by Steve Selden | Oct 28, 2012 | Churchill News, Tour News
When Natural Habitat guide Karen Walker and group arrived in Churchill this past week they found clear blue skies, no wind and calm waters. That scenario is changing as this post is being published. For all the polar bear watchers out there that is good news. As many travelers do upon arriving in Churchill, the group followed the coast road out around the inlet across from Miss Piggy taking in the amazing Hudson Bay vastness. Arriving back in town they stopped at the large Inukshuk on the beach behind the town complex for another view out over the calm bay slapping waves against the shore. After lunch ,desserts and a taste of local flavor at Gypsy’s, they checked into the hotel and headed over to Parcs Canada Visitor Center for an orientation to the polar bear world and regional geographic and cultural features. Karen added her orientation thoughts to a fantastic presentation by well-known Raymond’s from Parcs presentation. Peter and Mary rounded out a full afternoon of northern exposure!
Two polar bears spar in front of a pond, Brad Josephs photo,
After dinner, stars were in the northern sky so the avid bunch headed out behind the complex once again to find a faint arch or northern lights fairly low on the horizon. It was a nice evening along the shores of Hudson Bay. About 45 minutes later, the arch brightened significantly and began to form a swirling motion seemingly mimicking the counter-clockwise currents of the tumultuous Hudson Bay. Nothing can match the experience of these lights of the north!
As morning came the group headed to the tundra and immediately spotted a pair of ptarmigan in the willows heading out to the lodge. Four bears were in the area and soon after arrival some sparring ensued just off the tail end of the rover. “We had a bear come up to our rover. Then we headed out the point a ways and watched a couple of bears wander off into the willows along the ponds.” reported guide Karen. ” I gave an intro to polar bears, then suddenly one, no two bears, appeared from the willows & headed right toward us. We were visited by the bears & had them under the deck. They never stood up on our rover or sniffed the deck, but it was still awesome to look them in the eye.” Another unforgettable memory.
Once the two polar bears headed off, lunch was served. just as most had finished, they appeared again. Perfect timing! With beautiful views of the colorful yellow and red tundra the bears lingered near the rover during the morning as big snow flakes started to fly … some even found their way into the rover when the windows were down. A preview of the imminent snow in the forecast. On the trip back to launch-site, a offshoot voyage to Halfway Point provided an amazing view of a puffy, white snowy owl. What a way to complete an incredible day in the CWMA.
Snowy owl checking out the humans. Candice Gaukel Andrews photo.
The group staying on the tundra lodge with guide Rinnie had incredible sparring after some docile, napping bears the first couple of days. The sunlight accentuated the movement as the bears grappled right next to viewing platforms. Later as the rover ventured away from the lodge, a sow with two yearlings – first sightings of the season- came right up to the machine two different times. With no other rover in sight, this encounter made the trip for many of the guests. Back at the lodge in the evening…stellar aurora borealis graced the skies above…a perfect day and night on the tundra lodge.
Guide Elise and her travelers were near the lodge most of that same day as the wind blew snow squalls sideways. Sparring bears continued to battle while taking rests and then resuming nearly all day. One bear had an injured claw and spewed blood on white fur adding to the drama. Exciting action as the snow moves in across the region.
EARLY SEASON BIRD REPORT
Bonnie Chartier spends most of polar bear season out at the tundra lodge with travelers eager to get amazing round the clock views of polar bears. However, Bonnie also is one of the premier experts on Arctic birdlife. She has literally written a book called “A Birders Guide to Churchill ” and continues her research on the numerous species that call Churchill home for all or part of the year. Here’s her report of sightings out in the Churchill Wildlife Management Area (CWMA). Some of these species have most likely made their way south by now..but for the birders in the crowd here’s the skinny:
“In the past few days we had at least 6 different Snowy Owls. Also well photographed was a single white Gyrfalcon. Rock Ptarmigan are being seen in good size flocks. Shore birds include Pectoral Sandpipers, Dunlin, Black-bellied Plovers. Snow buntings are still around in good numbers. There are Canada Geese, Common Eider, Long-tailed Ducks and a few Red-breasted Mergansers still hanging about. I saw only one greater Yellowlegs. “
If there are any species still out on the tundra Bonnie will find them. Stay tuned for another mid-season update!
by Steve Selden | Oct 22, 2012 | Churchill News, Tour News
As this year’s polar bear season starts to gain in momentum in and around the Churchill Wildlife Management Area (CWMA), the action out on the land is starting to heat up. Wildlife activity is building as it tends to this time of year while the early season aurora borealis opening act has only acted as a prelude to what is looking like some amazing encounters ahead.
Playful polar bear on the tundra.
Natural habitat guide Lynette and her travelers were out near the tundra lodge when they pulled up their rover near to a male laying still in the willows. There were two other bears visible around the wheels of the lodge,one, a big male, and one more larger male laying about 50 feet north of the lodge. The large male was “great to watch as he would roll over, stretch out about every two minutes”. ,according to Lynnette. ” He was positioned so that we had a nice look at the bottom of his heavily furred paws. We had a perfect view of the male closest to us and he had about a three-inch scar running down the length of his nose.” Could this be the infamous Dancer? I think it might be. While he rested, the two bears by the lodge began to interact and nuzzle each other. Finally, one of the nuzzlers …love that description…walked over to the large male laying away from the lodge and encouraged him to join in the fun. Scar-nose, or Dancer, did not want to be left out, so he stretched, yawned and walked under the front of the rover see what was happening. Once he saw how much bigger those two bears were however, he meandered over toward the lodge instead. Those two kind of rolled around near each other for a while with one continually trying to get a rise out of the other one. Finally, one bear took the bait and the two large males began a spirited sparring match that lasted off and on for about 20 minutes.
Red fox on the tundra. Brad Josephs photo.
During all this scintillating action on the tundra, the sun came out and the bright light was shining down on the bears making even their somewhat muddied coats gleam. “It was beautiful!”, Lynnette summed up. Those two bears then moved on into the willows down in a little draw out of sight of the rover. Dancer and one of the other bears settled in over by the lodge for the afternoon.Quite the scene to witness first hand!
Some excellent willow ptarmigan sightings and a more distant view of a snowy owl perched on a lower spruce branch rounded out the amazing experience of the day in the CWMA.
Meanwhile long -time guide and naturalist Brad Josephs had his Natural Habitat group out the previous night for an evening rover excursion. Rumbling along close to the tundra lodge, the travelers were greeted by five large male polar bears. Continuous sparring ..with three bears going at it at once…provided steady excitement for the guests as well as guide and rover driver. This kind of behavior is always a thrill ..even if you’ve seen it before. Following the action one big male sauntered up to the machine giving everyone an up-close encounter in the eerie darkness.
Snowy owl resting on the tundra. Brad josephs photo.
The following day out on the land in the CWMA, the group was afforded clear, close views of two snowy owls out around Gordon point. One was just 30 yards from the rover sitting on a lichen – crusted stone along the esker. Ecstatic guests were then treated to a third, more distant “snowy” on the rocky beach to the east. Moving back along the coastal trail, sightings of dunlin and white-rumped sandpipers were all gravy for avid birders.
Foxes also darted across the tundra…a red fox was seen running along the coast. He stopped once the rover came into view and then an Arctic fox came along from the opposite direction…skittering right past the rover at close distance providing fine views for all. Brad described the Arctic fox as a one -year old just starting to acquire the beautiful, white fur. Later, down the trail the group caught up with the red fox and noticed he had located a goose wing in the mud. He chewed it up right in front of them, going for the cartilage at the feather bases, as well as the little meat on the wings. Awesome views!
by Steve Selden | Oct 17, 2012 | Churchill News, Tour News
Impressive aurora borealis displays have graced the skies over Churchill this past week with incredible waves of green reflecting off the foamy Hudson Bay below. While the polar bear season is just getting started, the northern lights are stealing the show like never before. This recent photo by Churchillian Katie DeMeulles gives one an idea of what has been appearing almost nightly here.
With temperatures in the freezing range, bears have been moving about the tundra in the Churchill Wildlife Management Area (CWMA). Polar rovers have been tracking nearly a half dozen bruins of the white variety along the coast and further inland. There have also been some polar bears in and around town in higher numbers than other years this early in the season. One 1000 lb. male tried to check himself in to the hospital by breaking through the ambulance entrance door. Conservation officers arrived on scene and darted him and transported him to the polar compound facility near the airport. Reportedly the bear was diagnosed with an eating disorder by the on-call hospital doctor….not an uncommon finding at this juncture.
Polar bear on the rocks along Hudson Bay. Jodi Grosbrink photo
A couple of bears have been seen with regularity out along the coast road near miss piggy…the old wreckage of a transport plane nestled in the rocks…as well as the waste transfer station further inland. This time of year can be incredibly dangerous for wayward travelers venturing out on their own. Because it’s not the heart of the season yet, some people get lulled into a sense of security that can be dangerous. The same effect happens in the Summer when a few polar bears arrive in the area. Because polar bears are not supposed to be around doesn’t mean they aren’t. I’m amazed there has not been any major incidental meetings in the last decade around the town and coastal area. Keep your fingers crossed.
With the week moving over the hill, we will see what comes with the other side. It’s always something new that captures one’s imagination in this northern region. For now, while bears and other wildlife are amassing, the sky is the limit….actually limitless…with scintillating light shows. Enjoy them while you can. And if you want to brave the cold of winter, come back for the Northern lights and Arctic Cultures trips offered by Natural Habitat Adventures in March.
by Steve Selden | Oct 12, 2012 | Churchill News, Churchill Photography, Tour News
Nearly 1000 polar bears will inhabit the coastal region around Churchill, MB this October and November…and in fact some have already meandered into the area. Three times or more that number of people will make their way to Churchill to not only get a look at these incredible creatures but also get a feel for the Arctic wildlife. The lure of the frontier feel and simple life of living remotely has captured imaginations for as long as humans have lived. Churchill gets one close to that instinctive sense.
Looking ahead to another polar bear season.
With all the new technology in the world that seemingly makes life “easier” for us all, there is still an innate striving to venture to remote lands where we can become one with nature again. Feeling a sense of mystery through landscape and wildlife allows our imaginations to run wild. When we travel to places like Churchill,MB to become a part of the migratory pattern of the polar bears we return to our prehistoric roots and feel alive like never before! The world wide web is exactly that…a web we sometimes become entangled in and for many we cannot find a way out. Our daily lives can become stagnate and to stimulate our dreams and sense of adventure it often takes a trip to a “wild” destination to rejuvenate our interpretation of the world and what we truly desire. After a pilgrimage of this sort, the mind often “reboots” ,if you will and you should, and a different perspective shapes our new dreams.
New beginnings for polar bears and travelers.
With the new season comes the annual blog from Churchill direct from guides escorting Natural Habitat groups on these amazing polar bear excursions. First hand reports will be published furnishing incredible stories, pictures and a new feature this season…video clips from the tundra. We are incredibly excited to offer this new look into the behavior of the creatures of the north…namely the polar bears. Feel free to comment on the stories and video and offer suggestions as how to improve our coverage. I hope to give all of you insight into how life in Churchill at this time of year takes on a frenetic, and often surreal sense of being the center of the universe. For about six to seven weeks it truly is!
Aurora borealis in the sky above Churchill,MB. Eric Rock photo.
Early season reports from the tundra lodge have a few polar bears wandering around as the first group of the season is heading there today. The temperatures, just at the freezing mark of 0 degrees centigrade, are another good sign that the season should provide active bears with varied behavioral characteristics on display Another couple of bears have been in and out of Churchill proper so things are getting interesting in a hurry this year. Looking forward to an amazing season!
by Steve Selden | Sep 10, 2012 | Churchill News
The Manitoba Conservation department has found encouraging signs that the Southern Hudson bay polar bear population may be in better shape than some skeptics think….. a prodigious number of polar bear dens situated along the Hudson Bay coast near the Ontario boundary.
The dens were located in the southeast of Wapusk National Parc and east of the Nelson River. This area lies at the southern end of the polar bear’s range and is less famous as Wapusk National Parc which is adjacent to the Churchill region. Wapusk has long been known as the number one polar bear denning site in the area and in fact most of Canada. I have had the unique pleasure of crawling inside a den that had been vacant for a number of years. Quite a thrill!
“We’ve always known that there are dens in there … but not to this extent,” said Daryll Hedman, the regional wildlife manager for northeast Manitoba.
“We have a fairly large number of denning females in there, equal to or even maybe surpassing Wapusk National Park, so it’s fairly exciting news.”
Female polar bears dig the dens in the ground to give birth. The discovery could be a sign that the polar bear population in the area is in good shape, at least for now. The province is beginning a three-year study to get more detail.
Darryl Hedman, a regional wildlife manager with Manitoba Conservation, examines a polar bear den in Manitoba’s Wapusk National Park in this 2011 handout. (The Canadian Press)
The Hudson Bay polar bear population is threatened by a shrinking number of ice coverage days leading to less time feeding and building up fat reserves for Summer on land. The amount of ice coverage days has been cut down by a period of up to two weeks going back over the last two decades. Bears still seem to be surviving and even possibly adapting to the lack of ice with new hunting techniques. Over the last two years, in the time leading up to and even during Churchill’s prime polar bear season in October and November bears have been observed with fresh seal kills on land in the shallows where seals tend to get trapped by the tide at times. Resourcefulness is the key to survival in the Arctic.
Brad josephs photo.
The lack of food makes the females job of giving birth that much harder. They spend even less time on the ice then the males due to their time in the dens. They have to rely heavily on fat reserves to get them through the Winter.
Climate change is also affecting the permafrost the bears use for their dens. Dens do not collapse under permanently frozen ground, but scientists are worried warming temperatures will cause the permafrost to recede northward. This might limit the territory needed to have a healthy denning environment as polar bears are quite territorial.
Not everyone agrees that polar bears are in trouble. The Nunavut government released a survey earlier this year that said Canada’s Hudson Bay polar bear population hasn’t significantly declined in the last seven years as predicted. An aerial survey estimated the western Hudson Bay bear population at around 1,000…roughly equivalent to the number of bears found in a more detailed study done in 2004. That study, which physically tagged the bears, predicted the number would decline to about 650 by 2011. Somehow, despite the increase in ice-free days, the polar bears are seemingly keeping a stable population in the Churchill region.
by Steve Selden | Aug 24, 2012 | Churchill News, Churchill Photography, Tour News
As the Summer winds down in Churchill, the beluga whale population gives us amazing shots to capture on film…er camera..chips? Not sure how you say that anymore. Anyway some of these classic photo’s remind us how amazing it is out on the water of the Churchill River or Hudson Bay. With polar bears lurking along the shores of Eskimo point and Cape Merry, the Arctic feel is all around. Birds grace the air over the water looking for capelin stirred up by the whales. All in all one feels “in” nature…amazing.
Beluga looking up. Photo Katie Demeulles.
Beluga in the Churchill River. Rhonda Reid photo.
Tundra swans on shallow lake. Ed Bouvier photo.
Beluga whale in Churchill River, Churchill,MB. Steve Selden photo.
- Trolling for beluga whales in the Churchill River.
