A Tagged Whimbrel EH!

Jan 2 2013 Tagged Whimbrel.

Below is a message that popped up on my Flickr account this morning shedding light on a tagged Whimbrel I had photographed in Churchill, Manitoba in early June 2013.
I was in Churchill for avian migration and no, there weren't any Polar bears. I had sent the information in months ago and had a quick response but today more information arrived to shed some light on the bird in question. 
I had been photographing some Stilt Sandpiper when I spotted this bird. It was a long distance shot and I didn't notice the tag at first. 
What I love is the EH tag. Many Canadians, even myself a transplanted Brit include at the end of our sentences.  As in beautiful plumage, eh!

Below is the message:
"Hi John, 
We first tagged this guy on June 21, 2011, at his nest near Launch Rd at Camp Nanuq. I assume that's where this was taken? He was there this summer again, too! Thanks for getting a shot of him, and on an early date. We just got back our first set of geolocators from the Churchill Whimbrel, and in 2013, they all arrived on the breeding grounds between May 26 and 29. He probably spends his winters in Pará, Brazil."

Andy Johnson

 Whimbrel EH!

Churchill Part 3 Some Final Thoughts

May 31 2013 Churchill Manitoba.
What are some of the things I learnt from my trip to Churchill? A good set of clothing for a start, a sturdy pair of boots and lots of layers of clothing, the same combination I would wear on a cold frosty or wet day in Vancouver. Even though I was out on the Tundra for ten hours at a time I was never cold. One moment the wind off Hudson Bay would be bitter cold then the winds would drop and the temperatures would rise several degrees. There were no bugs during my visit but by mid-June onwards you'll need both insect repellent and sunscreen.
As for photography the most important was to have at least three sets of batteries, one in camera, one ready to go and another in an inside pocket keeping warm. It wasn't always that cold, there were days of sun and there were also snow flurries so an exposed camera sitting on a tripod soon had depleted batteries. Whenever I changed locations I would put the battery packs on the truck dash to warm up, it seemed to work. I would also take along a plastic garbage bag or two, one to lie on and to get lower angles of your subject and one to cover your camera when not in use or between locations. The same as you would on an African Safari as the Churchill roads were beginning to get a little dusty and you don't want to have to clean your sensor every night.
As for timing your trip the best time is when you are there. Weather can be unpredictable. This year Spring was late but the birds still arrived on time, they were just less active and hungrier. The first day I could hardly find a bird, but slowly I began to see the little movements, hear the warblers singing and spot the Ptarmigan. I believe patience is the key.

Common Redpoll (Acanthis flammea)

Willow Ptarmigan (Lagopus Lagopus) in spring moulting phase.

Packing for these types of trip can be problem as Calm Air have a restriction on the size of bag that can be taken into the cabin. I was lucky as my plane was half empty but during the Polar Bear season space can be more limited so pack wisely. You could always go with Via Rail for about $1000 return (private cabin) and baggage isn't such an issue. The train does offer less expensive options. Plane return is about $1300 but perhaps more in Polar Bear season. The one advantage about the train is the opportunity to edit files and rest after a strenuous shoot (I can hear my wife laughing)

I learned that there is much more to Churchill than just cute Polar Bears, there's plenty to keep the history buff happy, the best First Nations museum in Manitoba and genuinely friendly people. There are also Beluga Whales in July, Northern Lights in early Fall and Polar Bears in Oct and November. There were none on my visit but I was warned to keep close to my vehicle in case there was a straggler around, sometimes an old bear who hadn't left could pose danger.

I will be going back for sure but with more knowledge and confidence.

Gray Jay (Perisoreus canadensis)  Boreal subspecies with white crown and dark nape.

Good Birding

Churchill Part 2 Three Sparrows

May 28 2013 Churchill, Manitoba Day 2.
The Tundra was beginning to reveal its secrets. Lesser Yellowlegs, American Golden Plover, Horned Grebe, Bonaparte's, Herring, Glaucous and Thayer's Gull, Northern Harrier, Canada Goose, , Common Raven, Northern Flicker, American Robin, Common Eider, Blue-winged Teal, Merlin, Northern Pintail, Harris, Savannah, White-crowned and Fox Sparrows, Slate Coloured Junco, Sandhill Crane. Red-necked Phalarope, American Widgeon, Tree Swallow, Tundra and Trumpeter Swans and the year round resident the European House Sparrow...not a bad count for one day, EH!

Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca) These Sparrows from the Hudson Bay area are much
redder and are one of four subspecies of Fox Sparrow.

Harris's Sparrow (Zonotrichia querula) in full breeding plumage.

White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys)
Note the extensive white on this bird (gambelii subspecies)

Churchill Manitoba Part 1

May27- June 1 2013 Churchill, Manitoba. Canada
Part two of my three week road trip began in Winnipeg. A Churchill bound VIA Rail train leaves three times a week and is one of the great rail journeys of North America. The train leaves Sunday noon with two nights on board arriving in Churchill Tuesday morning. I chose a cabin as this allowed me to edit my files from the Ontario portion of the trip and catch up on some sleep.
The changing landscape was an added bonus as the rolling farmland and lakes slowly changed to Aspen to stunted tundra Lodgepole Pine. As the train neared Churchill a single Sandhill Crane kept pace with the train before heading off and Willow Ptarmigan could be seen sitting in bushes.
Once in chilly Churchill my host Yijon kindly drove me around and at one of our stops a pair of nesting Merlins noisily made their presence known. I took a few quick shots as a Raven was nearby and I didn't want to draw the birds from their nest.

Merlin (Falco columbarius)

My first day out on the tundra was one of assimilation, the terrain so different from anything I had ever experienced. My very first shot was a Lesser Yellowlegs atop a tree, normally I would see them on the beaches of Vancouver. I then decided to go into the nearby Churchill Northern Studies Centre to get some tips about where exactly to look for birds. They were very helpful and had hot coffee. Slowly but surely the tundra began to reveal its secrets. A flock of American Golden Plover feeding on insects, a Northern Harrier hovering overhead and a pair Bonaparte's Gulls beginning the nesting process. Churchill doesn't give up its secrets easily so patience is a requisite, something I had cultivated when I used to fish.

The cold wind off Hudson Bay meant wearing three of layers of clothing so whenever possible I photographed from the truck ($75 rental a day and $2.08 a litre for gas) the vehicle also acted as a blind and windbreak. Next up was a trip along Goose Creek Rd, where a number of ponds and sloughs had thawed and were being used extensively by Hudsonian Godwit as well as Stilt, White-rumped and Solitary Sandpipers. There were also a smattering of Short-billed Dowitchers which were easy to identify as similar looking Long-billed rarely visit Churchill.

Hudsonian Godwit (Limosa haemastica)

 I had photographed Stilt Sandpipers (below) at Refel on their Fall return migration to South American but to see them in full breeding plumage was especially rewarding. Occasionally a Merlin would disturb the feeding shorebird flocks and reveal single sandpipers like the White-rumped hidden amongst the Stilts. All very exiting, enough to make one forget about the cold.

Stilt Sandpiper in breeding plumage (Calidris himantopus)

Snow Bunting (Plectrophenax nivalis)

Melting snow opens up new feeding opportunities. Seeds and insects make up most the Buntings diet.

Next was a visit to 'The Beach" a ramshackle collection of cabins and fish boats near to the downtown core. A flock of Snow Buntings were feeding on the foreshore. Common Eider, Thayer's and Glaucous Gulls were out on a distant ice flow. One bird that is present year round is the European House Sparrow.

Finally, I include a distant record shot of a Whimbrel with a tag. If anyone has any ideas about its origin please let me know.

Whimbrel with EH tag