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Cameron D. Eckert 
W hile the Yukon and southern 
Northwest Territories experienced 
relatively normal summer condi- 
tions, a cold spring in the central and eastern 
Arctic resulted in a late breeding season. Ob- 
servers in Nunavut told consistent tales of 
very late arrivals, delayed nesting, or failure 
to nest in many species. At Penny Strait, 
breeding was markedly late for Arctic Terns, 
eiders, and Long-tailed Ducks; the same was 
true at Akimiski Island in southern James 
Bay. Shorebird researchers at East Bay, 
Southampton Island did not even see their 
first shorebird until 8 June — a full 10 days lat- 
er than in 2008. At Cambridge Bay, the late 
spring, coupled with high water in the small- 
er lakes and ponds, contributed to the loss of 
much edge habitat and thus a reduction in 
nesting opportunities for many species of wa- 
terfowl, shorebirds, and loons. Nonetheless, 
Nunavut reported an impressive four new 
species for the territory. As well, this report 
marks the beginning of our connection with 
birders in Greenland, and their field notes are 
certainly fascinating. We’ll look forward to 
more reports in the future. 
WATERFOWL THROUGH 
SHOREBIRDS 
Jul, 145 on 14 Jul, and 92 on 17 Jul 
QaH). The Yukon’s 3rd Tufted 
Duck, an ad. male, was seen on Two 
Moose L., cen. Yukon 20 Jun-13 Jul 
(ph. CE; HH, LyH). A male King Ei- 
der at Gravel L., cen. Yukon 1 Jun 
was nicely documented by a visit- 
ing birder (ph. BW). This may rep- 
resent only the 3rd interior North 
American spring record; the previ- 
ous two were also from the Yukon. 
High water levels at Cambridge Bay, 
NU contributed to a poor breeding 
season for King and Common Ei- 
ders; only a few nests were found 
on higher ground during 25 Jun-15 
Jul OR*)- -A male Harlequin Duck 
provided a first record for Cambridge Bay, NU 
6 Jul ORi)- A large flotilla of about 300 Long- 
tailed Ducks, mostly males, was noted ne. of 
Chesterfield Inlet, NU on about 8 Jul 
(BZ). Two ad. Yellow-billed Loons were a nice 
find at Yellowknife, NWT 7 Jun (BB, DS). A 
Double-crested Cormorant, rare in s. Yukon, 
was on the Yukon R. in Whitehorse 8 Jun (ph. 
MuM). Also rare was a Great Blue Heron at 
Tulita, NWT 20 Jun (ph. RD). 
An imm. Bald Eagle was unexpected at 
Cambridge Bay, NU 11 Jul (RK, EET). A 
Northern Goshawk being mobbed in flight by 
a pair of Merlins was an interesting sight near 
Island Lakes, Nahanni National Park Reserve, 
impressive, but many of them ultimately 
failed (AA, HJ). A Sora, a first for Nunavut, 
was heard calling at Akimiski 1. 10 Jun (AM, 
BM). This year, a total of 62 pairs of Whoop- 
ing Cranes nested in Wood Buffalo N.P., 
NWT; 52 young hatched and at least 22 
young Hedged. While habitat conditions were 
good throughout the nesting area, rainy and 
cool conditions in Jun may have contributed 
to lower-than-average survival of chicks to 
fledging age. The high water levels may, how- 
ever, ensure that spring 2010 conditions are 
favorable; but given the number of young 
produced this year and the number of ads. 
and subads. that were lost last winter, the 
population will decline in 2009 (BJ, CWS). 
A late Black-bellied Plover was at Coot L., 
s. of Pelly Crossing, s. Yukon 9-10 Jun (HG). 
Two European Golden-Plovers noted at Zack- 
enberg, Greenland 30 Jun 0R*i) furnished the 
only report this season. Long-term monitor- 
ing has detected declines in Common Ringed 
Plovers at Zackenberg, Greenland; surveys 
this summer recorded a few individuals, in- 
cluding a pair with a fledged juv. 20 Jul (JaH). 
Bird identification challenges in the Canadian 
Arctic can be the reverse of what most North 
Americans face; for example, careful study of 
a pair of nesting plovers and their young at 
Arctic Bay, NU 28-31 Jul determined that they 
were Semipahnated rather than the expected 
Common Ringed (ph. CK). This establishes 
- 
: .... 
This male Tufted Duck, the Yukon's third, spent mid-June (here 25 June) through at least mid-July 2009 on Two Moose Lake 
in Tombstone Territorial Park. Photograph by Cameron Eckert. 
Peak counts of migrating Pink-footed Geese at 
Zackenberg, Greenland included 592 on 19 
Jun and 321 on 24 Jun QaH). Counts of 500 
Brant were recorded daily 1-5 Jun at Akimiski 
L, NU (DM). A lone Brant, a late spring mi- 
grant, was at Tagish L., s. Yukon 3 Jun (ph 
SvD); another was with Canada Geese at Daw- 
son, cen. Yukon 10 Jun (CE). Brant numbers 
(6-9 per day) were about normal at Cam- 
bridge Bay, NU 25 Jun-15 Jul, but all tradi- 
tional nesting sites were under water (JRi). 
High counts of Barnacle Geese (mostly imms.) 
at Zackenberg, Greenland included 53 on 8 
NWT 21 Jul (DT, PKn). Broad-winged Hawk 
is a very rare breeder in sw. Northwest Terri- 
tories, so one seen along the Liard Hwy., 10 
km n. of the border with British Columbia, 11 
Jun (BB, DS) was noteworthy. A dark-morph 
ad. Swainson’s Hawk was seen hunting over 
open tundra along the Dempster Hwy., just s. 
of Eagle Plains, cen. Yukon 24 Jul (RC, SyC); 
the species was found nesting in this area in 
2005. A total of 13 Gyrfalcons was tallied on 
a trip down the Firth R., n. Yukon 18-30 Jul 
(HH, LyH). The count of 27 Peregrine Falcon 
nests at Rankin Inlet, NU this summer was 
Arctic Bay as perhaps the most northerly 
breeding site for Semipalmated Plover. Wan- 
dering Tattler reports, all from the Yukon, in- 
cluded 2 along the N. Klondike R, and one 
along the Blackstone R., Tombstone Park 8 
Jun (ph. CE; HG, PSp); one along Fox Cr. and 
another along Lil Cr. in Tombstone 9 Jun 
(OH; HG, GW, MW); and one along the Firth 
R. 27 Jul (HH, LyH). Tombstone Park in cen. 
Yukon continues to be the best place in the 
Region for viewing breeding Surfbirds; 2 were 
displaying on Charcoal Ridge 7 Jun (ph. CE, 
PB, MH, SJ); and an amazing 10 were seen in 
614 
NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS 
