. The Canadian field-naturalist. 374 The Canadian Field-Naturalist Vol. 97. Figure 3. Census area. Tract A (I km^)consisting mainly of sedge-moss lowlands, and tract B (2 km-) consisting mainly of dry uplands. laropus fulicaria), mean 7 pairs/km-, range 0 to 14 pairs/km^. In addition to the species known to nest here, two other species remained on the tract each nesting sea- son, but their nests were not discovered: White- rumped Sandpiper {Calidris fuscicollis), 4-12 individ- uals, mean 8, and Purple Sandpiper {Calidris maritima), 2 individuals. The White-rumped Sand- pipers, conspicuous with
. The Canadian field-naturalist. 374 The Canadian Field-Naturalist Vol. 97. Figure 3. Census area. Tract A (I km^)consisting mainly of sedge-moss lowlands, and tract B (2 km-) consisting mainly of dry uplands. laropus fulicaria), mean 7 pairs/km-, range 0 to 14 pairs/km^. In addition to the species known to nest here, two other species remained on the tract each nesting sea- son, but their nests were not discovered: White- rumped Sandpiper {Calidris fuscicollis), 4-12 individ- uals, mean 8, and Purple Sandpiper {Calidris maritima), 2 individuals. The White-rumped Sand- pipers, conspicuous with wing and vocal displays, were possibly all males. These non-nesting full-time residents raised the population from 12 pairs/km^ to 34 individuals/km2. To look narrowly at these census counts gives an incomplete understanding of the importance of the lowland and the diversity of birds using it. Eleven other species nested in the vicinity and depended heav- ily on the wet meadows for food and for rearing their young. We can only guess how many of these would have been listed in a transect count. These regular users and the approximate number seen here each day in nesting season were as follows: Brant {Branta ber- nicla), 2; Snow Goose {Chen caerulescens), 6; Olds- quaw {Clangula hyemalis), 6; Rock Ptarmigan (Lagopus mutus), 2; Red Knot {Calidris canutus), 12; Baird's Sandpiper {Calidris bairdii), 4; Glaucous Gull {Larus hyperboreus), 6; Thayer's Gull {Larus thayeri), 2; Arctic Tern {Sterna paradisaea), 2; Snowy Owl {Nyctea scandiaca), 1; and Snow Bunting {Plectro- phenax nivalis), 4; The absence of rocky cliffs and talus slopes on both census tracts explains the absence of the nearly ubiquitous Snow Buntings from the nesting lists. Casual visitors have been omitted. A total of 30 species have nested and 53 species have been recorded at Polar Bear Pass (Anonymous 1981:6). At the beginning of summer the ponds of the valley also served as a temporary staging area for larger numbers
Size: 1712px × 1459px
Photo credit: © Book Worm / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookauthorottawafieldnaturalistsclub, bookcentury1900, bookcolle
