2011 & 2010 Churchill MBWeeks
CHURCHILL MBWEEK SUMMARY
June 4 - 18, 2011
Also see the PHOTO GALLERY from this MBWeek following the summary
There were so many highlights on our second MBWeek to Churchill & Manitoba, that it's hard to know where to start. Was the most memorable experience on the Churchill portion of the trip that Polar Bear seen by some of you on the optional Sea North boat trip? (I know it was for me because I missed it!) Or was it the mama fox with her 3 nursing babies at their den? All those seals hauled up on the Hudson Bay ice? The meals and hospitality by Frederick et al. at Gypsy's Bakery? The extra time we had to relax in the new observation car on the chronically late (~4 hours each way) Via Rail trips?
Or, farther south in Manitoba, perhaps the most lasting impression were the endlessly flooded fields (transformed into lakes) and dramatically swollen rivers. (Remember the Souris River in Melita? At the time of this writing, it's now flooding a partly-evacuated Minot, ND.) Or the huge Lynx which strolled across the road in Riding Mountain as we looked for owls. Or the cattle drive which followed us for 4 miles no matter which way we turned and herded us away from some key birding spots. And who can forget that incredibly curious and tacky banana totem in Melita?!
Oh yeah, almost forgot, I guess we did see lots of birds, too. In all, there were no fewer than 236 species during the entire MBW, with 108 of these seen in Churchill. During the June 4-12 "train & Churchill-only" tour, there was a total of 181 species (i.e., from Winnipeg to Thompson to Churchill and back to Thompson).
Among all these birds, the highlights included: a distant King Eider on the Churchill River, a dust-bathing Spruce Grouse, lots of Willow Ptarmigan (especially from the train), photogenic pairs of Pacific Loons, a close & classic Clark's Grebe on our last day, a Ferruginous Hawk nest with 4 young, Red Phalaropes among our 25 shorebird species, Sabine's and Little gulls (among 14 species of gulls/terns), the Burrowing Owl pasture west of Melita and a Great Gray at Riding Mountain, 2 Am Three-toed Woodpeckers, displaying Sprague's Pipits (after the cattle dispersed), those 3 handsome longspurs (including an unexpected Smith's and unprecedented numbers of Laplands), 21 warbler species (but no Connecticuts), plus a distant Baird's and much closer Nelson's sparrows (among 18 sparrow species).
Thanks to all of you for coming along, helping to spot all those birds, and making this MBWeek possible and so memorable. Special thanks also go to Mary, Alice, the Albins, and the Tanamachis for providing their vehicles.
Itinerary:
June 4 - Arrival in Winnipeg; 5:00pm birding option at Oak Hammock Marsh.
June 5 - Highway 6 to Thompson, with birding en route at Oak Point, Ashern, Pelican Creek, Devil's Lake, and Grand Rapids.
June 6 - Morning and early afternoon along Highway 6, at Paint Lake Provincial Park & Joey Lake Road; 5:00pm Via Rail departure for Churchill.
June 7 - Arrival in Churchill at 1:00pm; afternoon at the granary ponds and Cape Merry.
June 8 - Churchill: granary ponds, Akudlik, Goose Creek/Hydro Road & the Weir, evening option to Cape Merry.
June 9 - Churchill: Launch Road, Camp Nanuck, Twin Lakes Road, Cook St, evening option to Cape Merry.
June 10 - Churchill: granary ponds, Goose Creek/Hydro Road & the Weir, RX Road, Lake Isabelle, Landing Lake Road.
June 11 - Churchill: pre-breakfast option to Cape Merry; Lake Isabelle, Landing Lake Road, Goose Creek/Hydro Road & the Weir, Sea North boat trip option; 9:00pm Via Rail departure for Thompson.
June 12 - Arrival in Thompson at 5:30pm; evening option along the Millennium Trail (except for Mary et al. who started their long drive home via an overnight stay in Ashern).
June 13 - Drive to Wasagaming/Riding Mountain National Park via Highway 6 to Ashern, Highways 325 - 68 - 5 to Highway 19 into Riding Mountain; evening option on Highway 10.
June 14 - Riding Mountain National Park: North Shore Road, Audy Lake Road, Highway 19/Lake Katherine, Highway 10 to Moon Lake and Boreal Trail, evening option on Highway 10.
June 15 - Pre-breakfast birding along Highway 262 and Audy Lake Road; departure for Brandon via North Shore Road, Highway 19, Mt Agassiz Road, and Highways 5 - 16 - 10.
June 16 - Southwestern Manitoba in the Melita-Pierson-Lyleton area; evening option to Douglas marsh.
June 17 - Return to Winnipeg via Brandon Hills, Whitewater Lake, Ninette/Pelican Lake, and Stephenfield Provincial Park.
June 18 - Departure for home.
Bird List:
B = boreal forest zone (Hwy 6-Thompson-Riding Mountain, June 5-6 & June 12-15)
C = Churchill (June 7-11, including June 7 & June 11 portions of the train)
P = prairie-pothole-grasslands zone (Oak Hammock, June 4; Brandon-Melita-Winnipeg June 16-17)
Greater White-fronted Goose C
Snow Goose BCP
Ross's Goose C
Cackling Goose C
Canada Goose BCP
Tundra Swan C (possible Trumpeters also seen elsewhere)
Gadwall BCP
American Wigeon BCP
American Black Duck BC
Mallard BCP
Blue-winged Teal BC
Northern Shoveler BCP
Northern Pintail CP
Green-winged Teal BCP
Canvasback BP
Redhead BP
Ring-necked Duck BP
Greater Scaup C
Lesser Scaup BCP
King Eider C (distantly on Churchill River, thanks to a tip from John)
Common Eider C (the males groaning with stomach distress?)
Surf Scoter C
White-winged Scoter C
Black Scoter C
Long-tailed Duck C
Bufflehead BCP
Common Goldeneye BCP
Hooded Merganser B
Common Merganser BC
Red-breasted Merganser C
Ruddy Duck BP
Ruffed Grouse B (heard-only)
Spruce Grouse C (male dust-bathing despite our prolonged voyeurism)
Willow Ptarmigan C (incl more than usual from the train)
Sharp-tailed Grouse BP (incl a few seen from the train)
Wild Turkey P
Red-throated Loon C (fewer than normal)
Pacific Loon C (pairs posing for photo-ops)
Common Loon BC
Pied-billed Grebe P
Horned Grebe C
Red-necked Grebe BP
Eared Grebe P
Western Grebe P
Clark's Grebe P (at Ninette on Pelican L)
Double-crested Cormorant BP
American White Pelican BP
American Bittern CP
Great Blue Heron BP
Great Egret BP (unusually far north along Hwy 325)
Black-crowned Night-Heron P
Turkey Vulture BP
Osprey BC
Bald Eagle BC
Northern Harrier BCP
Sharp-shinned Hawk B
Cooper's Hawk P
Broad-winged Hawk B
Swainson's Hawk P
Red-tailed Hawk BCP
Ferruginous Hawk P (incl a nest with 4 young!)
Rough-legged Hawk C
American Kestrel BP
Merlin CP
Peregrine Falcon C
Virginia Rail P (heard-only)
Sora BCP
American Coot BP
Sandhill Crane BC
Black-bellied Plover C
American Golden-Plover C
Semipalmated Plover C
Killdeer BCP
American Avocet P
Spotted Sandpiper BC
Greater Yellowlegs B
Willet BP
Lesser Yellowlegs C
Upland Sandpiper BP
Whimbrel C (fewer than normal)
Hudsonian Godwit C (ditto)
Marbled Godwit BP
Ruddy Turnstone C
Semipalmated Sandpiper C
Least Sandpiper CP
White-rumped Sandpiper C
Baird's Sandpiper C
Dunlin C
Stilt Sandpiper C
Short-billed Dowitcher C
Wilson's Snipe BCP
Wilson's Phalarope P
Red-necked Phalarope CP
Red Phalarope C (best view along Twin Lakes Rd; also on Hydro Rd)
Sabine's Gull C (more sightings than usual)
Bonaparte's Gull BC
Little Gull C (finally, close views at rest & in flight on our last day!)
Franklin's Gull BP
Ring-billed Gull BCP
California Gull B (distantly along Hwy 6)
Herring Gull BC
Thayer's Gull C (stealing dog food along the RX Rd?)
Glaucous Gull C (ditto)
Caspian Tern P
Black Tern BP
Common Tern BC
Arctic Tern C (fewer than normal)
Forster's Tern BP
Parasitic Jaeger C (some chasing terns on the Churchill R)
Rock Pigeon BP
Mourning Dove BP
Burrowing Owl P (3 or 4 accompanied by their student researcher)
Barred Owl B (an owling consolation prize on Hwy 10)
Great Gray Owl B (unexpectedly along Hwy 262 – sorry, Cyndi!)
Short-eared Owl C (only once at Cape Marry)
Common Nighthawk B
Ruby-throated Hummingbird BP
Belted Kingfisher B
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker BP
Downy Woodpecker BP
Hairy Woodpecker BP
American Three-toed Woodpecker BC (unexpected on Landing Lake Rd; also on North Shore Rd)
Northern Flicker BCP
Pileated Woodpecker B
Eastern Wood-Pewee B (heard-only)
Alder Flycatcher B
Willow Flycatcher P
Least Flycatcher BP
Eastern Phoebe B
Great Crested Flycatcher BP
Western Kingbird P
Eastern Kingbird BP
Loggerhead Shrike P (seen twice; a rarity in Manitoba)
Yellow-throated Vireo B
Blue-headed Vireo B
Warbling Vireo BP
Red-eyed Vireo BP
Gray Jay BC
Blue Jay B
Black-billed Magpie BP
American Crow BCP
Common Raven BCP
Horned Lark CP
Purple Martin BP
Tree Swallow BCP
Bank Swallow P
Cliff Swallow BP
Barn Swallow BP
Black-capped Chickadee B
Boreal Chickadee BC
Red-breasted Nuthatch B
White-breasted Nuthatch B
Brown Creeper B (heard-only)
House Wren BP (heard-only)
Winter Wren B (great scope views at Paint Lake)
Sedge Wren BP (heard-only)
Marsh Wren P
Golden-crowned Kinglet B
Ruby-crowned Kinglet B
Eastern Bluebird BCP (unusual in Churchill)
Mountain Bluebird P (along the bluebird-house road en route to Saskatchewan)
Veery B (heard-only)
Gray-cheeked Thrush C (best view on Nodwell Trail)
Swainson's Thrush B
Hermit Thrush B (heard-only)
American Robin BCP
Gray Catbird BP
Brown Thrasher BCP (unusual in Churchill)
European Starling BCP
American Pipit C
Sprague's Pipit P (finally, great views after the cattle drive passed!)
Bohemian Waxwing C (unexpected wanderers along the Launch Rd)
Cedar Waxwing BP
Lapland Longspur C (hundreds of them!)
Chestnut-collared Longspur P (#3 in best-looking longspur vote?)
Smith's Longspur C (unexpected find after last year's miss!)
Snow Bunting C
Golden-winged Warbler B (Mt Agassiz Rd)
Tennessee Warbler B (deafening!)
Orange-crowned Warbler BC
Nashville Warbler B
Yellow Warbler BCP
Chestnut-sided Warbler B
Magnolia Warbler B
Cape May Warbler B (more than usual)
Yellow-rumped Warbler BC
Black-throated Green Warbler B
Blackburnian Warbler B
Palm Warbler C
Bay-breasted Warbler B (best on Joey Lake Rd)
Blackpoll Warbler C
Black-and-white Warbler BP
American Redstart BP
Ovenbird BP
Northern Waterthrush BCP
Mourning Warbler B
Common Yellowthroat BP
Canada Warbler B
Eastern Towhee B (Mt Agassiz Rd)
American Tree Sparrow C
Chipping Sparrow BP
Clay-colored Sparrow BP
Vesper Sparrow BP
Savannah Sparrow BCP
Grasshopper Sparrow P
Baird's Sparrow P (one distantly – but one more than any other group found!)
Le Conte's Sparrow BP (heard-only)
Nelson's Sparrow P (out-of-place in wet upland hayfields)
Fox Sparrow C
Song Sparrow BP
Lincoln's Sparrow BC
Swamp Sparrow BCP
White-throated Sparrow BC
Harris's Sparrow C (Cape Merry)
White-crowned Sparrow C
Dark-eyed Junco BC
Rose-breasted Grosbeak B
Indigo Bunting BP
Bobolink BP
Red-winged Blackbird BP
Western Meadowlark BP
Yellow-headed Blackbird BP
Rusty Blackbird C
Brewer's Blackbird P
Common Grackle BP
Brown-headed Cowbird BP
Orchard Oriole P
Baltimore Oriole B
Pine Grosbeak C (best at Bilenduke's feeders)
Purple Finch B
House Finch B
Common Redpoll C (fewer than normal – and no Hoarys)
Pine Siskin B
American Goldfinch BP
Evening Grosbeak B (more than usual at Riding Mountain)
House Sparrow BCP
Significant Others:
Snowshoe Hare
White-tailed Jackrabbit
Red Squirrel
Least Chipmunk
Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel
Franklin's Ground Squirrel
Richardson's Ground Squirrel
Beaver
Muskrat
Coyote
Red Fox (female with 3 young at their den)
Lynx (crossing Hwy 10!)
Black Bear
Polar Bear (on the boat trip!!)
White-tailed Deer
Moose
Harbor Seal (mostly in the Churchill River)
Ringed Seal (mostly on Hudson Bay ice)
PHOTO GALLERY
* * *
CHURCHILL MBW SUMMARY / JUNE 5 - 14, 2010
Also see the PHOTO GALLERY from this MBWeek following the summary
Consider that a few of the VENT tours I've done in the past, which included Riding Mountain's boreal forests and an extra day in Churchill, had species totals "only" in the 220-230 range. So, I'd have to say our shorter MBWeek with a grand total of 222 species has to be considered a success. (Note there were also 2 other Kittson County-only birds.) On the main portion of the trip we had 172 species, and we added 50 more on the SW Manitoba option after we parted ways on June 12.
Of course, as every tour does, we "missed" a few things of note. In Churchill, the Ross's Gull has been highly elusive and mostly mythical in recent years, while the Smith's Longspurs arrived inexplicably late this year (i.e., a few days after we left town). And in SW Manitoba, the Ferruginous Hawks were unexpectedly elsewhere as we sorted through too many Red-taileds, the only known Say's Phoebe wasn't around the day we visited Broomfield, and Lark Buntings are marginal/absent in wet years (such as this one).
But I think these few certainly paled in comparison with all our successes. Before we even got to Churchill we found an unexpected Great Black-backed Gull at Grand Rapids, a pair of N Hawk Owls along Hwy 6, plus a lone Great Gray hunting farther north along 6, and yet another from the train.
Our first day in Churchill was highlighted with shorebirds (27 species in all during the trip) and Little Gulls at the Churchill River's weir. The next morning at Cape Merry in Churchill was swarming with literally 100s of loons (mostly Red-throateds), several Arctic Terns and Common Eiders (with 2 male Kings among them!), a few Sabine's Gulls (with more to come later), and a nearby Red Phalarope at the granary ponds. (And don't forget the Belugas!) Later, in the Studies Centre / Twin Lakes area, there were Parasitic Jaegers at a nest, a classic male Hoary Redpoll, brief Bohemian Waxwings, some entertaining Willow Ptarmigans, and 2 point-blank Spruce Grouse.
Post-Churchill, there was time on our drive south to locate an Am Three-toed Woodpecker (and distant White-winged Crossbills) on the Joey Lake Rd, to relocate the N Hawk Owl pair, and for the Brandon group to find a surprising pair of Philadelphia Vireos by the east entrance to Riding Mountain. Then, SW of Brandon, the highlights included a shy Burrowing Owl, 2 close Sprague's Pipits on the road (plus several others heard), a lone but eventually cooperative Baird's Sparrow on a fence wire, and finally a handsome Nelson's Sparrow (also on a wire) at Whitewater Lake.
So, thanks for being a part of our first Churchill MBWeek, of which I trust there will be many more. And thanks again for your gratuities (never expected but always appreciated). Kim
ITINERARY
June 5. Meet 3:00pm at Lancaster, with extra cars left at Larry Wilebski's cabin; drive via Hwy 59, around Winnipeg, and Hwy 6 to Ashern for the night.
June 6. Pre-breakfast option E of Ashern along Hwy 325; drive to Thompson via Hwy 6 with birding stops at Pelican Creek, Devil's Lake, Grand Rapids dam, Sasagui Rapids, and Pisew Falls.
June 7. Morning birding at Paint Lake Provincial Park; return to Thompson for afternoon/overnight Via Rail train (late departure at 2:45pm) to Churchill.
June 8. 7:30am arrival in Churchill (almost on time); Churchill River, granary ponds, and Goose Creek Rd/Churchill River weir/Hydro Rd.
June 9. Granary ponds, Cape Merry, Launch Rd, Lake Isabelle/Akudlik, Landing Lake Rd, return to Goose Creek Rd/Churchill River weir.
June 10. Lake Isabelle/Akudlik, Camp Nanuck, Twin Lakes Rd/Cook St, and return to Cape Merry; 7:30pm overnight/morning Via Rail return to Thompson.
June 11. 1:00pm arrival in Thompson; afternoon birding at Joey Lake Rd.
June 12, Part I. Return drive to Ashern, with brief birding stops at Great Gray site, Pelican Creek, and Grand Rapids; 1 vehicle returns to night in Winnipeg (and return to MN June 13).
June 12, Part II. Other 2 vehicles continue to Brandon for night via Lake Manitoba's "narrows", E entrance to Riding Mountain Nat'l Park. Neepawa, and Minnedosa.
June 13. Back roads in SW corner of Manitoba around Melita, Lyleton, Pierson, and Broomfield; evening at Brandon sewage ponds and Douglas Marsh.
June 14. Morning at Whitewater Lake & vicinity; afternoon return to MN via Boissevain, Pelican Lake, La Riviere, Morden, and Hwy 59.
BIRD LIST
Notes
- boldface = tour highlights (i.e., unexpected rarities or "non-Minnnesota" species)
- SW = 50 species only seen on the June 12-13-14 SW Manitoba portion (starting mid-day in Ashern)
- H = heard-only
Greater White-fronted Goose
Snow Goose
Ross's Goose SW (unexpected on the pond E of Boissevain)
Canada Goose
Tundra Swan
Wood Duck
Gadwall
American Wigeon
American Black Duck
Mallard
Blue-winged Teal
Northern Shoveler
Northern Pintail
Green-winged Teal
Canvasback
Redhead SW
Ring-necked Duck
Greater Scaup
Lesser Scaup
King Eider (thanks to a tip from Bonnie)
Common Eider (why so rare in MN?!)
Surf Scoter
White-winged Scoter
Black Scoter
Long-tailed Duck (incl unfamiliar breeding-plumaged males)
Bufflehead
Common Goldeneye
Common Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Ruddy Duck SW
Gray Partridge SW (3 sightings, mostly by car #1 only)
Ring-necked Pheasant SW,H
Ruffed Grouse
Spruce Grouse (2, thanks to the Elderhostel group)
Willow Ptarmigan (Twin Lakes Rd; also seen from the train)
Sharp-tailed Grouse
Red-throated Loon (100s at the mouth of the Churchill R)
Pacific Loon (best views at L Isabelle)
Common Loon
Pied-billed Grebe SW
Horned Grebe
Red-necked Grebe
Eared Grebe SW
Western Grebe SW (especially Pelican L)
American White Pelican
Double-crested Cormorant
American Bittern
Great Blue Heron
Snowy Egret SW (Whitewater L)
Black-crowned Night-Heron SW
White-faced Ibis SW (Whitewater L)
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Bald Eagle
Northern Harrier
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Swainson's Hawk SW
Red-tailed Hawk (too many!)
American Kestrel
Merlin
Peregrine Falcon
Yellow Rail SW,H (several on both sides of the Douglas marsh road)
Virginia Rail SW,H
Sora SW,H
American Coot SW
Sandhill Crane
Black-bellied Plover
American Golden-Plover
Semipalmated Plover
Killdeer
American Avocet SW (only at the pond E of Boissevain)
Spotted Sandpiper
Solitary Sandpiper (Joey Lake Rd)
Greater Yellowlegs (ditto)
Willet SW
Lesser Yellowlegs
Upland Sandpiper SW
Whimbrel
Hudsonian Godwit
Marbled Godwit
Ruddy Turnstone
Sanderling
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Least Sandpiper
White-rumped Sandpiper
Baird's Sandpiper
Dunlin
Stilt Sandpiper
Short-billed Dowitcher
Wilson's Snipe
Wilson's Phalarope SW
Red-necked Phalarope
Red Phalarope (lone female at the granary ponds)
Sabine's Gull (incl yellow-tipped bills)
Bonaparte's Gull
Little Gull (black underwings distantly but clearly visible)
Franklin's Gull
Ring-billed Gull
California Gull SW (Whitewater L)
Herring Gull
Thayer's Gull
Glaucous Gull
Great Black-backed Gull (only casual in MB)
Black Tern
Common Tern
Arctic Tern (like the eider, why so rare in MN?!)
Forster's Tern
Parasitic Jaeger (at Cape Merry & a Launch Rd nest)
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Black-billed Cuckoo H
Great Horned Owl SW
Northern Hawk Owl (Pelican Cr pair seen both going & coming)
Burrowing Owl SW (also declining in MB)
Great Gray Owl (the one on Hwy 6 probably had nearby young)
Short-eared Owl (twice in Churchill)
(Chimney Swift / Karlstad only)
Ruby-throated Hummingbird SW
Belted Kingfisher
Downy Woodpecker SW
(Hairy Woodpecker / Larry W's cabin only)
American Three-toed Woodpecker (Joey Lake Rd)
Northern Flicker
Alder Flycatcher
Willow Flycatcher SW (uncommon & local here)
Least Flycatcher
Eastern Phoebe SW
Great Crested Flycatcher SW
Western Kingbird SW
Eastern Kingbird
Loggerhead Shrike SW
Yellow-throated Vireo SW
Blue-headed Vireo
Warbling Vireo SW
Philadelphia Vireo SW (uncommon & local at Riding Mt)
Red-eyed Vireo
Gray Jay
Blue Jay
Black-billed Magpie
American Crow
Common Raven
Horned Lark
Purple Martin
Tree Swallow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow SW
Bank Swallow SW
Cliff Swallow
Barn Swallow
Black-capped Chickadee
Boreal Chickadee (Bilenduke's feeder)
Red-breasted Nuthatch H
House Wren
Sedge Wren
Marsh Wren SW
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Eastern Bluebird
Mountain Bluebird (along the road with all the houses)
Veery H
Swainson's Thrush
Hermit Thrush H
American Robin
Gray Catbird SW
Brown Thrasher
European Starling
American Pipit
Sprague's Pipit SW (unlike the Baird's, easier to find in MB)
Bohemian Waxwing (Twin Lakes Rd)
Cedar Waxwing
Tennessee Warbler (deafening!)
Nashville Warbler H
Yellow Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler SW
Magnolia Warbler
Cape May Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Palm Warbler
Bay-breasted Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
American Redstart
Ovenbird
Northern Waterthrush
Connecticut Warbler H
Common Yellowthroat
Eastern Towhee (unexpected near Ashern)
American Tree Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow
Clay-colored Sparrow
Vesper Sparrow SW
Lark Sparrow SW
Savannah Sparrow
Grasshopper Sparrow SW
Baird's Sparrow SW (very uncommon & local now in MB)
Le Conte's Sparrow (Whitewater L)
Nelson's Sparrow SW (singing male posing on a fence wire)
Fox Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Lincoln's Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Lapland Longspur (still migrating through Churchill)
Chestnut-collared Longspur SW (a few handsome males)
Snow Bunting (also still migrating)
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Bobolink SW
Red-winged Blackbird
Western Meadowlark
Yellow-headed Blackbird SW
Rusty Blackbird (more than usual)
Brewer's Blackbird
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
Orchard Oriole SW
Baltimore Oriole SW
Pine Grosbeak (Bilenduke's feeder)
Purple Finch
House Finch SW,H
White-winged Crossbill (Joey Lake Rd)
Common Redpoll
Hoary Redpoll (a "perfect 10")
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow
PHOTO GALLERY
