flying into the Churchill airport
All photos on this site are the property of Brian Elliott and were taken in or near Churchill, Manitoba, Canada from July 23 to August 4, 2006. Click on any small image to see a larger image.
Herring gull and chicks
Churchill is one of the top birding sites in Canada. The boreal forest and the Arctic tundra meet here providing a rich environment for a variety of birds to find food and nesting sites.
Whimbrels
Notice the long, down-curved beak. These birds were common in gravel areas.
Be bear aware!!!
Cape Merry near town
Churchill River estuary with belugas
Northern pintail with chicks
A huge number of North American waterfowl migrate each year to the tundra regions of Canada and Alaska to nest.
Miss Piggy,an old downed plane
A local motel
My rental truck
Churchill grain elevator
A railroad was built to Churchill in the early 20th century to carry grain from the plains of Manitoba and Saskatchewan to European markets via Hudson Bay.
The grain elevator from Cape Merry
Beluga
Up to 3500 hundred beluga whales come to the Churchill River estuary to feed and calve during the summer. Whale watching is a growing eco-tourism industry in the area.
I went snorkeling with belugas.
beluga underwater
lesser yellowlegs
Low tide. A bear is walking.
Churchill is renowned for it's polar bear population. The bears gather here in large numbers to await the winter freeze-up of Hudson Bay so they can go and hunt their favorite food---seals. I saw five bears while in Churchill.
bear on rocks
Fireweed
the famous Tundra Buggys
You've probably seen these in documentaries about polar bears.
Pacific loons
The Ithica
A local rusting landmark.
Churchill homes
Look out for bears!
Signs all around Churchill warn you to not walk in areas where bears may be hiding.
Pete giving an intro field discussion on boreal trees
The main reason I went to Churchill was to participate in an Earthwatch Expedition on climate change research. Pete Kershaw, from the University of Alberta in Edmonton, led the team.
Tundra scar -- an old road
The tundra, like the desert, is a very fragile environment. Disturbances last a very long time.