Photo Gallery
Photos by Michael O’Brien
Our tour begins in the prairies of southwestern Manitoba where…
…Chestnut-collared Longspurs abound and…
…where even small grassy wetlands can hold Le Conte’s Sparrow.
Pothole marshes are full of breeding waterbirds like this Red-necked Grebe.
Riding Mountain National Park is a spruce-aspen plateau rising above the prairie. Not surprisingly it has completely different birds including…
…Spruce Grouse, unconcerned as usual, and…
…the stunning Golden-winged Warbler.
The change to Churchill and the shores of Hudson Bay is dramatic. Here spring is just arriving…
…and even creatures like this Arctic Hare are transitioning between winter and summer.
The Churchill grain elevators are local landmarks. The river, behind, can be full of waterbirds and the small ponds in front are often full of waders…
…including Hudsonian Godwit, one of Churchill’s most celebrated breeding birds…
…and migrants like this Baird’s Sandpiper.
…and this Red Phalarope.
The tundra is full of wildflowers, here Lapland Rosebay, and other creatures…
…here a Melissa Arctic, perched on a spike of Labrador Tea.
…and here a stunning Smith’s Longspur.
To the south and east of Churchill town lies a vast area of boreal forest. Birds are scarce in this harsh terrain but can include some marvelous species…
…like this Northern Hawk Owl, often present in years of high rodent populations…
…and this Three-toed Woodpecker.
But Churchill is mostly about water, Hudson Bay, of course, but also innumerable small ponds with waterfowl, shorebirds, gulls, sometimes including Ross’s Gull…
…and the ubiquitous Arctic Tern.