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High Arctic & Northwest Territories
This unique High Arctic birding tour, a perennial favorite, takes in three different areas; the exquisite high Arctic tundra above the Arctic Circle and far north of the tree line, the boreal forest and lakes around Yellowknife, NWT, and the aspen parkland and potholes of Central Alberta. We could encounter a diverse array of birds and mammals, from King Eiders to Pacific Loons, Snowy Owls to Swainson's and Rough-legged Hawks, Long-tailed and Parasitic Jaegers to Sabine's and Thayer’s Gulls, and American Bison to Arctic Foxes.
At Cambridge Bay on Victoria Island, Yellow-billed Loons nest on remote lakes, Red-necked and sometimes Red Phalaropes in resplendent summer plumage inhabit ponds, Tundra Swans and Sandhill Cranes enliven the tundra, Stilt and Baird’s Sandpipers give their strange songs, and a scarce nesting species such as Buff-breasted or White-rumped Sandpiper may show up. The area is steeped in history and culture, from explorers searching for the Northwest Passage to the Inuit of the western Arctic. The high quality and exciting wildlife viewing make for a long-remembered tour!
Day 1 - Arrival and Orientation
Our High Arctic & NWT birding tour begins in the evening in Leduc, just south of Edmonton, Alberta, and close to the airport. We meet for dinner at 6:30 pm for a meet-and-greet and for a brief introduction and orientation. Night in Leduc.
Day 2 - Elk Island National Park
We first visit several local lakes for a first introduction to species of central Alberta. Eared and Red-necked Grebes, over 12 species of waterfowl including Ruddy Duck, Black Tern, American White Pelican, American Avocet, Franklin’s and California Gulls, Purple Martin and Yellow-headed Blackbird are usually present. Swainson’s and Red-tailed Hawks hunt over pastures that are occupied by Richardson’s Ground-squirrels. Wet meadows support Le Conte’s Sparrows and Sedge Wrens, and occasionally Bobolinks. We then head towards Beaverhill Lake; the lake has been shrinking in size and the shorelines are now grassy fields where Mountain Bluebirds, Vesper and Clay-colored Sparrows and sometimes Short-eared Owls breed. Next we head to Elk Island National Park; over 200 species of birds have been identified in the park. Year-round residents include Hairy and Pileated Woodpeckers and Boreal Chickadees. Migrant and nesting passerines include Gray Catbird, Red-eyed and Blue-headed Vireos, Western Tanager, Le Conte’s and Nelson’s (Sharp-tailed) Sparrows, Ovenbird and Mourning Warbler. Marshes and ponds support a diverse array of waterbirds including Trumpeter Swan, Forster’s Tern and Ring-necked Duck. The park is also home to 44 different species of mammals, including wapiti (elk), moose, white-tailed deer, coyote, muskrat and porcupine. The most noticeable of the park’s mammals are the two different sub-species of bison. If we hear reports from local naturalists of northern species of owls, we may head north of Edmonton to the edge of the boreal forest where our target species would be boreal forest owls such as Great Gray and Northern Saw-whet Owls. We could also add to our tally of mammals with beaver and red fox. Night in Leduc.
Days 3, 4 and 5 - Yellowknife
We leave Leduc, head to the airport and board our plane to Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. In the Yellowknife region we explore boreal habitats in the Great Slave Lake area, looking for specialties such as Mew and Bonaparte’s Gulls, Rusty Blackbird, Sandhill Crane, Northern Shrike and Bohemian Waxwing. We may encounter several boreal forest species such as Tennessee, Wilson’s, Blackpoll and Orange-crowned Warblers, Alder and Olive-sided Flycatchers, Canada Jay, Western Tanager, and White-crowned, White-throated, Swamp, Fox and Lincoln’s Sparrows. Lesser Yellowlegs perch on the tops of trees, Horned and Red-necked Grebes are widespread, and Pacific Loons nest on some of the larger lakes. A highlight, weather permitting, will be a boat ride in Yellowknife Bay, an arm of Great Slave Lake, the second largest in Canada, and up the Yellowknife River; we tour among the house boats and islands of the bay and have a chance at lake species such as Surf Scoters, Red-breasted and Common Mergansers, Osprey, Bald Eagle, and Arctic, Caspian and Common Terns. Yellowknife has several interesting stores and we’ll take in a couple during our stay. Nights in Yellowknife.
Day 6 - Flight to Cambridge Bay
We spend the morning birding around the Yellowknife area before taking an afternoon flight to Cambridge Bay. We spend the rest of the day getting our bearings about town, noticing that the common town birds are Snow Buntings and Lapland Longspurs - quite a change from House Sparrows and Starlings! Night in Cambridge Bay.
Days 7-10 - Cambridge Bay
From Cambridge Bay we make daily excursions to various birding locations around town. One day we travel by vehicle on one of the few roads in the area to the base of Mount Pelly, (providing the road is passable) where we should encounter species such as American Golden, Black-bellied and Semipalmated Plovers, Semipalmated, Baird’s and Stilt Sandpipers, Red-necked Phalarope, Long-tailed Jaeger, Arctic Tern, Horned Lark, Lapland Longspur and Snow Bunting. American Pipits breed on the slopes of the mountain. The impressive Yellow-billed Loon breeds in this area so we will look for nesting pairs. We also look for groups of Muskox, although they have become very scarce in recent years. Arctic fox and Arctic hares are here, and if it is a year of high lemming numbers, then Snowy Owls will be nesting, as well as Pomarine Jaegers; if not, then both species can be absent.
On another day, we travel along the West Arm to Dease and Simpson Straits which overlook the Northwest Passage. Throughout the day we hike out onto the tundra looking for signs of lemmings, and watch for all three species of jaegers, Short-eared Owl and Rough-legged Hawk. As well, we will enjoy the abundant waterfowl, loons and shorebirds, perhaps with their broods. Greater White-fronted and Cackling Geese, Tundra Swans, King and Common Eiders and Long-tailed Ducks might have flotillas of young, Pacific Loons will be on just about every medium-sized pond, Red-throated Loons forage close to shore, and many shorebirds that may include Buff-breasted, Pectoral and White-rumped Sandpipers will be scattered over the tundra. Our eyes will be constantly searching the chilly frozen waters of the Northwest Passage for ringed seals hauled up on the ice.
On a third day, we take a track into the interior of the island, looking for nesting birds such as Red Phalarope, Sabine’s Gull and Parasitic Jaeger. We will attempt to drive along an inlet of Dease Strait to view where Roald Amundsen’s ship, the Maud, was until recently when it was taken back to Norway. We also visit an ancient traditional Inuit hunting site marked by stone tent rings and seal caches on the tundra. We take in the town dump and sewage lagoons, where Glaucous and Thayer’s Gulls gather and in the past we have found Bonaparte’s, Slaty-backed and Glaucous-winged Gulls, and sometimes several Sandhill Cranes. Redpolls are here, and sorting Hoary from Common is a challenge. Furthermore, there is always the possibility of a southern vagrant; over the years we have found such unlikely species as American Robin, Hermit Thrush, Bald Eagle and Harris’s Sparrow. We will also experience the beautiful flora and butterflies of the tundra. The information centre is worth a visit, perhaps for some souvenir shopping. Nights in Cambridge Bay. On Day 10, we board our plane for Yellowknife and on to Edmonton. Last night near the Edmonton airport.
Day 11 - Departure
Our High Arctic & NWT birding tour concludes today. You can transfer to to the airport for your flights home anytime today.
• Yellow-billed Loon
• King Eider
• Sabine's Gull
• Red Phalarope
• Long-tailed Jaeger
• Snowy Owl
• Thayer's Gull
• Arctic Tern
• Muskox
• Arctic Fox
2019 High Arctic & NWT species list trip 1 (pdf)
2019 High Arctic & NWT trip 2 (pdf)
2018 High Arctic & NWT tour (pdf)
2017 High Arctic and NWT tour trip 2 (pdf)
2017 High Arctic and NWT tour (pdf)
2016 High Arctic and NWT tour (pdf)
2015 High Arctic and NWT tour (pdf)
2014 High Arctic and NWT tour (pdf)
2013 High Arctic and NWT tour (pdf)
2011 High Arctic and NWT tour (pdf)
2009 High Arctic and NWT tour (pdf)
2008 High Arctic and NWT tour (pdf)
2007 High Arctic and NWT tour (pdf)
2006 High Arctic and NWT tour (pdf)
2005 High Arctic and NWT tour (pdf)
2004 High Arctic and NWT tour (pdf)
2003 High Arctic and NWT tour (pdf)
Victoria Island has a relatively small road network, which we completely cover. We are never more than an hour’s drive from the Hotel. There will be no need for early morning risings as we will witness 24 hours of daylight! Bird activity often peaks at mid-day! Polar Bears are very unlikely to be encountered; however we should see Arctic Fox, Ringed Seal, Arctic Hare and lemmings. Muskox have become very scarce in recent years around Cambridge Bay. We can expect a high diversity of land and water birds during our visits to central Alberta and the Yellowknife area.
The daily itinerary on our High Arctic birding tour will be responsive to weather conditions. Driving will be limited to either small or moderate stretches. Lunch will be picnics or purchased sandwiches. The weather can vary from a sweltering 25C to around freezing in the day, with sometimes night-time frosts. It has snowed on past tours, and participants should layer their clothing as conditions can change quickly while we are in the field. Participants should include bug repellent and perhaps a head net in their luggage, as there will be some mosquitoes, especially in Yellowknife! Sturdy footwear that will keep your feet dry is recommended, as we will be doing some tundra hiking. Each evening a log-call follows the evening meal. We review the day’s events, birds, mammals and other observations and look forward to the next day’s activity.
• Flights from Edmonton to Yellowknife and to Victoria Island plus return included
• A two hour boat trip in Yellowknife Bay
• Breakfasts and lunches included
• All accommodations
• Ground transportation
• Guides
• All park, conservation and entrance fees
• Gratuities
Not Included:
• Flights to and from Edmonton
• Travel Insurance
• Evening meals
• Items of a personal nature
" Arctic landscapes and birds around Cambridge Bay were magical! Arctic birds easy to see and put on some great performances for us: cranes dancing, Jaegers swooping, distraction displays of many kinds, chicks running across tundra, lemmings at our feet, etc. 5 Stars" - 2016 High Arctic & Northwest Territories Participant
“It was our first multi-day tour ever. It did not disappoint. Even though we are only modestly experienced birders, we enjoyed the experience, our guides Richard and Steve were both geniuses at finding birds and good company to boot!” - 2016 High Arctic & Northwest Territories Participant
“The tour was well-planned with attention to all details and logistics. The ratio or tour guide to guest was right on. The tour guides were excellent and informed, patient, and attentive to each person’s interests and abilities. We spent just the right number of days in each location. We had different types of experiences in addition to birding – time to hike, shop, meditate. Just the right balance.” - 2016 participant
“Excellent! How did you put this all together at such low cost? Well done! Richard and Steve, so knowledgeable and so willing to share that knowledge. Always engaging us! The Arctic a must see for all!” - 2016 High Arctic & Northwest Territories Participant