Longridge Point Shorebirds - Page 2 of 6

Juvenile Marbled Godwits on 9 August. Note short bill with pink base. A small population of Marbled Godwits breeds in the large wet prairie-like meadows of western James Bay.

Western or White-rumped Sandpiper? We conclude that this is a White-rumped Sandpiper in alternate plumage. Shorebird experts on ID Frontiers were in full agreement on its identification as White-rumped Sandpiper. Birds on left and right are also White-rumped Sandpipers. Photo by Doug McRae at Longridge Point on 10 August 2010.

See Variation in White-rumped Sandpipers at Longridge Point, James Bay.

Western or White-rumped Sandpiper? Same as previous photo. This is a White-rumped Sandpiper in alternate plumage at Longridge Point on James Bay. 10 August 2010. Photo Doug McRae.

Alvaro Jaramillo wrote: "Worn Westerns show a lot of reddish above, but it is very much restricted to the base and well towards the midline of each scapular. The upperpart pattern of this bird has reddish largely on the feather edges, not as in Western. Also worn Westerns lose some of the dark chevrons on the flanks, and they become strongly spotted on the breast, with a few chevrons heading back along the breast sides and upper flanks. By the time you reach the legs, the chevrons pretty much disappear. The pattern on White-rumped is different, the streaks, chevrons and dark feather centers (more variable markings on White-rumps) reach clearly to the leg and beyond. Quite distinctive is that often there are some wide blurry markings right above the leg, as on this bird. In addition the first photo shows a good wing projection, the bill looks too robust for a Western and in size this bird is comparable to the White-rumps."

White-rumped Sandpiper in worn alternate plumage. White-rumps are the most abundant shorebird. We had daily counts of 6000 - 7500 White-rumps that bred in the Canadian Arctic. They fatten in James Bay before migrating to South America.

Juvenile Baird's Sandpiper on 13 August 2010

Hudsonian Godwits molt and fatten up on the rich food resources around Longridge before undertaking nonstop flight to South America. We saw no juveniles because they were still likely farther north, closer to the breeding grounds.

Highest counts of Whimbrel were 78 on 20 July and 69 on 5 August. Photo above taken on 31 July 2010. We checked for radio and satellite transmitters but did not see any. See Hope's story: http://www.ccb-wm.org/news/2010_spring/Hope_returns.html

Juvenile Red-necked Phalarope (front) and adult on 7 August 2010. Photo Mark Peck.

Juvenile Short-billed Dowitcher on 5 August.

Juvenile Buff-breasted Sandpiper on 16 August. Photo Mark Peck.

Adult Ruddy Turnstones on 5 August 2010 

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