Churchill Polar Bears - Day 2

The area around Churchill, on the shores of Hudson Bay, is an amazing place.  As winter sets in, it's pretty hard to imagine animals surviving, let alone thriving in a place with this climate.

Today was a cold snowy day, with wind chills down to -30 F. that made me huddle down in my coat a little deeper than normal.  There were fewer animals out and about, as if they too just wanted to get in out of the wind.  We did find some bears, though.  This one was digging out a snow cave to find some shelter, and appeared to just want a nap.

I got a real treat when we spotted ptarmigan in the snow.  In their winter coloration, they were really hard to see.

What could we use to top off the day?  How about northern lights?  We were treated to a real show, as bright, vivid colors danced across the sky.  It almost made us forget about the wind and the temperature as we shot images.

Now to see what tomorrow brings.