Lake Ellesmere

Lake Ellesmere is an incredible place. Every summer thousands of arctic migrants touch down after a journey of 11 000km for some. They have one priority: to fatten up for their journey back. As a result, us photographers have a season of bliss photographing these travellers from the north. I went to Lake Ellesmere in hope that I might find some early arrivals but instead I found some pretty cool natives. 

Meet the Banded Dotterel or Pohowera - the most adorably fierce wader I have met. As I lay down to photograph him (or her - I can’t tell the gender) instead of running away, he ran to me until he was a few metres away. What a nice fellow.

A Banded Dotterel strutting his stuff - look at that flashy leg crossover!

What an adorable bird, I could photograph them all the time!

I also met a few of Lake Ellesmere’s other inhabitants.

The three musketeers - some very chubby Welcome Swallows.

Some Pied Stilt flybys. It was great to watch all the air traffic go by but unfortunately, I blew the whites on the Stilts.

A huge flock of Grey Teal, the sheer biomass of teal was incredible.

What a successful day.