common Loon	1
Double-crested Cormorant	40
American White Pelican	480
American Bittern	4
Least Bittern	2
Great Blue Heron	13
Great Egret	64
white egret sp.	1
Black-crowned Night-Heron	6
Turkey Vulture	8
Northern Harrier	16
Sharp-shinned Hawk	2
Cooper’s Hawk	7
Bald Eagle	28
Red-tailed Hawk	51
Belted Kingfisher	12
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker	21
Red-headed Woodpecker	25
Downy Woodpecker	9
Hairy Woodpecker	13
Pileated Woodpecker	1
Northern Flicker	16
woodpecker sp.	1
American Kestrel	26
Merlin	9
Peregrine Falcon	1
Eastern Wood-Pewee	9
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher	1
Alder Flycatcher	1
Least Flycatcher	21
Empidonax sp.	1
Eastern Phoebe	8
Great Crested Flycatcher	6
Western Kingbird	1
Eastern Kingbird	24
Warbling Vireo	28
Red-eyed Vireo	5
Blue Jay	29
Black-billed Magpie	60
American Crow	108
Common Raven	52
Purple Martin	5
Tree Swallow	12
Bank Swallow	2
Barn Swallow	994
swallow sp.	55
Black-capped Chickadee	19
Red-breasted Nuthatch	4
White-breasted Nuthatch	7
House Wren	7
Sedge Wren	26
Marsh Wren	139
Eastern Bluebird	13
Swainson’s Thrush	2
American Robin	60
Gray Catbird	45
Brown Thrasher	6
European Starling	251
Cedar Waxwing	70
House Finch	1
Purple Finch	1
American Goldfinch	86
Chipping Sparrow	13
Clay-colored Sparrow	39
White-throated Sparrow	5
LeConte’s Sparrow	1
Savannah Sparrow	14
Song Sparrow	47
Lincoln’s Sparrow	2
Swamp Sparrow	9
sparrow sp.	13
Yellow-headed Blackbird	42
Bobolink	5
Western Meadowlark	14
Baltimore Oriole	1
Red-winged Blackbird	100
Brewer’s Blackbird	33
Common Grackle	126
blackbird sp.	52
Northern Waterthrush	9
Black-and-white Warbler	5
Tennessee Warbler	6
Nashville Warbler	7
Common Yellowthroat	64
American Redstart	4
Cape May Warbler	1
Magnolia Warbler	1
Blackburnian Warbler	1
Yellow Warbler	11
Blackpoll Warbler	1
Palm Warbler	7
Yellow-rumped Warbler	4
Rose-breasted Grosbeak	2
House Sparrow	42

 

 

 

 

What a site, what a moment. The sky is alive with shorebirds – hundreds, thousands! As a birdwatcher, it is moments like this that you wait for, and moments like this that make shorebirds such an appealing and wonderful group of birds.

This is our second ISS report for fall migration, 2018. A quick reminder first. Manitoba IBA are working with Manomet, Bird Studies Canada, NCC and Environment and Climate Change Canada to establish the International Shorebird Survey (ISS) in Manitoba. In July, Manitoba’s first ISS surveys were carried out at Whitewater Lake and Oak Lake (a detailed report, with full results and photos, can be viewed here). These surveys were carried out successfully, although Whitewater was notably more productive than Oak Lake in terms of shorebird numbers (Plum Lakes were overflowing, likely due to drainage outside of Manitoba). The most impressive numbers of shorebirds at Whitewater back in late July pertained to both dowitcher species, notably, and surprisingly, Long-billed Dowitcher, a species more commonly associated with late fall in Manitoba.

On Thursday, August 22nd, Lynnea Parker and I (Tim Poole), left Winnipeg early morning, before the sun had risen and the birds were chipping (it being fall of course birds tend to chip more than sing). A quick detour to collect some forgotten binoculars and check the check engine light, and we were off. Highway number 2 was fairly quiet, just a few Red-tailed Hawks, and the occasional mass gathering flocks of pre-migratory blackbirds to keep us company.

Arriving at Whitewater Lake, we decided to begin with the eastern ISS route. This meant we would not have the sun low directly behind any birds when we eventually arrived in the west. The eastern route is based in the northeastern corner of the IBA (see map below). In July, we ran out of time to look at the hatched area referred to as WWL_E3 below, but we made time on this occasion.

Stop 1, and there were fewer birds than last time. A possible sign of what was to come? Sharp-tailed grouse were feeding on the grass near the edge of the water, and a couple of Bald Eagles were  standing on the ground at the waters edge. Interestingly, the shorebirds appeared to pay little attention to the eagles on the ground. I suspect they would have been a lot less relaxed if the eagle was in the air! Water levels appeared, if my memory is correct, to have receded since July.

We had good numbers of shorebirds, but nothing spectacular. The most interesting count was of 66 Black-bellied Plover, feeding in the grasslands at the edge of the water. 174 Least Sandpipers was the highest total of any species. There were also 78 American Avocet, a sharp drop from over 400 in July. There were also a 22 Marbled Godwit.

Onto transect 2, and a Semipalmated Sandpiper managed to get itself caught on the road ahead. The wetlands appeared if anything, even drier than the sparse state encountered in July, the road was bone dry, and a poor sandpiper did not know where to go! This was the only shorebird on this transect – and it did eventually move off the road. We decided we would do the entire transect 3. Before heading west to the start of the transect, Lynnea spotted an American Bittern, and then even better, she spotted a group of juvenile Black-crowned Night Herons!

As the designated drive, Lynnea took her life in her own hands, and decided to drive her truck down the overgrown track, marked as the cross hatch on the map above. I thought better of it, and walked in front, the road looking somewhat disastrous in my eyes. In fact, we would need the truck for monitoring purposes, for reasons which will imminently become clearer.

Smaller flocks of peeps were darting around our heads as we made our way along the track. A large muddy field on the south side of the track did not look promising – until inspecting a shrinking pool of water a bit closer. At least 400 shorebirds were mingling out here, including Black-bellied Plover, Semipalmated Plovers (at least 80), and plenty of smaller sandpipers. A couple of Buff-breasted Sandpiper were also foraging in the sparse grass, although the strong sun and distance made identification a challenge. Eventually, we teased out that the flock was dominated by Least Sandpipers, with a few scattered Baird’s and Semipalmated Sandpipers.

While counting these birds, my eyes kept straying north and west, being pulled over by a mass of birds flying around. Thousands of shorebirds seemed to be flocking together, a wish to be counted evident in their continuous straining for our attention. This would be a challenge. We finished up on the south, and Lynnea edged the truck forward, hoping to avoid getting stuck in one of the many holes. A warning to anyone wishing to do ISS, or any birding here, the track is rough, very overgrown, and full of deep holes, so please be careful if you walk or drive.

The truck was very helpful though, one might even say, critical. It allowed us to watch the shorebirds from an elevated height, standing on the bed to look over the tall cattails. Sizeable flocks of smaller sandpipers, dominated by Semipalmated Sandpipers was our reward to getting up higher and scoping across. Given an estimated of 80% of this species, and an estimated flock size of over 4,000, we had a total area count of 3,290 Semipalmated Sandpipers. There were also Least’s and Baird’s Sandpipers in small, but still reasonably good numbers.

A large flock of Franklin’s Gulls would flush and seemingly ‘dance’ with the flocking shorebirds, neither mixing, but both together, like oil and water.

I pulled out three Buff-breasted Sandpiper, and tried to point them out to Lynnea. This would turn out to be a lifer for her. She found four – even better. When I asked her where her ‘buffies’ were, she pointed to the left of my three. When the entire surrounding flock of peeps took off, we were left with seven, yes SEVEN Buff-breasted Sandpipers. It was a remarkable support of our counting, given we had picked them out from the hundreds of other sandpipers!

By my count, there were several thousand shorebirds along the shore, too distant to identify, apart from a flock of at least 100 Pectoral Sandpiper which flushed at an opportune moment, and at least 50 Marbled Godwit in the water. There were also some Canada Geese, and various distant ducks and waterbirds.

Lynnea executed a thirty point turn, and we were back on the main gravel road soon enough. The last mile of the transect being pretty much birdless. We headed over to the west, stopping briefly at Sexton’s for an extra ISS point. Here we saw little in the way of shorebirds, a Spotted Sandpiper, Killdeer and yellowlegs alone. We then drove to our western ISS start (map below).

By my estimate, water levels have been dropping all summer, and still are. There was very little water left in many ephemeral wetlands, to the extent that shorebirds numbers were much thinner on the ground. We were able, for the most part, to drive through much of this route quickly, checking where there was water for shorebirds, but seeing relatively few. Our total number of dowitchers for example, would total just over 2% of the total we counted in July. These species appeared to have moved on already.

The lake water levels on the third transect were intriguing, with a line of ‘beach’ beginning to develop in areas which, just two years ago, were under water. Away from the lake, there were no shorebird spots. There was a nice coyote though!

Lynnea was introduced on our drive back to Boissevain to the glories of swallows in fall! Tree’s, Bank’s and Cliff’s were dispersed all over the road. Not as many were present as in July, but it was still pretty impressive. You can view three of her photos below.

 

 

Here are the round 1 and 2 totals for ISS at Whitewater Lake:

Species Name	July Visit	August Visit
Black-bellied Plover	—	68
Semipalmated Plover	39	80
Killdeer	68	41
Upland Sandpiper	1	—
Hudsonian Godwit	1	—
Marbled Godwit	82	72
Stilt Sandpiper	23	—
Baird’s Sandpiper	28	255
Least Sandpiper	40	989
Buff-breasted Sandpiper	16	9
Pectoral Sandpiper	139	143
Semipalmated Sandpiper	5	3,302
peep sp.	—	2,023
Short-billed Dowitcher	533	—
Long-billed Dowitcher	1,440	2
Short-billed/Long-billed Dowitcher	970	66
Wilson’s Phalarope	234	1
Red-necked Phalarope	2	1
Spotted Sandpiper	6	1
Solitary Sandpiper	1	—
Greater Yellowlegs	27	61
Willet	6	12
Lesser Yellowlegs	237	116
shorebird sp.	1	865

We hope to get the Oak Lake ISS completed for a second time by the end of this week, and then we are determined to get the third visit completed by mid-September. If you are interested in helping out, please let us know – email iba@naturemanitoba.ca.

 

On August 16^th 24 volunteers came out to the Riverton Sandy Bar IBA to help clear invasive vegetation from this bird sanctuary, jutting out into Lake Winnipeg. The presence of vegetation on this sand bar has reduced habitat quality over the past 10 years for shorebirds, gulls, and pelicans. In previous years many colonial species had used the IBA for nesting and foraging. In fact, the IBA was originally designated primarily with Piping Plover, a federally and provincially Endangered species, in mind. The annual weed pull events, which were initiated by Joanne Smith in 2016, are geared towards habitat restoration through the manual removal of vegetation (2016 post, 2017 August post, 2017 September post). Our hope is that birds will return to the sand bar to nest, with special considerations for the Piping Plover. An article was written about this event in the Express Weekly News. If you would like to read it, select the August 23rd, 2018 issue and flip to page 3.

On the morning of the 16^th, Sabina and myself (Lynnea) (Representatives from the IBA program) drove to Sandy Bar beach from Winnipeg. We were both shocked by how smoky the sky was as we approached Gimli, which had been cast in an dark yellow haze from forest fires in British Columbia (reminded me of a post-apocalyptic movie!). The smoke in Winnipeg had been much less pronounced. By the time we arrived in Riverton the air quality had improved considerably, but the smoke did remain over the whole region. On a more positive note, the smoke likely played a role in lowering the overall day-time temperatures. It turned out to be a great day for such an event, with a mild wind and roughly 20 degrees.

At 9:00am we had muffins and donuts at the parking lot for a meet and greet before dividing up all the supplies to be carried out to the Sandy Bar (the IBA program will remember to add coffee to the order next time! Sorry folks). The area we were going to be working was approximately a 1-kilometer walk along the shoreline from the parking lot. I was very appreciative of everyone’s willingness to divvy up and help carry gloves, bags, drinks, and snacks.

When we reached our working location, it was easy to see which areas had been covered in 2017, and which had not. Areas not covered were densely vegetated with little to no open sand. Volunteers started off the morning by going over the areas covered last year to remove any additional plants that were missed or had become re-established. From there we worked outward, expanding the section of open sand bar as much as we could.

I think it is safe to say that our restoration efforts are paying off, and I am eager to see which species of birds will start to re-colonize the area. Because these weed pull events are both popular and successful, the IBA program is hoping to organize another event this fall with Joanne.

Thank you everyone for coming out and helping restore endangered species habitat here in Manitoba!

For those of you interested in the bird list for the day, please see this checklist on ebird! A total of 33 species were seen, including 8 shorebirds (Black-bellied Plover, Semipalmated Plover, Least Sandpiper, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Red-necked Phalarope, Spotted Sandpiper, Solitary Sandpiper, and Greater Yellowlegs).

Thank you to the 24 willing volunteer for coming along, including the Thor and the volunteers from the town of Riverton, Nature Manitoba members, and the excellent East Interlake Conservation District. Of course, one person deserves special mention – Joanne, our leader and instigator in chief! Thank you also to our various funders, including Environment and Climate Change Canada, Manitoba Fish and Wildlife Enhancement Fund, TD Friends of the Environment Foundation, and Noventis Credit Union.

We will return!