Semipalmated Plolver, Churchill, Manitoba

Churchill: Birds of the Arctic

Churchill is one of the finest locations in North America for bird and nature photographers. Here you will find a profusion of shorebirds, grebes, loons, gulls, jaegers and others, all in their finest breeding plumage.  While the tundra lies frozen and dormant for much of the year, in summer it explodes into life: the ice melts, the birds arrive, nesting begins, wildflowers bloom, and chicks hatch. And all this occurs in the month of June!

Every serious bird photographer should experience Churchill. The confluence of Arctic tundra, boreal forest, and Hudson Bay ecosystems creates a wonderful diversity of bird life in a small, accessible area. This tour has been scheduled with seven full days for photography to maximize our opportunities for spectacular images. By limiting this trip to six participants, we will minimize disturbance to the birds and maximize opportunities for the photographers. Bring plenty of film or digital storage!

In June, as we approach the Summer Solstice, there are over eighteen hours of daylight, and it never really gets dark. The Arctic summer is brief, but intense and full of life and activity where only a month earlier all lay frozen and dormant.

A partial list of the nesters we can expect: Arctic Tern, Ross’s Gull, Pacific Loon, American Golden Plover, Hudsonian Godwit, Short-billed Dowitcher, Red-necked Phalarope, Whimbrel, Parasitic Jaeger, Bonaparte’s Gull, Willow Ptarmigan, Least and Stilt Sandpipers, Semipalmated Plovers, Smith’s Longspur, and many more!

Other highlights (depending upon weather) are Beluga whales and Arctic wildflowers.