BIPJDWATCHING

SITE GUIDE

POND INLET, BAFFIN ISLAND, N.W.T.

Location: Northern Baffin Island, east- Bight and Erik Harbour, and espec- iers. Hikers should note that because ern Canadian Arctic (72ø40'N; ially near Button Point, southeast Bylot Island is a federal Migratory 78 ø00' W). Bylot Island. Elsewhere,hiking along Bird Sanctuary, written permission the eastern inlet can be treacherous for entry must be obtained from the owing to mountains, rock and glac- Canadian Wildlife Service. Trips via Description: see accompanying paper and map, this issue,p. 119-129.

Access: During the summer, Pond Inlet is serviced twice weekly by turbo- prop aircraft from both Nanisivik and Frobisher Bay (First Air). There are two jet flights weekly from Mon- treal to Nanisivik and at least eight flights weekly from Montreal to Fro- bisher Bay (Nordair). Weekly service by Twin Otter is also available from Resolute (Kenn Borek Air) where there are two jet flights weekly each from Edmonton (Pacific Western Airlines) and Montreal (Nordair).

Local Transportationand Hiking: Snow- mobile is the main means of trans- portation on land until the snow melts in mid-June, and it is used on the sea-ice until at least mid-July. Local Inuit can be hired to transport visitors to most areas via snowmobile or, during late summerand early fall, by boat. Opportunities for day-hik- ing are numerous around the settle- ment becauseof its proximity to Sal- mon River, Salmon Creek, Janes Creek and the wetlands west of Sal- mon River mouth. After spring run- off in June, the tundra dries surpris- ingly fast and hiking is easilyaccom- plishedin light leather boots. Virtual- ly all the rivers and streams can be forded on foot. One of the best local hiking routes is up JanesCreek, then down Salmon River via Utuk Lake. Hiking along easternareas of the in- let can be accomplished only after ferrying via snowmobile or boat through the narrows of the inlet. There the most productive areas are along river valleysdraining into Guys Thick-billedMurre; adultand chick.Photo / WayneRenaud.

132 AmericanBirds, March 1981 snowmobileto the floe-edgeat the eastern end of Pond Inlet in June or July can be arrangedthrough the Co- op (seebelow). Due to the meltingof the sea-ice,the trip may becomediffi- cult or impossibleafter earlyJuly. In- uit guidesare essentialon sea-icetrips since unpredictable ice conditions and Polar Bearsare best handled by experiencedpersons. Camping on the sea-iceat the floe-edgeis uncomfort- able and often dangerous,especially during windy weather when there is the dangerof ice chunksbreaking away and floating out into Baffin Bay. Day trips from the settlement, or extended camping trips based at Button Point, are recommended. Aerial view of raised beachesand pondswest of Salmon River mouth, the most extensivewet- land in the study area. Photo / Wayne Renaud. Accommodations: Comfortable bar- rack-type accommodations with hot

/ water and showers are provided by the Toonoonik-Sahoonik Co-op Ho- tel (Postal Code: X0A 0S0; Phone: 816-9928) for about $85.00 (Cana- dian) per day includingthree meals. Reservationsare essential.Although there are no provisions for camping at the village, tents may be safely erected nearby. Campers should bring all dried and specialfoods and equipment. A well-stocked Hudson's Bay store and a smaller Co-op store offer canned and some fresh food, cold weatherclothes and somecamp- ing equipment.

Organized Tours: Organized tours that include Pond Inlet are provided by Canadian Nature Tours (355 Lesmill Mountainoussouth shore of Pond Inlet lookingwest towards Beloeil Island (right). Photo/ Rd., Don Mills, Ontario M3B 2W8) Wayne Renaud. and probably others.

Birdwatching: As described in the ac- companying paper, bird diversity is high relative to most other areas in the arctic islandswith at least36 spe- cies breeding and another 24 species reported as migrants or vagrants. Up to 25 speciesof birds can be observed in a day in the vicinity of the village and Salmon River mouth from mid- Juneto mid-September.A visit to the Pond Inlet area in late June or early July will catch the first good showing of tundra wildflowers; they are par- ticularly common on the coastal slopes between Salmon River and Salmon Creek. The best areas for viewing water-associated birds in spring are at the shorelead off Sal- An Inuit hunting camp along the Pond Inlet floe-edge. Photo/Kerwin Finley. mon River mouth and the floe-edge

Volume35, Number2 133 at the eastern end of Pond Inlet If many speciesof marine mammals in- Ratings: Spnng (June) *.. *, Sum- there is stable ice below the seabird cluding Narwhals, Bearded Seals, mer (July-August) * * * *, Fall colony near Cape Graham Moore, a Harp Seals, and Polar Bears as well (September-October) ..., Winter popular event for the Inuit on the Ju- as the ubiquitous Ringed Seal. There (November-May). ly 1 weekend is the annual gathering is also the possibility of sighting of fresh murre eggs. Visitors to the White Whales and Walruses. -- Wayne E. Renaud floe-edgein June-July will likely see

Dry tundra dominatedby Richardson'swillow and blueberrynear the White-rumped Sandpiper, a common nesting speciesin coastal wet- mouth of Salmon Creek. Photo / Wayne Renaud. lands. Photo / Wayne Renaud.

Thick-billed Murres erupt from the cliffs of the seabirdcolony north Ivory Gulls resting on ice floes near the easternend of Pond Inlet of Cape Graham Moore where about 20,000 pairs nest. Photo / Eliza- Photo/Kerwin Finley. beth Gibb.

134 AmericanBirds, March 1981