An overcast day in Churchill provided the perfect setting for some beautiful photographs of the natural surroundings of the region. Birds are nesting and the wildflowers are blooming all over the tundra. Beluga whales are arriving in the Churchill River in pods and we will be posting photos soon from some Natural Habitat Adventures trips in July. Enjoy these Awesome photos!
Arctic tern in a nesting area. Rhonda Reid photo.
This exquisite close – up image of an Arctic Tern incubating eggs on its nest shows just how camouflaged their eggs are. It took me awhile to even see the one egg in front of the tern since it blends so well into the tundra. Arctic terns lay 1 – 3 eggs and both the male and female incubate the eggs for up to 22 days. After birth the parents supply small fish up until they fledge at three to four weeks old. Female and male Arctic terns mate for at least a year and can mate for life. Females lay eggs once a year. Terns live on average up to 34 years.
The photo of the three Arctic tern eggs illustrates the magnificent camouflage adaptation the eggs have developed over many years. The way animals and their eggs adapt to the environment using camouflage is fascinating. Survival of species depends on these slight changes over periods of time. The faster a species can adapt the longer they can survive in nature.
The Precambrian shield rolls down to the Hudson Bay in Churchill. Rhonda Reid photo.
Precambrian shield with a bog and krumholz spruce. Rhonda Reid photo.
These two photos of Precambrian shield rolling toward the Hudson Bay show how the rocks have been smoothed over in previous eras by ice and water covering them. If you look closely you can see marks or “striations” caused from rocks embedded in the bottom of glaciers that were dragged over them during the slow movements of the massive ice formations. It’s quite interesting to search out these striations while hiking over the shield in Churchill.
Eider duck female and her brood of five chicks. Rhonda Reid photo.
These polar bear mother and cub(s) shots are a great way to start the week. With Churchill Arctic summer season coming fast, it’s a nice way to look back or even ahead to October and November when the bears will congregate around the Churchill region. Of course summer always presents opportunities to come across polar bears arriving early in the area. Guiding many Churchill summer seasons, I had the opportunity to interact with bears on the tundra and coastline at the most unexpected times. These thrills will be with me for a lifetime. Enjoy these images from Churchill!
Mother and cub in Churchill. Brad Josephs photo.
Polar bear mom and cubs on the Hudson Bay. Natural Habitat Adventures photo.
Mother and cub polar bear. Natural Habitat Adventures photo.
This is a video I’ve posted before but I thought with Churchill’s Arctic summer on the horizon I’d send it your way again. This should get everyone traveling to Churchill this summer excited for the amazing and curious belugas!
Lets not forget all the other natural wonders the summer season has to offer. Birds, bears, tundra wildflowers and the phenomenal geology of the region. Summer in Churchill truly is the most diverse season for taking in a comprehensive feel for the sub-Arctic region.
Enjoy this underwater look at snorkeling with thousands of beluga whales!
Having spent over ten years of guiding Churchill Arctic summer trips, I have many fond memories of the time spent there and frequently remember stories from those days out on the tundra of the Churchill region and water of the Hudson Bay. Many of the incredible events were not captured by camera though some were and are really just a bookmark of a greater story. Here are a few photos I did mange to get and I hope you enjoy them!
A beluga whale popping out from the Churchill River near the mouth where visibility is amazing. Steve Selden photo.
Grain vessel awaits docking at the Port of Churchill. Photo Steve Selden
Tundra swans on shallow lake. Ed Bouvier photo.
Sea North 2 on the Churchill River looking for belugas. Photo Rhonda Reid.
Polar bear in Button Bay. Steve Selden photo.
Fossil hunt on the beach in Churchill, MB. Steve Selden photo.
Wildflowers on the tundra in Churchill. Steve Selden photo.
Pisew Falls near Thompson, Manitoba. Steve Selden photo.
Polar Bear season is still six months away and polar bears for the most part are enjoying a bountiful seal hunting season out on the ice of the Hudson Bay before finding their way back to the familiar shores of the rocky Hudson Bay.
This array of polar bear photos highlights various behavior during the season of October and November. When you visit Churchill during prime season you can witness first-hand all the different interactions at once if you have a bit of luck.
