Summertime Wilderness, Canada | Fascinating Places | Go Wild

in Hudson Bay in the northeast of Canada the ice only starts to melt late in the year and then the rugged landscape is transformed during the brief Arctic summer Hudson Bay becomes a paradise for animals [Music] long before the pack ice in Hudson Bay has melted completely the first harbingers of spring appear along the coast [Music] migrants begin to arrive in their Millions [Music] they spread out over the wide Coastal Nolans in search of food and nesting sites [Music] Arctic turns are a symbol of the far north although they're only seasonal guests arriving from the other end of the world Antarctica as soon as they touch down they begin to breed over 250 species of birds spend the summer around Hudson Bay their single goal to rear their young as fast as possible While others are already breeding industriously this Robin is still in search of a partner well Into Summer tidal currents push ice flows into the estuaries they're resting places for Birds Out Of Reach of predators for the biggest predator of all the polar bear it's high time to get to the mainland its hunting grounds are the pack ice in winter this is where it hunts seals but now In Summer with the ice sheet broken up the chances of catching any prey are nion zero for polar bears summer in Hudson Bay is a time of fasting and probation [Music] as soon as the last snows have melted life on the mainland simply explodes [Music] nature awakens almost at a single stroke [Music] the arctic fox has shed his white coat almost completely his brown summer coat is lighter and offers better camouflage he marks his hunting grounds with urine [Music] mice eggs and young birds top his summer menu but the sandhill crane is a little too large for him [Music] the tundra is now Ablaze with Vivid colors [Music] goslings must learn quickly how to survive foreign a pair of geese can have up to a dozen chicks the little ones don't get fed they learn by example what's edible and where danger lurks for red foxes the chicks are easy prey with the Bountiful food supply a vixen can welp several times a year the Hudson Bay Coast in summer offers red Fox's excellent living conditions [Music] if only it weren't for the annoying pests shallow ponds and lakes dot the coastal plains of Hudson Bay their ideal breeding grounds for insects such as mosquitoes and blackflies days larvae begin to hatch from the eggs that were laid in water thank you they feed mainly on micro particles that they swirl into their mouths with brush-like mouth parts several Generations hatch in a single season [Music] there are so many their swarms almost darken the skies [Music] bloodsuckers are the curse of the Arctic it's a Scourge for wildlife because on Land There Is No Escape [Music] directly at the coast a fresh Breeze keeps most of the pests away the polar bear could sleep the entire day away here were it not for high tide the polar bear's scientific name is ozos maritimus the Sea Bear and they were so named with good reason polar bears are excellent swimmers bathing regularly in summer to cool off shallow bays and Rocky lagoons dot the Hudson Bay Coast [Music] and in summer a bloom it's a fascinating landscape full of life not where one would expect to see polar bears they seem out of place in an environment saturated in color but somehow they also seem at ease and at times curious [Music] polar bears can see colors like humans so for them too summertime in Hudson Bay is also a visual feast [Music] among the blossoming Fireweed there's plenty of activity the animal world must make good use of the short arctic Summer's bounty only for the kings of the north is summer a time of indolence deprived of their main source of food seals they must feed primarily off their own fat Reserves and indulge in the luxury of doing nothing [Music] summer pushes up temperatures in the shallow lagoons along the shoreline [Music] sheltered coves Bloom green with algae the nutrient-rich waters support a diverse ecosystem Kaplan abound in the coastal Waters up to 25 centimeters long these Shoal fish are too small and fast for polar bears to catch for Arctic turns however these fish are an important food source without the shoals the birds could not feed their young in nose Dives these skillful Hunters pick one fish after another out of the water polar bears sometimes raid bird colonies a good reason to attack the intruder [Applause] after all it is breeding season the parent birds feed their chicks incessantly with fish raising chicks is a strenuous time for adult birds especially as they also have to deal with white Giants foreign but this polar bear is evidently not interested in eggs or chicks the edges of ponds are often brackish and sludgy to navigate without getting your feet dirty [Music] the shallow water areas have a magical attraction for countless Birds Snipes find plenty of small creatures in the mud worms snails and crabs [Music] thank you but he tries unsuccessfully to stay clean some birds have unusual fishing methods the fallow ropes spinning dance moves are intended to stir up insects and small Crustaceans to the surface [Music] but if a clumsy polar bear ruins their foraging attempts the dance is over in the mid-summer heat the weather in Hudson Bay can be unpredictable the thunderstorms happen regularly accompanied by gale force winds but for some storms have their blessings churned up sea brings small fish to the surface making them easy prey for seagulls [Music] the gulls Gather in their hundreds and dive into the waves in a Feeding Frenzy [Music] summer storms take their toll over the years countless ships have run aground on the flat hard to chart Hudson Bay Coast at the end of August when the fire weed Withers summer begins to draw to a close [Music] most polar bears are very hungry by now [Music] going after an Arctic ground squirrel would be pointless faced with danger the animals just dive into their Burrows [Music] the local name is 66 they mostly eat seeds and berries occasionally however they'll also go for small birds and mice [Music] towards the end of summer the berries ripen in the tundra even polar bears succumb to the Sweet temptation but for the 6X it's the best opportunity to stock up on their energy Reserves all this mother bear wants to do is rest with her offspring If Only The Cheeky Raven will allow it [Music] in early September the weather changes again [Music] storms come in from the north temperatures drop the short Autumn has arrived polar bears dislike strong winds their sense of smell and hearing become less reliable so they will often wait on the leeward side of rocks until the storm has abated [Music] other migratory birds begin to gather for their departure the polar bears still have to wait it out on the shore only when the Hudson Bay is once again frozen over will they be able to get out onto the pack ice [Music] millions of migratory birds leave Hudson Bay in autumn [Music] they face a long journey heading for warmer Southern climes [Music] the polar bears stay behind they're hoping it will turn cold soon with the departure of the last migratory Birds Hudson Bay Falls silent the polar bears still have a long wait before winter sets in with climate change the Arctic summers are getting longer while this might be beneficial for migratory Birds it means that today the Bears of Hudson Bay must spend a month longer on the mainland than they did just 30 years ago one day perhaps the summer might just last too long for them to survive [Applause] [Music]

Channel: Go Wild

Views: 12,888

Keywords: orf universum, documentary, blue chip, natural history, secrets of nature, planet earth, wildlife, free documentary, watch full documentary, nature films, wildlife films, go wild, nature, natura

Id: Fjf3gWSsIMk

Length: 16min 41sec (1001 seconds)

Published: Thu Jul 20 2023