Up west

On a recent excursion west of Summerside, my husband and I visited several of the areas we love on Prince Edward Island and visit at least once a year. Islanders refer to this part of PEI as up west. Our first stop was in the Northport area which is on the northwest coast of the province.

The boat basin at Northport was empty since the fishers were lobster fishing. However, it looked like a school of fish was cruising in the harbour and gulls and cormorants relocated around the harbour after them. The lighthouse, now in private hands, stands out against the horizon.

We continued on to Tignish Run at the northwest tip of the island where the boats were out to sea as well. The run provides calm water for the boats to tie up along the wharves. 

At the end of the run the water is rough, as the gulls maintain their vigil, waiting for the boats to return and provide food. 

You can see one of the boats enter the run below.

We walked along Tignish Shores nearby where the red sand beach was covered in seaweed of various colours. A beach has its spring colours too.

Finally we had a picnic lunch in the yard of the church at Kildare Capes where birds serenade us from their lofty perches. 

Behind the church, along the shoreline, a sea arch is forming in the sandstone cliff. 

Such arches have a short life along the coastline these days, especially due to post tropical storms.

We will return to these locations before long.

Another day at the beach

We hadn’t been to Northport in a few years but it is a place we like to visit. On a beautiful autumn day, with a cooling breeze, we headed west to walk the beach and have a picnic.

Northport is in western Prince Edward Island on the north coast. It is predominantly a fishing area, but as is common on PEI, farming is part of life in the area as well. 

We walked on the beach and explored this part of west Prince County which didn’t experience the same fury of Fiona as did the east coast of the island. However, there was wind damage to some trees along the shoreline but this area, inside a sandbar, didn’t appear to have the storm surge like more exposed places.

There is always interesting driftwood along this shoreline, large trees which have come to rest on the beach where they are weathered by sun and sea.

Further along, another tree is determined to live in spite of its precarious position hanging across the beach. It continues to grow and the trunks are beginning to grow vertically from their horizontal positions.

The roots spread into the bank, providing enough nutrients to keep the tree alive.

From the point, you can see the oyster beds in the bay which the Double-crested Cormorants use as perches.

Meanwhile, in the opposite direction, near a cottage on the bay, gulls enjoyed lobster shells left for them to share. A Great Black-backed Gull, called out, while the darker young Iceland Gull picked the shells. Herring Gulls appeared to be enjoying the shells too. 

We stopped by the wharf where four men were fishing with a rod and reel, landing small fish for supper. 

There was a lot of activity in the boat basin as well. 

Off shore, on a sand bar stands the old lighthouse, now privately owned.

Since it was windy, we drove further along the coast to find a sheltered spot to have lunch. We decided on the yard in front of Christ Church, nestled among the trees. After a quinoa salad and hot tea, we explored the area, visiting the cemetery which has been in use since 1850.

Some of the evergreens surrounding the cemetery were covered in vines which were dressed in their autumn colour. A path through the trees led to the Kildare Capes, an area we will explore further another day.  

After lunch, we headed further up the coast, but that’s another story.