The joy of summer

Prince Edward Island is a windy place though in the heat and humidity of summer, the island breeze makes it bearable. Two days this past week however, we had winds approaching 70 kilometres an hour. It was hard to keep a hat on unless it was tied down. We walked early those days, as usual, glad for the breeze in spite of its velocity.

It was interesting to watch the birds on such days. On the way to the boardwalk, one would know from the flock of landed gulls that the wind was high. They stand into the wind as did the two Black Ducks 

and two Yellowlegs in the salt marsh that day. One female Green-winged Teal was too hungry to care about the wind.

On a calmer day, a Great Blue Heron was feeding just outside the marsh in the bay, in the same area as in the first photo. 

Quite a difference in conditions those two days!

Later that same morning I saw five other Herons along the north shore of Bedeque Bay. One was particularly beautiful, 

standing on its own, watching for its breakfast to swim past. Two others were preening as a gull flew over.

While the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker chicks appear to have fledged this past week, squirrels have been entertaining us. I have watched them among the trees in the same area 

and have seen them carrying peanuts away from the nearby bridge where walkers leave them. One squirrel was barely visible along the forest floor, carrying a nutty treasure.

By the time I arrived at the bridge myself, a man was passing out peanuts to the Blue Jays and other birds in the area. I watched as a squirrel came along to take a peanut and head back to the same area I had come from. 

Our golden grand-dog has spent an extra long weekend with us this past week and will be leaving for home later today. We will miss her.

If a senior wants to stay active, a dog is one way to do it. Some days we did two walks, trying to use up some of that young dog energy. As I’ve written before, Daisy will keep retrieving a thrown ball, stick, or frisbee until your arm drops off. 

We always walk the Confederation Trail with Daisy, letting her off lead when we can.

The section of trail we frequent doesn’t have as many apple trees as other parts of the trail. However, this crabapple tree is loaded with apples already though we haven’t tried them.

The wildflowers along the trail always catch my eye.

Also, the buckwheat growing in several fields along the route is in full bloom 

and looks so beautiful through a hedge of wildflowers. 

The wheat, rich in colour now is easily recognizable from the trail.

Finally this week, after spending so much time with Daisy, I realize how much joy she finds in the simple things. 

I wish you such joy!

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.