This last week provided challenges due to continued record-breaking temperatures in the North. It is mid November and there is no ice buildup yet, and the bears are noticeably less active in these unusually high temperatures. We did, however, have one of the most memorable afternoons in my 13 years of guiding Churchill polar bear trips, as we just parked next to a couple of sleeping males and watched the show come to us. In my nearly 20 years of guiding wildlife expeditions I have learned that patience is one of the most valuable tools that I utilize. Here is a summary of 3 hours waiting for action to happen, and the images that patience produced.
As a guide it can sometimes be difficult getting a group to be patient and wait for action to come to them instead of actively searching. Luckily this group was excellent, understood our strategy, trusted us, and were very happy when we were rewarded. These are some of my favorite images I have taken this season so far, and some of the most unique that I have ever gotten in 13 years. The weather is finally getting colder up in Churchill and I have one more photo trip left. I can’t wait to get back up there and see what we see!
We observed a snowy owl sitting on a patch of snow getting harassed by a pair of ravens. There is an Inuit legend that tells why the raven is black that goes as follows: The world was originally all white, as were all the animals and birds. A raven and an owl talked about how boring this was, so they decided to paint each other with black. The raven spent a long time decorating the owl with black markings on its tail and back, and was pleased with the owl’s new look. The owl was unhappy with the design, yelled at the raven, dumped all the paint over the raven, and they have been black ever since.
After playing it cool for a while, as these two aggressive ravens circled and vocalized, the owl finally took off and showed his talons.
A little while later we saw another owl sitting at the water’s edge.
As we waited near a pair of two huge male polar bears taking a nap, an Arctic fox trotted by, waking up the bears in an instant. These bears are accustomed to having foxes around them as they will follow the bears onto the sea ice and clean up the scraps from their seal kills.
Arctic fox
A small, aggressive male runs into this larger male sleeping in a bed of kelp, and chases him off. You can see the submissive posture of the fleeing male.
This sleepy big guy avoids a smaller, but more aggressive male. Most bears avoid confrontation when they can.
After running away, the large male looks behind at the younger aggressor and yawns, which is one of the first signs that indicate a bear is under stress.
The next day we waited for most of the day along the same stretch of coast and were rewarded when a female and large 1-year-old cub arrived to feed on dead kelp.
This little 11 month old cub fed on washed up kelp along the coast. We think kelp provides some relief to the empty-belly period that bears endure as they wait for the ice to form. Bears must have the ice as a platform for hunting seals.
4 Comments
Great photos. The paws are so large, amazing. The fox and owl are so beautifully white. Loved them all.
Thanks for the update & the fabulous photos. Patience is a virtue we should all cultivate, especially when you sign on for a wildlife adventure. The bears are what we want to see, but on a slow, windy, grey afternoon waiting, I got some wonderful photos of the tundra landscape & a real sense of winter’s sometimes bleak majesty.
Dear Brad
thanks for sharing these wonderful photos. We have wonderful memories of the trip with you during the first week of November this year. Best wishes
The photos are great. Thanks for that, it made me more aware of the wonders we saw so recently. I wish the bears the best and keep trying to do more to help the earth.