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!

Island reverie

This past week, we had some beautiful weather and my husband and I headed to Cavendish one day and Cabot Beach/Malpeque another. In between, we walked the boardwalk, some days between the raindrops. These minutes during a day when we immerse ourselves in nature are precious. 

On the way to Cabot Beach and Malpeque we pass a wetland area where we usually stop to look for ducks. 

There were a number of Green-winged Teals in the area that day. 

At Cabot Beach, work by a dredger on the channel to the harbour at Malpeque allows fishing boats to travel safely to port, mere metres from the beach. 

Further from the water, the sand and Marram grass make a beautiful backdrop for driftwood.

Early morning at Cavendish we encountered numerous hares, feeding and frolicking in the early morning sun. 

In addition, the Osprey were newly returned to the area and their nesting platform had been damaged in their absence. The pair perched in nearby trees and eventually one landed on the old platform. I wonder where they will nest this year?

Along the boardwalk, on two consecutive days we saw the same Red Fox as it hunted. This time of year hungry kits must be fed. Before long they will be out with their mothers playing in the sun and we hope to see them one day.

Meanwhile, Black Ducks enjoy the salt marsh most days. This pair always hangs out together. 

When the wind is on-shore, gulls stand along the shoreline, looking along the bay. These two Herring Gulls kept a silent vigil.

It was a wonderful nature-filled week.

Along the Parkway

The national park on Prince Edward Island has three sections. We visit the western portion of the park most often but enjoy the other areas too. We recently visited the central area which runs along the eastern Gulf Shore Parkway from Brackley to Dalvay. We cycled the distance, stopping regularly to take in the sights. 

This area has abundant wildlife and a variety of birds are in and around the saltwater marshes, rivers and ponds just behind the dunes. Cycling along the parkway, one can see the birds and stop to observe them. We stopped a great deal.

The soft spring colours around them highlight the Greater Yellowlegs in the first photo and the Gadwalls, a female and a male, in the second photo, just left of centre.

While I was waiting for my husband at one point, two geese flew a few metres overhead. I was lucky enough to photograph one. 

A Northern Shoveler stood out among the dried grasses 

while a tiny Least Sandpiper was easy to miss. 

This beautiful Green-winged Teal looks shy floating around in the pond. 

We had lunch in a sheltered spot where a White-throated Sparrow dropped by.

Looking out to sea, one sees the lobster boats in the distance, 

the sound of the motors carried on the breeze. 

The lighthouse keeps a silent vigil as it has for decades.  

This area of the national park will draw us back numerous times this year.