by Steve Selden | Nov 7, 2009 | Churchill News, Tour News
Polar bears awaiting the Hudson Bay freeze – up. Steve Morello photo.
A daily field report on polar bears from our guide Steve Selden in our Churchill, Manitoba office! Check out our polar bear tours here.
Saturday in Churchill was full of excitement as the festivities for the weekend began to take shape. With a professional fireworks display set to go off at night, the buzz around town was evident. The weather was trying to prevent the event as the snow slowly escalated in the afternoon to a full-blown snowstorm all across the tundra, rocky coast and sandy streets of Churchill. Temperature: 27F.
Meanwhile, from our polar rovers, the scene was astounding on the ground…and in the tower…as in First Tower. This landmark as well as Second Tower was constructed in the ’50s and used as an observation post by the military to watch over maneuvers taking place in the frigid cold below. These two decaying wooden sentinels of the tundra subsequently have been utilized in more recent years by researchers to observe Polar Bears in their Natural Habitat (shameless plug…oh yeah, this is the Nat Hab website, not the NY Times). But now First Tower looks as if it could barely support the Osprey nest resting on top of the stoic structure; never mind a Marten lurking inside……yes, that is what Guide Sandra and her group came upon in the morning. The brownish creature with golden round ears and blackish tail peered over the edge at the crowd below. Quite the sight! (more…)
by Steve Selden | Nov 6, 2009 | Churchill News, Tour News
A daily field report on polar bears from our guide Steve Selden in our Churchill, Manitoba office! Check out our polar bear tours here.
Polar bear family hunkered down near the Tundra Lodge in the CWMA. Steve Morello photo.
Another cold day (temps around 16F) in Churchill though the forecast calls for a warming trend in the next day or so. Anticipation continued to build for the Olympic torch weekend which will culminate on Sunday with the torch relay through downtown Churchill. Should be amazing.
On the land in the CWMA all groups had a good afternoon to follow up a morning filled with numerous mother and cub sightings and interactions. Guide Sue and her travelers experienced a fulfilling afternoon. A mother with two cubs was seen bedded down at 8:30 am and then again at 3:30 in the exact same location and position. Bears have a tough time getting going on Monday’s too. Out at Gordon Point, the group found a trio of Glaucous Gulls; a four year old, a female and a juvenile. A Silver Fox was on the road back into town heading toward a brilliant red sunset over the Churchill River.
by Steve Selden | Nov 5, 2009 | Churchill News, Tour News
A daily field report on polar bears from our guide Steve Selden in our Churchill, Manitoba office! Check out our polar bear tours here.
Dogsledding in Churchill is a spectacular northern experience. NHA photo.
The clouds and cold remained with us here in Churchill as temperatures were around 18°F. The Olympic torch is barreling through the North toward Churchill. Yesterday it went through Old Crow, Yukon by dogsled and will head to Inuvik before making it to Churchill on Sunday. This day marked 100 days until the Vancouver Olympic Games commence.
On the tundra it was another incredible day with the Bears and other wildlife. Guide Paul was around the lodge in the morning and his travelers witnessed three males sparring in the early morning sun. The three would alternate the ritual dance with each other thrilling all the onlookers from a few different Natural Habitat groups. At least six or seven bears were in the area and Ptarmigan scurried in and out of the willows as bears approached. As the morning continued, many bears were on and around the vehicles in locations near Gordon point.
Later in the day a Red Fox was spotted on Christmas Lake Esker catching Voles and lemmings and eating them. Then as the afternoon was turning to dusk, Paul’s group witnessed a majestic mom and cub moving across a large pond. A large Arctic Hare moved slowly five feet from the back deck of the rover with cameras snapping away. Great day in the CWMA!
by Steve Selden | Nov 4, 2009 | Churchill News, Tour News
A daily field report on polar bears from our guide Steve Selden in our Churchill, Manitoba office! Check out our polar bear tours here.
The cold persisted again today as temps were around 17°F with slight winds. The Hudson Bay crashed icy waves on the rocks, freezing over the stone thus making a seamless transition between shore and land-fast ice. No bears out on parole today as all is quiet around D20…the Polar Bear Compound.
Polar bear and a polar rover in Churchill. NHA photo.
Back on the tundra Guide Karen had her group again spotted a large bear just outside of town by Kelly and Robert’s dogsled camp. Another bear was seen right before the launch site. Once on the rover, eight bears were spotted at the lodge including “Rocky” who examined the rover by going under the deck and sniffing boots and then standing up on the vehicle. He then proceeded to check out the water supply truck by attempting to board that vehicle and drive back to the shop. In addition, two male bears were sparring on a nearby pond for a good five minutes. The two then wrestled in the snow for awhile, another ten minutes, before parting ways. Out at Gordon Point later on the group was able to spot a beautiful Cross Fox in the shimmering light.
Guide Scott reported in that bears seemed to be all over the vehicles on the inland road close to the lodge. One aggressive male whacked the driver’s side door before going to the rear and sniffing boots from under the back grated deck. As the group approached Halfway Point they saw about seven or eight bears hunting in the leads out off of the long spit that extends out into the bay. One bear was observed diving in off the ice and staying underwater for a good minute and a half. When he came up he had a seal and ripped a chunk of fresh meat off as the group took turns watching through the scope. This one bear ate for 30 minutes and then another big bear came and pushed that bear away and finished the job. Wow.
Guide Paul’s group spotted about 20 bears throughout the day, mostly up along the coast road as well as Rock Ptarmigan. One particular female came underneath the vehicle and then lounged nearby while the group ate lunch. later, on the Flats out East, mothers and cubs, a Glaucous Gull, Horned Lark and some sparring male bears made for a full afternoon. In the bay, the flow ice was moving out on the heels of a prevailing Southern wind. Pheww
by Steve Selden | Nov 3, 2009 | Churchill News, Tour News
A daily field report on polar bears from our guide Steve Selden in our Churchill, Manitoba office! Check out our polar bear tours here.
Polar rover heaters were cranking yesterday as the frigid air flowed from the north. Temperatures were in the low teens F and the bears were on the move again. Another bear was on the move via helicopter as the BBC is here doing a documentary film. Our groups were once again privy to a most intriguing spectacle as the two helicopters flew overhead…one with a bear hanging underneath and the other with a camera poking out of the window. Three bear lifts in three days…nice streak!
A lone polar bear being captured from a polar rover. Steve Morello photo.
Guide Jared and folks reported ample bears all over the CWMA map as they covered a lot of ground. First off at Bird Cove, a few bears wandered around the beach and on the granatoid Canadian Shield rocks. Nice photo’s with the ice in the background. Then out between Halfway Point and the Lodge, many bears were up and about including a big male standing up against the rover. Then, out at Halfway Point, the day was made when the group witnessed a bear that left the ice along shore and went for a dip…swimming along and getting up on some other flow ice. A good amount of ice blew down from the North a few days ago, pushing up against the land -fast ice forming on shoreline. The ice is unstable and could easily blow back out with a change in winds. Open water pockets still exist due to the ice moving around in the tides. The bear the group watched seemed determined to find some connected ice pans that were here to stay. One guest of Jared’s spotted a Snowy Owl and Jared was out a prize to be determined…a result of a daily contest he offers his people. On the way in to launch Jared spotted the rarer Rock Ptarmigan; a first of the season. The Rock differs from the Willow by having a black chinstrap marking in addition to the distinctive red eyebrow.
Guide Scott brought his group out to Gordon Point where five bears were spotted in the morning. One of those bears was quite interested in the vehicle and sniffed his way around the rover. Huffing and chuffing under the back deck grate was quite an experience for the people. Another big bear was sleeping out on a pond just 20 yards away. Later, out at Gordon Point, a juvenile bear was chased off by a bigger male of about 600 lbs. As the group moved away and along Ptarmigan Alley they were treated to Willow Ptarmigan (go figure) displaying their feathers. All in all a great day.
Guide Karen’s group already had spotted two bears before they made it to launch and it just kept getting better. Out along the coast a bear was out on the ice testing his footing. Farther on, near First Tower, a female was visiting three separate vehicles…inspecting all closely. Cruising along the coast road the group saw several bears on the icy rocks and stopped for lunch with a bear lounging just 40 feet away. Several more bears in the afternoon on the way in and some Ptarmigan to top it off made for an amazing day.
