Out in the Sun and Snow

More bears in town today; one removing some trash from the can in front of our breakfast spot about 45 minutes before our arrival. New snow overnight added to the wildness of our outpost on the border of Manitoba and Nunavut.
The Chirico Family

With a little more sleep and a day of sun, something we had not witnessed for a while, we departed for exploration of the boreal forest. Churchill marks the northern extent of the forest and is the place where it meets the tundra or taiga habitat just below the Arctic Circle.

The sun put a new perspective on the landscape, every surface covered with a crystalline fringe of ornamentation. Black spruce, white spruce and tamarack, dominant species of the boreal forest, were covered from lower bough to upper stem. The light was magical and a welcome break from the grayness of earlier days.

Always in the back of our minds was the possibility that we would meet a Polar Bear. We saw many fresh tracks so were vigilant in keeping an eye out. Fox, Snowshoe Hare, mink, and bear tracks were prolific, painting the fresh snow with tales of earlier travelers.

The sled dog ride was far better than all had hoped, with great information about the hard work involved for the musher, breeder, and the dogs. Travelers had the opportunity to meet the "wheel, team, point, and lead" dogs up close and feed the local "Whiskey Jacks" or Gray Jays, one of the many characters of the north and Churchill.

Sleds ran with two people per sled, musher in the rear. Teams of eight dogs had no trouble getting the sleds up to speed and giving participants an idea of life out in the wilds.

On one run, one of the dogs showed the musher that there was something in the trees which turned out to be two Spruce Grouse. The sled dog team ran me back out to see it they were still there and to see if I could get a picture.



The birds sat like they had no concerns and let me photograph them until I began to get a bit worried about a Polar Bear perhaps making me a point of interest. I walked back toward the dog yard for about five minutes, examining all trees that I thought one could scale to avoid a bear. I was happy to see a snow mobile come out to bring me the rest of the way.

Duke and George

Unfortunately, the clouds have not cooperated long enough for us to see northern lights, overcast sky the norm; maybe tonight.

Another full day out on the tundra rover tomorrow. We are still looking for a Gyr Falcon. More bears tomorrow.

I will have to remember to tell you about the evening in the caribou skin tent drumming and singing with the local Inuit; a priceless experience that gave us all a greater appreciation for the many that came to this continent before us and the hardships they endured.

Cheers,

AG

Out on the Tundra

Sunrise is not until about 8AM so rising in the dark has become the standard for our time in Churchill.

After the usual fantastic breakfast at Gypsy's, we rendezvoused with the tundra rover that would be our home and protection from weather and bear for the day. Lisa, our skilled driver, and all participants rumbled off a brisk four miles per hour with great anticipation of sights to come.

All eyes scanned the impressively vast tundra and near shore ice in search of our first encounter with a Polar Bear. It wasn't to be. Our first encounter was with THREE bears, a mother and her two cubs, making their way through the gauntlet of large male bears that soon decorated all directions around the rover.

By days end, we had seen 37 different bear, Arctic Fox, "Silver" Red Fox, Willow Ptarmigan, Snowy Owl, and stupendous views of Hudson Bay.

The bears allowed us a view of their world, observing numerous bear behaviors, mostly slow walking and sleeping. It is very important at this time of year for bears to conserve energy until the ice freezes allowing passage out onto the Bay.

There has been much talk about bears in town this year. 14 or more were seen today on the ice just behind the hotel.

Later tonight, we will look for Northern Lights.

Tomorrow...dog sledding.

Thanks for reading.

AG

Arrival in Churchill

Wow! Up at 4AM. That is worse than birdwatching in May! Our early flight out of Winnipeg aboard the winter conditions outfitted ATR 42, one of the workhorses of the northern fleet, was early but way smoother than we all had anticipated considering the conditions on the two previous day.

Once up over the low cloud ceiling, the sun which we had not seen for two days, greeted us with a poetic start to the day. Two and a half hours later, we were on the ground, enjoying our first introduction to Churchill, "Polar Bear Capital of the the World."

We made a brief stop at the Polar Bear "Jail" where town roaming bears are taken until the ice forms, then to the famed Gypsy"s Diner for our first of many home cooked meals. We spent some time driving around town for an orientation kind of tour, checked into the hotel, did a little shopping, and then ventured over to the Eskimo Museum.

This small but inspirational museum talks superbly about the life of peoples in the north, how they manage with the harsh conditions, their relationship with Nanook (their name for the Polar Bear), and exhibits the best of Inuit art in its superb collection of carved soapstone and walrus ivory.

Pat Rouseau is a wealth of knowledge having lived many years along the eastern shores of Baffin Island. No bears today but none were expected or hoped for in town. Tomorrow we head south along Hudson Bay to Cape Churchill where we have heard that many bears are now congregating.

Cheers,

AG

Winnipeg: Gateway to the Canadian West
Our first sop today was Manitoba's provincial capitol building, a stunning example of the Free Masons' astounding abilities. The detail of the carvings in the fossil laden limestone, enormous bronze statues of bison, and shear elegance of the building were captivating.

With early winter grayness, raw, windy conditions, a day at the museum was a great way to introduce ones self to the environs of the Canadian north. The natural history and cultural museum here in Winnipeg is one of Canada's hidden gems.

This museum embraces the aboriginal cultures, early European influences, and northern ecology with superb focus and delivery. Displays include great information about the Hudson Bay Company and its early endeavors to tame the Canadian wilderness.

Dioramas were among the finest I have seen and rival the best New York and Boston have to offer. It was hard to pull tour participants from the very informative, entertainingly diverse exhibits offered by this museum.

This inukshuk is an ancient navigational aid used in the arctic and still used today, apparently more reliable than modern aids.

And apparently the gift shop was good too.

Early flight to Churchill tomorrow.

AG

Arrival in Winnipeg
Our intrepid group of travelers arrived with no delays or flight troubles. Winnipeg weather is a reminder of what's ahead for us in the next month or so at home with driving rain and frozen precipitation on the menu for tomorrow; hopefully clearing in time for our early flight on Saturday.
Delise and Joan

Our group dwindled a bit with Fran T. not being able to make it last minute. We will miss you Fran and promise to keep an eye on your husband Paul. He seemed to enjoy himself at dinner and truly is a kind and welcome addition to the adventurous team.


We have a number of single ladies on the tour, a large family group of five, two brother-in-laws, two young 10 year old boys, a retired attorney, a graduate of Yale Forestry School, an international investor, medical sales person, two artists, a retired executive, and a few more I have not yet discovered...a real eclectic group. It promises to be a very interesting eight days full of engaging conversation.

Pat Rouseau
Pat Rouseau, our Canadian guide with over 30 years of experience with the Canadian parks service, gave us our evening briefing of things to come. A great dinner kicked off the evening and anticipation of coming events has everyone energised...perhaps a bit more so after catching up on lost sleep from all the early morning departures.

More to come. Off to explore Winnipeg tomorrow.

Cheers, AG

Heading for Adventure

I have been packing for the last four hours, first starting with all the stuff that I think I need, and then culling it out to what I really need, about 65 pounds of gear, tripod, winter coat, and high tech thermal gear. Oh yeah...did I mention we are off to Churchill, Manitoba to see the annual Polar Bear migration? This will be my third time there and for many reasons promises to be the most memorable with a great group of travelers, including my wife and Sam, our ten year old son. I look forward most to seeing how Sam will react upon seeing his first bear, the largest land carnivore.

Well, lots of travel ahead for tomorrow. Talk with you soon.

Cheers,

AG

Traveling
I thought you could teach an old dog new tricks and get me to write a blog. I guess the key is to get the old dog to keep doing the trick, time-after-time, day-in-and-day-out, and all those axioms. I do enjoy writing it and sharing my explorations. So I really must promise to make a better effort.

I have some travel on the books with our Block Island Weekend earlier in the month, and other great adventures coming up with a tour to Churchill to view Polar Bears, a winter expedition to Arkansas to view thousands of geese, ducks, Red-tailed Hawks, and who knows...maybe a meeting with the bird of lore, the Ivory-billed Woodpecker, and in March a return to Cuba to participate in a migratory bird survey. So I have lots to write about. No excuses.

Block Island Travelers

Block Island was a stupendous weekend with the largest group of trip participants we have had in recent years. Everyone was so interesting, interested, and kind, making in a pleasure to share this peaceful island with them. The songbirds were prolific and the Peregrine Falcon show was the best I have ever seen in my 20 years of travel to the island.

Peregrine Falcon by Mark Jankura

I even have a little time to do some fishing with Sam, our ten year old. We have a lake in our backyard that is stocked with fish each spring and fall; luck with us to land one of the prized "Golden" Rainbow Trout. A stunner!

Sam and the prize!

If you would like to join me on one of the upcoming adventures, please be in touch. Lots of great places to see and experience. Talk with you soon I hope.

AG

Shorebirds

Wow! It has been a long time since I wrote anything for the blog. I guess it too has been a while since I got out for any serious birding. I've been busy getting people off to some great birding sites, including Monhegan Island in Maine. Lots of birding coming up with a trip this weekend to Block Island that I am leading with Joe B. We still have a couple of spots left for our Cape May trip, October 17 - 19, considered the best migration spot on the East Coast.

I was out on Sunday last weekend and ran into birding friend Hank G. The quality viewing of the great shorebird collection at Hammonasset was inspiring. The puddles at the west end were host to the best all-in-one view of some of the not so common sandpipers and plovers. The light level was a bit low for great photos but I did manage to snap a few.

If at all possible, I will try to post some stuff about what we are seeing out on Block Island this weekend. Follow along with our trip. It looks like the weather is staging the birds nicely. Early reports for the island include Lark and Clay-colored Sparrows, a Yellow-headed Blackbird, and a Dickcissel or two. Looks exciting!

Hope to see you all soon!

Cheers,

- A.

Semipalmated Sandpiper

Pectoral Sandpiper

Stilt Sandpiper

American Golden Plover

Whale Watch and Pelagic Birds

A group of 18 adventurers, Priscilla Wood and I headed to Plymouth, MA to join the whale watch last Saturday. My expectations for birds were low, as on most of these whale watches we have seen very few birds other than Wilson's Storm-Petrel. This day was not like those in the past!

After the 3 hour drive from Connecticut and the hour and 15 minute slog out to Stellwagen Bank, we saw our first pelagic species and the day began to get interesting.

Both Cory's and Greater Shearwaters were in good numbers and cooperative by sitting on the water as the boat moved by. Later as we stopped to view one of the three or four Humpback Whales we saw that day, the shearwaters came in close for great looks.

The first jaegers we encountered were Parasitic Jaegers, two flying close enough to get a good look but not photographic opportunities as we motored our way out to the whale site. Later, as we were looking at whales, two or more Pomarine Jaegers came very close, giving us more chance to study and compare them with the earlier jaegers.

In transit, we had the opportunity to get a brief look at a Sooty Shearwater sitting among some distant Cory's. There also, was a very brief and distant look at a Manx Shearwater and a few fast moving Wilson's Storm-Petrels.

The whales were equally as cooperative as the birds, showing us many behaviors including "Fluke Outs, Waving, and Logging," all at very close range. The Humpbacks were not the only whale species, as we too had a look at the much smaller Minke Whale.

A great day and not too far from home! Just your standard 14 hour work day for Priscilla and me.

Mississippi Kite

A couple of weeks ago two birding pals and I went up to Simsbury in search of the kites that had been reported from the area. We had some good luck without having to wait too long for them to make an appearance. I was able to snap a few shots, nothing great, but it does show the birds.

We saw the kites at close range a few times, once being able to hear the cicada it was carrying buzzing in its beak.

These occasional forays into the field with friends are great, the spirit of the chase always fun to share with others (and it saves gas too).

Early Paddling
This Monday through Wednesday, I have been out on the river at 7AM, paddling up one of my favorite back-waters in Old Saybrook. Monday had many nice surprises but Wednesday was the winner!

As I had checked my spot for Least Bitterns and all but given up, I decided to paddle all the way to the back of the 118-acre marsh and give it one more shot in some great habitat with towering cattails and wild rice making the passage look like a chapter out of African Queen. I followed a Great Blue Heron for abut a half mile, often getting within 20 feet or so without the bird minding at all. A Solitary Sandpiper was very cooperative, allowing me to take a few photos and listen to its plaintive call.













As I approached the inner reaches, I had a brief look at something splashing in the water just ahead of the Great Blue Heron. Whatever it was, it moved off just our of sight around the next corner. I rounded the corner and not more than 30 feet away was a River Otter looking at me; I looking at him. For 20 seconds I enjoyed a great look at this elusive predator, making his living in a remote marsh, not upset that few took notice. This was only the second time I have seen otter in Connecticut. I have seen them a few times in Florida. They are such characters, always on the move, exploring, and sticking their sweet little faces into everything. Truly special creatures of Mother Earth!

If you want to join me in October 2009, we can share an audience with the Giant River Otter in Brazil! Now there's a sight!

Shorebirds on the Move
South Beach, off the coast of Chatham, Massachusetts, is clearly one of the premier shorebird spots on the east coast. Our group of 13 met early to head east to experience the incredible volume and great variety of birds that this place offers. After a three and a half hour car ride, two pit stops, and a 15 minute boat ride, we were in shorebird heaven.

The wide expanse of food filled sand flats makes South Beach a superb feeding station for northern nesting shorebirds on their migration south. Marbled and Hudsonian Godwit, hundreds of Red Knot, a lone Arctic Tern, dowitchers, plovers, peeps, pipers, semi this and semi that, oh my goodness what a great day! Everyone saw at least one special bird that will hang in the memories for years to come. As we waited for our turn to take the boat back to the mainland, we enjoyed the patterings of the numerous Wilson's Storm-Petrels on the ocean side of the peninsula, and the dalliances of Harbor and Gray Seals as they moved just outside of the shore's thundering waves.

Great birds, good friends, and stellar weather all made for the kind of day that sooths you with a comforting afterglow. Thanks to everyone for their part in making this day special in our memories.


Red Knot







Arctic Tern
Hank G.











South Beach
Birders
Hank G.

Plastic Bags
Just got this link from Barbara S. about the incredible number of plastic bags we use; and of course the serious damage they can do to environment and animals alike.

http://www.poconorecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080506/MULTIMEDIA02/80505016

Paddling Equipment
I recently purchased a 12 foot kayak that I needed for a Least Bittern and King Rail study, the study site not being terribly accessible from the land side. I cannot tell you how great this boat is! The company that makes it is called Native and the model is their Ultimate 12, incredibly stable because of a unique pontoon-like hull design. It is a hybrid of sorts, combining the best parts of a kayak, canoe, and sit-on-top. The seat is superb in being like a beach chair; nylon webbing stretched over an aluminum frame. The boat itself is "plastic" so it can take a real beating as you wiggle through the marsh, mud, sticks and rocks. It is 30 inches wide.

There are always at least one or two things that are not so great with any boat, but that is inherent in being a boat. The Ultimate 12 is a bit heavy at 45 pounds but I find it not too bad to handle getting it on and off the car. There is a cup holder that is in the wrong place (right under your paddle possition) and the seat is sometimes tough to install and remove. All-in-all, if you are considering a kayak, you must give this one a try.

The costs of many kayaks are really quite affordable now. On a recent foray into Walmart, I noticed a $230 kayak that looked not-half-bad. Keep in mind, you may need to camouflage the bright blue with some camo decals if you are trying to see birds. Also, when selecting a paddle, purchase an all black model; to be less visible to birds. White, yellow, and brightly colored paddles with scare-off the birds. And always remember to observe from a distance; no loving to death.

CT Audubon and I will be offering some more paddle events before too long. We used to do paddle demos in the past and some trips where you could rent a kayak for the day. Let us know if this interests you by dropping us a note at ecotravel@ctaudubon.org and give me a call if you want some advice on purchasing a boat. Let us know if you already own a boat or are hoping to rent.

Cheers,

Andy