Max's Grand Adventure: Heading South Which Way Do I Go? Once they are strong enough, Max and the other young golden-plovers flock together and launch upon their Grand Adventure, leaving the only home they've ever known - the Arctic coastal plain. Although he's never flown the route before, Max's instincts tell him which direction to go to reach the warm climate of South America, where his parents and the other adult golden-plovers have already arrived. Max heads southeast over central Canada. He flies about 2-1/2 miles above the rugged countryside where mountains rise up into the sky, black spruce and Jack pines sway in the breeze, and rivers meander. After traveling some 2,000 miles, Max reaches the Hudson Bay of Canada. The waters from Hudson Bay and nearby James Bay contain beluga whales, seals and walruses. Their estuaries provide nourishment for flocks of geese, ducks and loons. The tundra surrounding Hudson's bay is habitat for caribou, moose, otter, muskrat, beaver, lynx and polar bear. As he approaches the vast bay, Max spies many species of other migratory birds that use the coastal lowlands of the Hudson Bay for breeding and staging. Max notices a large number of lesser snow geese nestled among the Wild Sweet Pea, Raup's Indian Paintbrush and grasses around the bay. After resting briefly, Max resumes his journey. The days are growing shorter and colder. Previous Page  |  Next Page Back to "Max's Grand Adventure" Index All About Max  |  Max's Grand Adventure From Alaska to our Backyards  |  Amazing Arctic Birds  |  Links