In February of 2010, we conducted an exploratory aerial survey for sea ducks in the eastern Canadian Arctic along coastal waters of Ungava Bay, Hudson Strait, Frobisher Bay, and Labrador. Small numbers of eiders and long-tailed ducks were detected on the east and west coasts of Ungava Bay, Québec, Resolution Island, Nunavut and Labrador. A large concentration (~35 000 birds) of king and common eiders were detected in the waters around the Button Islands, Nunavut.  We also report on incidental observations of beluga and bowhead whales.

Follows is a description and some notes take during the survey.

Aircraft:
Provincial Airlines Twin Otter equipped with a passenger bubble window on both sides in the front passenger compartment and a large bubble window in the rear emergency exit.

Observers: 
Scott G. Gilliland 
Christine Lepage
Joseph Townley

Recording and navigation:
We used PC Mapper AI and the USFWS RECORD/TRANSCRIBE software to geotag recordings. A Garmin GPSMAP276C GPS was loaded with waypoints identifying sites of interest and was provided to the pilots for navigation.

Survey was conducted at an altitude of 425 to 550m ASL and an airspeed of 250 kph to search for open water.  Areas of shallow open water were searched at an altitude of ~450m at air speeds of ~180 kph.

22 Feb 2010

Departed Goose Bay for Kuujjuaq, QC. In Kuujjuaq we refuelled and headed for Iqaluit, NU.  The planned route to follow the west coast of Ungava cross Hudson Strait via Salisbury Island and check some open water areas on the south coast of Baffin Island on route.  However, the west coast of Ungava Bay was in snow showers and we travelled via the east coast of Ungava Bay.  Sky was clear, temperature was -6°C and winds were light.  

The ice in the bottom of Ungava Bay was tight pack ice and very active.  There was little open water and looked as if any open water would not be persistent. There were several small areas of open water within the land fast ice but no concentrations of birds were observed using them.  Around the northern tip of the Ungava Bay we encountered snow showers and could not get to the Button Islands.  Weather in Iqaluit was good and we headed for Resolution Island when again ran into snow showers and we headed back to Kuujjuaq via Apitok Island and covered bit of western side of Ungava Bay on the return flight.

There was construction in Kuujjuaq and court was in town and there were no accommodations and that night we moved to Iqaluit.

23 Feb 2010

We planned fly from Iqaluit to Nain and explore the Loks Land area of Frobisher Bay and cross over Hudson Strait passing by Resolution Island and the Button Islands. Sky was mid-level broken clouds with some low clouds and 2°C when we departed Iqaluit. We encounter strong head winds in Frobisher Bay and our estimated time of arrival in Nain was approximately equivalent to our endurance, hence we had little time to explore.  When traveling down Frobisher we picked a path that was efficient and covered likely areas that may have birds along the way.  

Near the southeast tip of Frobisher Bay we encounter low ceilings and descended to 200m in low cloud. Winds had dropped by the time we got to Resolution Island but we still only had enough fuel to get to Nain with Kuujjuaq as an alternative.  The pilots recommended we fly direct to Nain and we only had time look at the best open-water areas identified from the Radarsat images.  We arrived at Button Islands in perfect weather conditions.  Did not have enough fuel to do a completely search or circle for pictures and headed for Nain. Although there was not a lot of sea ice, strong northeasterly winds had prevailed for the previous week and there was a narrow dense band of pack ice along the north coast of Labrador

24 Feb 2010.

We departed Nain for Blanc Sablon. Skys were clear, winds light and temperate was 5°C. There was some low cloud forming in inshore air flows over the ice edge to the south of Nain and this resulted in poor visibility between Voiseys Bay and Hopedale. South of Hopedale the sky was clear again and we encountered lots of loose melting pack ice around Smokey: there no sign of birds. There was some open water near Duck Is. and Snooks Cove in Groswater Bay, but no birds. There was heavy pack ice and no open water in the areas along the Porcupine Strand to Tumbledown Dick and Stag Islands. The Gannets Islands were just beyond ice edge and in open water. From Wolf Island to Black Tickle there was some low local cloud and coverage was incomplete, the area was covered in loose pack ice and unlikely birds could use the area.  Skys were clear to the south of Black Tickle to Bell Island and there was a narrow band of dense pack ice -- no birds really can be in the ice.  Around Bell Island there was some local low cloud and may have missed a few birds, but not too many.  Sky was clear from Henley Harbour to Blanc-Sablon.