A day with sparkle

We make the most of the days without much wind on Prince Edward Island, enjoying our time on the boardwalk immensely. Any day we don’t have to put hoods up and heads down as we walk along the familiar path is a bonus day. This particular day was very different from the one described in my previous post however.

It was a grey blue sky day and earlier than we normally arrive at the boardwalk. A hint of the colourful sunrise just an hour earlier remained in the eastern sky and the Confederation Bridge disappeared into the ether. 

The air was bitingly cold, with that east coast dampness that cuts to the core. Winter without the wind!

My husband and I noticed the sparkles on the water, where the ice was forming overnight. 

The bay hasn’t frozen over yet this season but nature has cast her icy wand over the sea a number of times. Every time, a return to mild temperatures foiled her efforts. Later this week, an Arctic blast of air will probably do the trick however.

This particular day, the view from the bridge presented an interesting phenomenon 

as hoar frost had collected on the bulrushes and grasses in the marsh and only there. 

The sparkles in the scene can be seen in close-ups of the bulrushes and grasses. 

Meanwhile, on the bay, ducks swam among the sparkles too.

And all the while, regardless of conditions, other animals go about their business. A Hairy Woodpecker made his presence known as he tapped on a tree. 

A fascinating discovery was a small flock of Common Redpolls, a species I had never seen.

It was a sparkling day along the boardwalk alright!