Following the early August blitz at Whitewater Lake, we decided to give it another go and see what else we might turn out in this critically important area on Sunday August 27th. Manitoba IBA Coordinator, Tim Poole gives an overview of proceedings.

For most bird species, a good look in the scope is enough for a successful identification. However the fall can leave even the best birders sometimes scratching their head. Fall warblers and vireos can be taxing for most but there are always little giveaways to help bring about a successful identification. Sharp-shinned versus Cooper’s Hawk can keep a whole group on Facebook debating for days.

Shorebirds can also be tough in fall. In most cases, there are telling features which help us to get the correct species in the end. In the case of the dowitchers though these features are often difficult to draw out as they gather in ‘large carpets’ of birds. The adult plumage in fall becomes very worn and given these shorebirds can flock in groups of several thousand, they can seem almost indistinguishable between two species, Long-billed Dowitcher and Short-billed Dowitcher.

This is a typical image of dowitcher flocks experienced at Whitewater Lake. Large carpets of birds feeding or roosting together can be notoriously hard to identify. Copyright Christian Artuso

Zoom in on the above – and still difficult even with a scope. Copyright Christian Artuso

Now, these are two distinct species and there has been considerable work done on advancing our knowledge of the key identification differences between these two species. There is an excellent pdf and summary of a talk on exactly this matter on the Surfbird website.

Another resource made available by Christian Artuso is this table outlining the physical differences between the two species. Dowitchers comparison

Interesting enough, juvenile birds in fall tend to be easier to identify in the field than the worn-looking adults. This is due to distinctive differences in the tertials (the innermost secondary wing feathers) which are prominent on the rear of the bird when stationary on the ground. The tertials of the Short-billed juvenile has orange bars, whereas the Lon-billed juvenile has grey tertials with rusty edges.

A comparison of tertials on juvenile Short and Long-billed Dowitchers. Photos are copyright of Christian Artuso

In reality the best way to count these large flocks is by ear. The Short-billed Dowitcher call is a lower pitched kewtutu  and the Long-billed Dowitcher is a higher pitched, sharp series of kik-kik-kik. However in a flock of 2000 dowitchers, one call from one Short-billed Dowitcher is not going to be enough to allow you to identify the entire flock. So we need some help!

Large flock of shorebirds. Ironically if these were dowitchers they would suddenly become easier to identify than if they were standing around in a carpet. Copyright Christian Artuso

Thank goodness then for birds of prey! Fall is also the time for large numbers of raptors to visit and Sunday was no different. For example, in the northwest corner and along the south of the lake, Peregrine Falcons flushed flocks of dowitchers. It was Bald Eagles and Northern Harriers doing this duty along the northern edge of the lake. In one case, over 2000 Long-billed Dowitcher were flushed by an eagle, giving Eric, Louise and myself a single count of this species where previously it was difficult to distinguish between individuals in a carpet of birds.

Two Peregrine Falcons resting following a flyby on flocks of shorebirds at 128W. Copyright Christian Artuso

This ultimately led to a total of 2,196 Long-billed Dowitcher, 350 Short-billed Dowitcher and 3357 unidentified dowitcher species, just going to show that most flocks were just not calling enough to identify. The long-billed figure will actually trigger the 1% global concentration on the IBA tables in future – another new species for Whitewater!

As for the remainder of the blitz we had 19 volunteers out around the IBA in 5 groups. Each group was given a section to complete, recording every individual bird within this area in the allotted time.

Group 1 consisted of Eric Smith, Louise Buelow-Smith and myself. Our challenge was to get into some of the corners around 19N and 121W and then see if we could access some of the other road allowances. Our early Peregrine and large flock of dowitchers was a precursor of things to come. A large flock of 28 Cattle Egret was a surprise on 19N. Cattle Egret is another which has become a more recent breeding species for Manitoba and is even now spreading out towards Oak Lake, much like the White-faced Ibis. It is though still known as a Whitewater specialty.

Cattle Egert in a pasture at Whitewater Lake. Copyright Tim Poole

Another species of note in this section was the American Avocet. Three large groups were located with a count of 1,795 in total in this one section. Not bad for late August! The northeast is an interesting section, much of it, including the old WMA now inaccessible due to the high lake levels.

Tractor pumping water from right (the drainage ditch) to the left (the lake). Copyright Tim Poole

Group 2 was Lewis Cocks, Ken Simonite, Wally Jansen and Robb Nickel. They covered an area in the southeast up to the main mound. Highlights included a lifer Baird’s Sandpiper for Ken.

Another High Arctic migrant, the Baird’s Sandpiper. Note the brown plumage, a point of difference with the White-rumped Sandpiper. Photo copyright Christian Artuso

They also counted 2 Snowy Egret, another specialty for Whitewater, contributing to a total of 63 species.

In the southeast, Christian Artuso, John Hays and Patricia Rosa spent much of their time on foot around 128W. This area of Whitewater seems to contain phenomenal numbers of birds including 1,000 Northern Pintail, 4,100 Mallard, 1,675 Western Grebe, 703 Double-crested Cormorant, 603 American Coot, 350 Eared Grebe and 420 Black Tern.

Semipalmated Sandpiper, Least Sandpiper, Baird’s Sandpiper and American Avocet. Copyright Christian Artuso

Shorebird totals were very impressive. 83 Baird’s Sandpiper, 187 Least Sandpiper, 830 Semipalmated Sandpiper, 325 Short-billed Dowitcher, 125 Long-billed Dowitcher and 32 American Golden Plover. There were 18 species of shorebird in total. Rarer both here and elsewhere is the Buff-breasted Sandpiper. This High Arctic species is listed as Near Threatened by IUCN and winters in the pampas of South America. In common with its open winter and breeding habitats, on migration this is a species often found in short open vegetation – the most well known spot in Manitoba currently are the sod fields north of Oak Hammock Marsh and earlier this August at Riverton Sandy Bar. Unlike other North American shorebirds, the Buff-breasted Sandpiper uses a lek system of mating where males defend small display territories. Females select a mate and then nest and raise their brood elsewhere.

The gentle looking Buff-breasted Sandpiper (third photo with Least Sandpiper). All photos copyright Christian Artuso.

In group 4 we had Dave and Pat Wally. They counted 111 Snow Geese, huge numbers of Bank Swallows (although Tree Swallow appeared more numerous overall this time). They also counted a couple of Black-bellied Plover but this area did not turn up the large numbers of shorebirds that it did in the spring – it did not in early August either. However, there are tall cattails which may be blocking the view of our volunteers in this part of the lake. American Bittern was another species encountered. Margaret and Joan from Pierson and Lyleton arrived later but still had fun birding and joined us for lunch.

Yes we can see you – American Bittern. Copyright Tim Poole

Finally Glennis Lewis, Jen and Anna Wasko monitored the northwest. 6 year old Anna moved on from counting Northern Shovellers and took to counting the numerous American Coots – 517 in total. 116 Western Grebes were counted around Sexton’s Island – adding to another huge total. Shorebirds were very thin on the ground, the ephemeral wetlands were dried out and the best places were along the lake shore which is not always accessible.

Western Grebe’s are present in huge numbers still at Whitewater. Copyright Tim Poole

We will publish a full summary of both the 6th and 27th August blitzes but here is the total for the blitz. Large totals to highlight were 5,507 Mallard, 1,846 Northern Pintail, 2,050 Western Grebe, 4,140 American Coot, 1,938 American Avocet, 892 Semipalmated Sandpiper, 2,196 Long-billed Dowitcher, 4,381 Tree Swallow, 1,423 Bank Swallow and 768 Yellow-headed Blackbird.

by Patricia Rosa & Tim Poole

Over the course of the summer, we’ve had the pleasure to attend fairs and festivals near Important Bird Areas all over Manitoba. This gave us the opportunity to promote Manitoba’s IBAs, but also to discuss some of Nature Manitoba’s other programs with local communities, including grassland bird and Chimney Swift initiatives.

These events also gave us insight into pertinent observations made in these areas, hear out concerns regarding particular issues affecting local landowners, and sometimes simply allow us to help identify birds seen in backyards or explain peculiar bird behaviours.

We would like to say a special thanks to the individuals that facilitated our participation and graciously welcomed us to join in on the fun at these events!

Our first port of call was the La Riviere Raptor Festival. Tim made his now annual trip down to the Pembina Valley to this event celebrating the wonderful raptor migration each year. The festival is organised by Evelyn Janzen and Paul Goosen and the folks at A Rocha Pembina Valley. Unfortunately the day was beset by poor weather but many still came to see a Bald Eagle being released from rehab and various talks from our very own Christian Artuso.

Kris Antonius and Mike Berg from DIY Homesteaders not only extended a complimentary market table to connect with fest-goers, but also gave Tim the opportunity to do a birding/IBA workshop for a great group of kids in the DIY Kids’ Area. Unfortunately the original intention was to take the kids on a walk around the festival grounds where Barn Swallows swooped, catbirds meewed, and warblers, well warbled, but Mother Nature was not in the mood for cooperating. Instead the kids got to see a Chimney Swift nest, play a game of guess the singer and learn about what makes birds so great. The attendees were mainly small landowners, knowledgeable and interested to hear about our programs.

Nicole Kyle from Turtle Mountain (Boissevain) Fair facilitated our participation to this event. I had a great view of the rink! As an added bonus, there were Horned Lark singing and flying around all day.

Turtle Mountain (Boissevain) Fair: Ponies, Clydesdales, and birds ©Patricia Rosa

Sabrina Dean coordinated our involvement at the Oak Lake Fair. The fair kicked off with a parade through the town. Although they had a bit of a scare the previous evening due to strong winds and weather warnings, it was a beautiful day and fair attendees were eager to chat with me about birds!

Oak Lake Fair kicks off with a parade ©Patricia Rosa

Dale McKay from Portage La Prairie Potato Festival welcomed us to join in on the festivities! I had the best seat in the house and got to connect with many bird-wise spud-thusiasts.

View from the booth at PotatoFest ©Patricia Rosa

Thanks again to all of these amazing people and we cannot wait for next year’s Grand Fair & Festival Summer Tour! 

In 2016, IBA Caretaker for MB91 Riverton Sandy Bar, Joanne Smith, instigated our first ever IBA habitat work party, pulling weeds for plovers (see here, here and here). Earlier this month Joanne and a number of volunteers came back for round 2. Here Joanne gives her take on the days activities.

Volunteers making their way to the start of the weed pulling area. Copyright Joanne Smith

Hmm, the phrase “weed at the bar,” may conjure up some odd, possibly illegal, images, but August 17th was all about pulling invasive sweet clover and burdock at Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) Riverton Sandy Bar. In fact, 36 volunteers filled 66 bags of the stuff, with the hopes of creating a habitat more appealing to the Endangered Piping Plover. The last time Sandy Bar had nesting Piping Plover was in 2004. With two pairs being seen elsewhere in Manitoba this summer, there is always a possibility that Piping Plovers may once again make an appearance at Sandy Bar IBA MB091. Having annual groups pull invasive sweet clover and other weeds that are choking out the sandbar will hopefully further this cause.

Hoards of people moving across the car. Copyright Patricia Rosa

On Thursday August 17th, residents from such Interlake communities as Riverton, Arborg, Hnausa and Hodgson; volunteers from Winnipeg; and staff from the East Interlake Conservation District, Manitoba Sustainable Development, Nature Manitoba and Bird Studies Canada met at the Sandy Bar parking area at 9:00 am to participate in this work-bee organised by the Manitoba IBA program. Coffee, donuts and muffins were shared while introductions were given. Water was handed out, sun-screen splashed on, and then the real work began.

No sweat, although this photo was taken before anyone had pulled a single weed. Pretty much everyone is here. Copyright Dries Desender

The fifteen-minute walk to the sand bar was followed by hours of weed pulling. Larger, older sweet clover, new young plants, burdock and even young willow were pulled up and carefully bagged. The Piping Plover prefers an open sandy/pebble area with little or no vegetation so the goal was to pull the weeds up from the roots to try to prevent them from taking over the sandbar. This year was ‘reinforcement” following last year’s weed pull and the encouraging results we saw with the areas cleared in 2016 remaining relatively open sand.

A selection of photos of people in action. Copyright for all to Joanne Smith

On September 30^th, 2016, we were delighted to have 14 people share in the weed-pulling activity, so having 36 volunteers this year was above and beyond our hopes. Not only did we learn about Piping Plovers and the habitat that they prefer, we had individuals from different areas of expertise who shared information on the different bird species seen and heard, as well as the importance of Riverton Sandy Bar, designated as both an IBA and a Special Conservation Area.

Maybe next year we will get Rona to pay for all the free advertising! Bags and bags and bags of weeds. Copyright Joanne Smith

While the goal of the event was to pull invasive sweet clover, there were numerous sightings of birds. Along with the local summer nesting birds such as Sora, Song Sparrow, Red-winged Blackbird, Yellow Warbler, Marsh Wren, Bald Eagle and Herring Gull, there was an appearance by a Great Blue Heron and shorebird species such as American Golden Plover, Black-bellied Plover, Semipalmated Plover, Baird’s Sandpiper, Pectoral Sandpiper, Least Sandpiper, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Spotted Sandpiper, Sanderling and both Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs. Many of these migratory shorebirds are benefiting from the weed pulling activity because it gives them safe, open foraging areas as well as potential roost sites.

Black-bellied plovers on the open sand. As pointed out above, this type of species would avoid dense vegetation.  Copyright Joanne Smith

Any guesses for the number of Least and Semipalmated sandpiper in this photo? Answers to iba@naturemanitoba.ca. Copyright Joanne Smith

Ring billed, Herring, and Franklins Gulls,  Caspian, Common, and Forster’s Terns and Black-bellied Plovers. Copyright Joanne Smith

Another invasive species that cannot be rid so easily, the zebra mussels are increasingly prevalent on Lake Winnipeg’s beaches. These seem to be spelling out a ‘z’, backwards though. Copyright Joanne Smith

Busy weed puller on the go. Copyright Dries Desender

While pulling weeds in sunny 26°C temperatures was a little tiring, the event was a great success. Filling 66 bags of weeds, seeing numerous bird species and having local residents as well as individuals from various groups all come together to help create a more suitable habitat for Piping Plover was well worth the miles traveled and the effort expended.

There will be more follow-up too, because it will take several more years of effort to “get ahead” of the sweet clover and we are determined to make a difference. So stay tuned to the Manitoba IBA webpage or blog (https://importantbirdareasmb.ca/) and join the fun of our annual “weed at the bar” event!

A glimpse of the full yard waste bags. Copyright Dries Desender

Here is the most important thing, the days full bird list:

Canada Goose  125
Green-winged Teal  18
Common Goldeneye  5
American White Pelican  2
Great Blue Heron  1
Northern Harrier  1
Bald Eagle  2
Sora  1
Black-bellied Plover  6
American Golden-Plover  1
Semipalmated Plover  2
Killdeer  1
Sanderling  3
Baird’s Sandpiper  1
Least Sandpiper  8
Pectoral Sandpiper  1
Semipalmated Sandpiper  7
Spotted Sandpiper  2
Greater Yellowlegs  2
Lesser Yellowlegs  5
Franklin’s Gull  4
Ring-billed Gull  33
Herring Gull  26
Caspian Tern  6
Common Tern  9
Forster’s Tern  7
Common Raven  4
Barn Swallow  6
Marsh Wren  3
Yellow Warbler  7
Song Sparrow  2
Yellow-headed Blackbird  1
Red-winged Blackbird  28

From a Manitoba IBA Program perspective, we are obviously extremely grateful to everyone for turning up to help with special thanks to Christian and Patricia for bringing along refreshments and equipment, Thor for getting together a large group of local volunteers, East Interlake Conservation District, Manitoba Sustainable Development, Bird Studies Canada and Nature Manitoba for their support! However we cannot get by without a special note of thanks to Joanne for her amazing dedication in bringing this together. We will be back because this is a project worth pursuing!

by Patricia Rosa

On a stormy Tuesday morning, Tim and I ventured out to the North, West & East Shoal Lakes IBA (MB038). Since our plans in another IBA fell through, we decided to direct our efforts towards the Interlake region in hopes of spotting Red-headed Woodpecker and Least Bittern. Despite the less than ideal weather, we saw a “good number of pelicans”, “okay number of herons”, and were surprised at the “lack of ducks” (Tim Poole, pers. comm.).

We were off to a great start as the rain (thankfully) subsided once we arrived to the IBA and were greeted by a Great Egret near the side of the road.

Great Egret ©Patricia Rosa

East Shoal Lake was buzzing! We encountered an agitated male Bobolink and were soon able to see the source of all the excitement. A nearby female seemed to be the target audience of this one-man show. Unfortunately, another male showed up (left) and although our performer (right) was definitely more motivated than his rival, she remained close to the cool and collected male, and sure enough, they ended up flying off together!

Agitated male Bobolink attempting to impress the female ©Patricia Rosa

Two male and one female Bobolink ©Patricia Rosa

In the field beyond where the BOBO-show was taking place, we got a peek at Sandhill Crane and Great Blue Heron. On the water, we saw lots of Western Grebe, including this brave one carrying young on its back in rough waters. Although getting this grainy shot induced quite a bit of nausea, I was rather proud to have out-photoed Tim on this one (Patricia 1, Tim 0)!

Great Blue Heron ©Patricia Rosa

Grainy images of Western Grebe carrying young on back. ©Patricia Rosa

The strong winds allowed us to witness and admire the prowess of the Black Tern.

Black Tern in action. ©Patricia Rosa

When we came around to suitable Red-headed Woodpecker habitat (e.g. open understorey, standing deadwood, often with cattle grazing), we almost immediately saw two individuals. After several minutes, a bold one flew directly towards us! We had our cameras ready but were too frazzled/excited to get a good picture of it in-flight and both ended up with blurry background pictures (Patricia 0, Tim 0). However, he did stick around and proceeded to pose for us around his habitat!

Red-headed Woodpecker ©Patricia Rosa

My biggest disappointment of the day was failing to get an identifiable shot of a Red-necked Grebe. While I struggled, Tim effortlessly took a great picture (Patricia 0, Tim 1).

©Tim Poole

©Patricia Rosa

Last but not least, we saw a Least Bittern flush while scanning appropriate habitat. Although we were ready and hoping to see one, both Tim and I missed our shot despite getting a good long look (Patricia 0, Tim 0).

Towards the end of our survey, the wind started picking up and the skies started rumbling once again, and so, we headed back to Winnipeg (Final tally: Patricia 1, Tim 1).

Check out the highlights of our brief survey in this IBA and our total count!

On July 9th, a group of people descended on the relatively unknown Kinosota-Leifur Important Bird Area from as far afield as Portage la Prairie, Winnipeg, Birds Hill and Brandon. Our goal was to locate and count the globally Near Threatened Red-headed Woodpecker, a Species At Risk and a stunning species to observe and enjoy.

The IBA at Kinosota-Leifur was the brainchild of Harry Harris who once worked at the Alonsa Conservation District. It was Harry who put together the IBA information and had estimated that at least 50 pairs were present in this area. Since 1995 though, apart from some atlassing, no one had, as far as we know, tried to do a comprehensive count of this species in this area.

There is still evidence of previous efforts to conserve the Red-headed Woodpecker. Copyright Tim Poole

Red-headed Woodpeckers are a species with an interesting habitat preference. They prefer open stands of aspen with plenty of deadwood and snags for cavities. The vegetation must be short and lack dense shrubs, hence they are often present in open woodlots with cattle or horses. The dead trees must all be fairly large, around 25cm diameter at chest height (the technical term is DBH or Diameter at Breast Height).

Typical Red-headed Woodpecker habitat in the IBA. Copyright Sabina Mastrolonardo

This is a migratory species in Manitoba, wintering in the United States and returning to breed in deciduous woodlands in the centre of the continent in spring. There are also resident breeding populations in southeastern USA and southern Ontario.

Data from Breeding Bird Surveys suggest that this species has suffered a marked decline of over 65.5% in a 40 year period. According to Birdlife International, this species decline is due to:

‘Habitat degradation, as a result of the removal of dead trees and branches in urban areas (Pulich 1988), and loss of nesting habitat to firewood cutting, clear cutting, agricultural development and river channelling in rural areas (Ehrlich et al. 1992, Melcher 1998).’

As to the blitz, we really did not know what to expect. An article placed in the Neepawa Banner in the days before had managed to drum  up some interest, mainly from people form the wider area letting us know where Red-headed Woodpeckers might be discovered. We had developed a protocol which included periods of listening and playback for woodpeckers and hoped this would be sufficient even as we stepped into the unknown.

Twelve volunteers embarked on this exploration and we split into 4 groups. The search areas were split into a core area, highlighted in red and an extension area which took in areas to the west of the main highway. This second area turned out to be much wetter than expected and it was to the core area we would focus.

In the north, around Kinosota itself we had a team of Louanne, Margaret, Millie and Bill. This group turned out to be the group with the least luck – not a single Red-headed Woodpecker around Kinosota strangely. They did find some suitable habitat – one spot was especially good. On a positive note, they did get two Pileated Woodpecker, always a cracking species to find. Even more remarkable was an overhead White-faced Ibis, something more likely to pop up at Whitewater or Oak Lake. The comments from Louanne were as follows:

‘Margaret, Millie, Bill and I made 23 protocol stops during the Kinosota-Leifur IBA Blitz in search of Red-headed Woodpeckers. Most of the ‘core’ area and a little of the ‘extended’ area of Group/Zone A, were covered. Our effort began under sunny skies but after just over an hour, a cold wind brought in threatening clouds which led to rain, hampering our efforts though sunny skies did return. All observations were made from inside or a short distance from the vehicle.’

Dark clouds on the horizon. Copyright Sabina Mastrolonardo

The period of windy weather midway through the morning was especially difficult for hearing birds and the second group consisting of Eric, Carrie-Anne and Tim actually revisited suitable habitat which had scored zero woodpeckers first time – scoring a few extra Red-headed Woodpeckers in the process.

Red-headed Woodpecker flying away under dark skies. Copyright Tim Poole

This group found 11 individual Red-headed Woodpeckers, the most of any group. Interestingly they also scored their first one in Amaranth en route, on a telephone pole. Other species of note included a calling Scarlet Tanager and Black-billed Cuckoo.

All photos copyright Tim Poole

South again and our next group included Wally Jansen, Katharine Schulz and Sabina Mastrolonardo. They recorded 8 Red-headed Woodpeckers in a central area between Silver Ridge and Bluff Creek. A nice little patch of habitat. Other highlights included 6 species of flycatcher, 3 of which were another Species At Risk, the Eastern Wood Pewee, and 10 Bobolink. Interestingly, 10 Bobolink might also point towards issues for the Red-headed Woodpecker, if suitable woodland has been felled and replaced with hayland.

Finally, Garry and John surveyed the southern area, detecting 2 Red-headed Woodpeckers, interestingly the furthest west of the survey. They also grabbed a pair in the group to the norths area thanks to a tip off from a friendly farmer. The other highlight was that of finding a Great Gray Owl, not common in this type of habitat in July.

Sharp-tailed Grouse in the Kinosota-Leifur IBA. Copyright Garry Budyk

This gave us a total of 23 Red-headed Woodpeckers for the morning. not bad, but not a patch on the 50 pairs found historically. The next challenge is to try to work out whether we were missing a lot of woodpeckers or whether land-use changes in the 25 or so years since the IBA was put together have led to a large loss in habitat. Hopefully there will be more to come on this in the future. Below is the distribution of Red-headed Woodpeckers mapped. As can be seen, the current boundary is not correct and will be changed to reflect these results.

A summary of all species can be seen below. In total there were 91 species and 2048 individual birds counted, still pretty good and comparable figures to other blitzes. Ring-billed Gulls were numerous as were wetland songbirds such as Sedge Wren, Common Yellowthroat and Song Sparrow.