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.

To the Cape

At North Cape on Prince Edward Island, the lighthouse keeps its silent vigil at the tip of the western end of the north coast.

A small flock of Common Eider ducks hangs out on a sand bar formed where the waters of the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the Northumberland Strait meet but the birds are difficult to photograph in the high winds.

Offshore, boats are on the water again after months in storage. Preparation is underway for the lobster season.

Along the shoreline, a wind farm turns its vanes into the wind, generating electricity without major environmental impact.

The shoreline itself is sculpted by the wave action, the sandstone giving way to the rhythmic action and constancy of the sea in this exposed area. 

A gully to the beach 

is bordered by a sea arch well on its way to becoming a sea stack.

At Tignish Shores, a lone walker is looking for sea glass. She searches there every day the weather conditions and tides allow. 

Gulls are her only company most days.

In a field along the road, horses graze while the wind turbines work nearby and the sound of the sea is carried on the breeze.

One’s senses awaken with a visit to the North Cape after what feels like a long winter sleep!