The wonders of nature

Temperatures have dropped making warmer clothes a necessity. My husband and I have probably had our last picnic for the year but our outings will continue. Late last week, it was a windy, overcast day on the boardwalk but in the distance in the Northumberland Strait, we could see the sun had broken through the cloud, making a streak of brilliance on the sea.

I have noticed the tree behind this bench every time we walk the boardwalk.

Over seven days, the tree went from green to yellow. 

Another sign of the advancing autumn is the coming end of the lobster season this year. One day last week, I saw a boat in the distance near the Confederation Bridge. I tested the limit of my camera and my ability to hold the camera steady to take this photo. 

One calm day this past week, we drove to Water Street to see if there were any Great Blue Herons along the shoreline. 

We counted twenty of the birds in the area which, with the rising tide, began to disperse. 

One flew along the shoreline towards the salt marsh where we normally see a Great Blue.

This past week we saw numerous ducks in the marsh. One day, a flock of small ducks, Green-winged Teals, 

enjoyed the marsh, along with the usual Mallards 

and Black Ducks. 

Along the shoreline, some of the smallest gulls in the world, the Bonaparte’s were in a line behind the largest species, a Great Black-backed Gull. 

There is a huge variation in size among gulls.

We met with our friends, Helen and Frank this past week and walked a part of the Rotary Trail in Summerside, through the colourful autumn canopy. 

Maples are a big part of the forest in the area and the Striped Maples are in various stages of  autumn splendor. 

Some are still green while others are translucent yellow before they fall onto the trail. The Red Maples make a pretty covering on the forest floor too.

Along that trail, Helen spotted an American Toad, a great discovery camouflaged among the autumn leaves. 

Finally this week, our daughter took this photo of the Aurora Borealis. 

The colours were bright enough to lighten the night sky to resemble day. We have never seen such brilliant colours though we’ve seen the Aurora numerous times, especially when we lived in Buchans, Newfoundland.

P.S.

Helen and Frank are leaving the island this week, beginning their journey back to Australia. We will miss them and look forward to their return next summer. Safe journey, friends!

Spring around here

A lovely spring day brought us to Malpeque on the north shore of central Prince Edward Island where the boat basin was a busy spot. The basin still has ice and though the lobster season in the area begins on April 29th, boats won’t be in the water for another few days. Most are stored in the yards of the fishers’ homes, though not all homes look like this one.

Meanwhile, the work has begun, as fishers prepare their gear such as traps for the busy season ahead.

We spoke with two fishermen there. One had purchased his fishing license many years ago for $120,000. Now the same licence goes for $7,000,000. He is retired from other work but continues to pursue lobsters every season for the two months this lucrative fishery is open.

Meanwhile, another man told us he still uses thirty-six of the old style lobster traps, the traditional ones with the curved design. The newer traps, a rectangular design, stack better on the boat. He had purchased fifty of the new ones recently, at a cost of $9,000 to replace some which had been damaged or lost.

We talked about Newfoundland and the cod fishery pursued by my grandfather out of Petty Harbour. He had used hand lines, with hooks baited with squid. Fishermen caught squid the evening before they left the harbour at daylight. Such a fishery was sustainable. Later, fishing trawlers, also known as daggers, larger vessels pulling nets behind them over the cod’s spawning grounds, destroyed the cod fishery which has been closed for over thirty years.

A sustainable fishery is the goal. However, warming sea water will affect fish and shellfish in this area. Last September, hurricane Fiona didn’t lose as much strength as normally happened when such systems passed over the colder waters of eastern Canada. Warm water feeds such a system. This past winter, the sea on the north shore of Prince Edward Island did not freeze. While the basin at Malpeque froze, the coastline didn’t. I fear hurricane season this year.

However, seasonal activity continues as daylight lengthens, winter snow melts, sea ice in the bay at Summerside moves with the wind and snow continues to fall occasionally. Undeterred by the tardiness of spring around here though, migrating birds are returning, such as the Great Blue Herons near Malpeque that day. It is spring on Canada’s east coast.

Something new every day

My husband and I walk the boardwalk most days about mid morning, before it is too hot. One of the good things about the area is the breeze along the coastline which cools us as we go. The area which we frequent, is different day to day and my husband and I enjoy discovering what is new or different. 

We always start at the gazebo to see what is happening at the salt marsh/pond that morning. 

There are usually American Black Ducks but if we are lucky, one of the Great Blue Herons who return to Bedeque Bay every summer is visiting the marsh too.

Birds are some of my favourite animals. Birds of any size, shape and description are fascinating to me and I enjoy observing them. I take numerous shots with the hope of one good photo. I especially enjoy photos of birds when several species are in the frame. 

I was pleased this month to see these three species co-existing at the end of the marsh, with the sea in the background. 

The American Black Ducks live in the marsh, moving easily between the marsh and the bay. 

Gulls are always around the bay and this may be a Herring Gull. 

We watched the Great Blue Heron disappear into the bulrushes.

The same day we saw an Osprey that lives in the area perched on a pole which gives it a great view of its domain. 

We hear Osprey and see them hunting sometimes along our way.

A Yellow Bellied Sapsucker was busy among the trees as well. This one stayed at this particular tree long enough for me to take a photo.

Another of the treats that day was the chicory plant which was blooming beside the trail.

It was the first such plant I’d seen along the trail and I’ve noticed it every day since. It is a pretty wildflower which is used in medicine and as a cooking spice.

We always notice the chipmunks too. 

They are so tiny this time of year. Could they be any cuter?

Every day our favourite place for a walk has something which is picture worthy.

Greats in the bay

We thought they’d left already. Great Blue Herons had been missing from the bay for a few days. Then, there they were, upwards of fifteen of them spread out along the bay by the boardwalk in Summerside.  Migration is in the air now as temperatures at night are in the single digits on occasion. My husband and I are happy to observe them at every opportunity.

 

Last month, we watched as one of the Greats caught its lunch as it stood near a sandbar. 

We didn’t know at the time, but it had caught a Sculpin. 

While humans don’t eat Sculpins, herons do. I watched the bird as it turned away from shore to eat the fish. 

Our most recent encounter was with 10-15 of the large birds on a day with a slight breeze. It was hard to keep count of them since they flew around the bay, checking out different areas in the falling tide.

My husband’s photo of four of the Greats with the blue background of a heavy overcast day was my favourite group photo of that day. 

Photos of the Greats in flight show the huge wing span. 

Photos of them landing show the feet reaching for the ground.

The S shaped neck is clearly defined in this photo. This bird looks powerful.

This group photo shows three stances which we commonly see among the birds.

Some of my favourite photos show the neck feathers. Those feathers look fluffy when they are dry.

Wet is a different story.

These birds deserve the word great for so many reasons!