Blooming May

It was a great week of weather, with sunny days though coats were required on the north shore due to the cool on-shore breeze. We even had rain one night to keep the farmers happy.

My husband and I made some new friends this past week, fellow blogger Dorothy and her husband Patrick, from New Hampshire in the United States. This is Dorothy’s blog   

https://thefrogandpenguinn.blogspot.com/     

When bloggers I follow visit the island, circumstances may prevent us from meeting. This week however, we were fortunate to be able to spend time with Dorothy and Patrick on the north shore and in Summerside. A shared enjoyment of nature and similar interests quickly made us friends.

On the north shore, we visited Savage Harbour where the lobster boats were returning to port. I captured one between a gap in the trees along the shoreline. 

I always photograph the remnants of these two trees along the shoreline when we visit the harbour. Despite their demise, they stand against the elements and the colours in the setting always appeal to me. 

On this excursion, we had a picnic at St. Peter’s Bay with Dorothy and Patrick.

Another day, we walked the part of the boardwalk with our friends. We were fortunate to see our first Great Blue Heron of the season in the salt marsh.

It stealthily fished in the marsh but my favourite photo was of its wings, which look like a heart in this shot.

There was a small flock of Cedar Waxwings along the boardwalk too. 

They are always a welcome sight. The Red Squirrels were their usual entertaining selves.

Dorothy and Patrick took us to lunch and we took them for dessert at Holman’s for homemade ice cream. The garden at Holman’s is lovely, full of blooms, including magnolias.

The canopy of magnolia is a beautiful though fleeting pleasure enjoyed for a few days every spring.

Finally, we bought gas this past week for the first time for our plug-in hybrid car which we purchased in early January. We drove 3200+ kilometres on a tank of gas and the hydro bill isn’t higher. This car, a Kia Niro, is perfect for our lifestyle and we are pleased with it.

A sunny week

This past week was sunny, a run of days when one enjoys being out and about, not wanting to miss the lovely weather. A warm day in Summerside doesn’t mean it is warm along the north shore however, so warm clothing was a must. Of course we had picnics. Unfortunately a week of excursions meant the garden didn’t get tidied after the long winter, but window cleaning is well underway between outings. 

Our first visit to Covehead this year included a stop by the lighthouse and a walk on the beach. 

Along the north coast this time of year, you can hear the lobster boats even though on occasion they aren’t visible on the horizon. Sometimes their traps are close to shore and you can watch as fishers work.

Further along the shore from Covehead, we walked the beach at Brackley that day as well. Part of that beach is closed to visitors now, to allow an endangered species, the Piping Plover to nest in the area. There is still lots of sandy beach to enjoy however.

Another morning, at Yankee Hill, before the clouds lifted, the sun peaked through, shining on the sand dunes in the distance. It foretold of the sunny day ahead.

At Northport on the northwest coast of the island, we watched the fishing boats return to port for the day. This is one of my favourite places to visit during the lobster season.

We also visited North Cape for the first time this year. It was another cool day, with the sights and sounds of the boats off-shore. The sea stack was formed out of a sea arch this past winter.

A small flock of Common Eiders made the day though I had seen them in the water off-shore previously. This time, the ducks were relaxing on some rocks along the shoreline and we could appreciate their size. The males are black and white.

I was impressed with the feathers and reminded of the warmth of eider down contained in a duvet when I was young. It was a treat to observe these great ducks.

In between, we walked the boardwalk and the Rotary Trail where the forest floor is beginning to turn green as plants appear out of the leaf litter. Along the trails, the promise of lupins next month is welcome..

Picnic season

My husband and I have been out and about this week between the raindrops and dressed for the cold. It was a lovely week in nature however, as we revisited Cavendish one day and explored the Dunk River Trail another. There we had our first picnic of the year on a cool but wind-free day.  The boardwalk provided a much better walk than the treadmill other days too.

It was a sunny day for our first picnic, as we sat at a table overlooking Scales Pond, which is a favourite fishing spot of many. 

The area was alive with birds twittering all around us. A Red-winged Blackbird joined us, watching from a nearby tree.

We walked part of the nearby Dunk River Trail that day, a trail which runs parallel to the river and is frequented by anglers too. 

We could hear the birds high in the trees but the only one we saw was a tiny Downy Woodpecker. 

At Cavendish, we walked along the trail by Clark’s Pond. A Bald Eagle sat atop an old snag near the pond. 

A large Snowshoe Hare was feeding along the trail. 

Osprey had rebuilt their nest which was destroyed over the winter. The female was incubating eggs and keeping an eye on the area.

Along the boardwalk, we saw the mother fox and her three kits. The little ones are out and about but look to be nursing still. I like this photo of the mother being nuzzled by one of the little ones.

I hope the young squirrels who are feeding along the boardwalk lately, can avoid the fox as she hunts nearby. This little one is the smallest Red Squirrel I’ve seen and it’s new to the boardwalk this week.

I am including webcam information of an Osprey nest at Old Tracadie Harbour, Prince Edward Island. The two Osprey have at least two eggs which the female is incubating. The dynamics of the pair of birds are fascinating to watch. I look forward to seeing the chicks. The webcam is 

here.

Have a great week everyone! 

In the early morning light

It had been a miserable week of weather on the island and most of our walking was relegated to the treadmill last week. By the weekend the wind and rain had cleared so we dressed for the cold and headed out.

One Saturday my husband and I walked our usual boardwalk route and the next day we headed to Malpeque. It was finally setting day as the miserable weather had prevented the start of the lobster fishery on the north shore. 

As usual, we weren’t early enough to see the boats leave port Sunday morning but we enjoyed observing the Great Blue Heron siege nearby. 

We were surprised the birds were up and about at 6 a.m. Maybe the activity in the area had roused them or this could have been their regular time to have breakfast. We watched them catch fish, 

some tiny like the one in the photo. 

Several flew off into the trees as we watched from the road, but the morning light provided a golden hue over part of the marsh.

Smaller birds, Yellowlegs, walked among the Herons too. They were unconcerned with the bigger birds and fed along the water’s edge.

As the light changed, it appeared to highlight the Herons.

Then, somehow, I took this photo. I changed settings and unknowingly took this picture as the morning light caught the Heron near the far shore.

Meanwhile, the lobster boats had set their traps, and near the lighthouse at Yankee Hill, we watched them return. 

Maybe we’ll be able to have our first picnic this week.