A week by Bedeque Bay

We walked in the rain this past weekend, such a lovely change after a week of blistering heat. Everything needed rain, including us. It cooled off yesterday and was much more comfortable.

The heat keeps my husband and me close to home but the boardwalk has been our refuge in the cooler early mornings. Sometimes the salt marsh looks deserted when we arrive at the gazebo but if you watch quietly, the marsh comes to life. 

One morning a few Black Ducks were feeding in the marsh but nothing else was obvious. 

Camera ready, I watched as a Great Blue Heron came out of the bulrushes 

and proceeded to fish in the marsh. I always enjoy those birds.

Nearby, a Yellowlegs had dropped by on its way south and bobbed around the marsh, feeding occasionally. 

A juvenile Robin fed in the sand along the perimeter of the marsh. 

A juvenile Starling did the same.

A Mourning Dove, calling from nearby was easy to spot. 

Not so the Sparrow because of its tiny size and colouring.

A Crow waded in the stream looking for morsels

while along the shoreline a young Herring Gull look pleased with itself for the discovery of the shell. 

I watched as the bird took flight and high above the beach, dropped the shell, breaking it.

The plants along the boardwalk are growing well and many are overhead, like this Queen Anne’s Lace which is about three metres high.

In another area of the boardwalk, the city installed three hammocks. 

These swingers are popular with residents and tourists alike, many stopping to relax and catch the view. The same area is a great place to meet friends for a chat too.

While we were there, one of the resident Great Blue Herons took flight from its fishing spot in Bedeque Bay. 

Another day, a Heron entertained some Gulls on a nearby sandbar.

I couldn’t check on the Sapsuckers this past week until Saturday. A day care program was using the area where the nest was located. By Saturday, when I could check, a young bird was calling and looking out of the nest. 

Finally this week, my husband and I have been free cycling some items through a local Facebook page. Canning jars, a bread-maker, a coffee pot and pods and a new cannister set all found new homes. They were picked up within minutes of posting about them. The gardening corner of the garage is next.

July beauty

One of the environmental highlights for us this past week on Prince Edward Island was a calm day, without any wind, when the sea and sky became one. On such a day, the horizon disappears and different elements are indistinguishable.

I wonder what the cormorant sees when it looks around?

Our family went camping this past weekend, so my husband and I had the golden grand-dog for a few days. Those days included a visit to the beach at Mont Carmel. Daisy can be off-lead there as few people frequent the beach. She loves to fetch a ball out of the water.

It was a calm day and local cottagers were enjoying water sports . Paddle boards, Sea-doos, 

and a hydrofoil provided hours of entertainment for the cottagers and those watching.

Other days we walked on trails where other walkers were obvious in the distance and Daisy could run free before they approached. Unfettered, she runs ahead and stops periodically waiting for the seniors to catch up. 

We know it was a successful outing with Daisy if she is tired afterwards. A tired dog is a good dog.

Nature provided hours of entertainment this past week as the parade of wildflowers continues along the trails. Along the Confederation Trail, fireweed is resplendent in some areas. 

Queen Anne’s lace dominates in places though the two are usually not together. 

In the fields, some potato plants are in blossom already while others have some growing yet to do. 

A wheat field that borders the Confederation Trail looks to have benefitted from the rain we’ve had recently.

Along the boardwalk, the wildflowers are doing well. Yarrow 

and St. John’s wort grow beside the trail and brighten the days with their colour. 

At more than a metre high, wild roses and vetch attract bees. We stopped to watch the bees among the roses as we could hear their collective buzz.

Another interesting sight this past week was a swarm of flies we suspect were midges. They are visible in the photo below 

and a close-up is better than I thought it would be. We were lucky they weren’t biting.

I was fortunate to see a Great Blue Heron fishing in the salt marsh one day.

Another fortunate photo was the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker with a beak full of pin cherries before it entered the nest to feed its young.

Finally this week, one evening, just after dark, we passed a young fox out hunting. It was near a wheat field where the hunting is good. The fox wasn’t afraid of us when we rolled down the window to photograph it. 

Our encounters and experiences in nature continue to brighten our days and keep us moving.

Early July on PEI

We had a quiet week, confining our activity to home and the boardwalk. It was hot and humid enough to keep us home one day. Several other days, we walked in the wind and rain. On those days, the camera was absent. However the area of the boardwalk always provides photo opportunities even if one gets there but one day a week.

Near the gazebo one day, multiple birdhouses decorated a tree. One can imagine children enjoyed this project and their efforts make the area a place of interest as people walk along.

One day, my husband and I watched as a Great Blue Heron came in for a landing near the salt marsh. 

We observed four Herons in that area as we walked the boardwalk later.

Meanwhile, the rodents are not to be outdone. Chipmunks are busy these days and a new generation is out and about, approaching walkers cautiously.

Red Squirrels are present year round. This one let me know it wasn’t pleased I didn’t provide any peanuts. 

When it turned sideways, I noticed its ear was malformed, the first time we had seen such a defect. The feisty little creature appears to be doing well.

On Saturday past, we saw a Snowshoe Hare again in the area we had seen several this past spring. 

With the number of Bald Eagles which have been in the area recently, we suspected the hares hadn’t survived. At least one did and it’s a beauty.

I suspected the Yellow Bellied Sapsuckers were finished with the nest. 

However, we walked earlier in the morning this past week and I discovered the nest is still busy with the birds, 

back and forth with food for chicks.

One day, a Starling waited around, 

watching the proceedings as adults occasionally poked their heads out but stayed in place at the sight of the other bird.

This Yellow Warbler added its song to that of the Song Sparrows another day. The Warblers are beautiful against the clear sky.

I couldn’t finish the week without sharing a photo of the Black Ducks, the reliables of the salt marsh. I hope everyone has their ducks in a row this coming week. 

We do…ahh…did.