My husband and I have thoroughly enjoyed our exploration of the southwest shore of Prince Edward Island this autumn. One of our recent excursions took us to Howard’s Cove, a natural cove which is now a boat basin. In the many areas of exposed shoreline on the island, boat basins have been built to offer protection to fishers, their boats and gear. At Howard’s Cove, the natural protection afforded by the little cove was developed into a boat basin for the area.
There is a tiny light, not quite a house,
which overlooks the cove where three feathered sentinels were on watch that day.
Nearby, weathering of the red sandstone cliffs along the shoreline have resulted in a sea stack which is a sentinel of the earthy kind, albeit a slowly disappearing one.
A trail runs across the western edge of the shoreline from the lighthouse and we followed as far as muddy conditions would allow. Lobster pots look to have found a winter home along the trail. We will return! Such a shoreline trek is among my favourites.
We drove further along the shore until near Miminegash, we heard a pond full of Canada Geese above the radio in the car with closed windows. They called us to stop for a look and listen.
In Miminegash, another boat basin is positioned along the shoreline, this one has a damaged run into the basin.
It was busy in the basin so we proceeded further along the coast, looking for access to the beach. We drove down Shore Rd and weren’t disappointed as the road ended at the shoreline and our little table once again came in handy.
Our lunch of beef stew as we sat by the stream that crossed the beach was delicious! As we ate, five shorebirds entertained us with their antics as they fed along the water’s edge.
The three Semipalmated Plovers were easy to identify but the other two, not so much. Surely those five have headed south by now!
My husband and I headed in opposite directions to explore the beach after lunch. The erosion on this beach is dramatic, as two layers of red earth erode at different rates. It may have something to do with the amount of water which flows over the embankment.
And don’t those bird houses stand out?
Waterfalls are a rarity on the island and a trickle down a bank is an unusual sight especially with faces shaped by the water.
Off-shore, I saw a black bird I thought was a cormorant bobbing around in the water. Looking at the photos later, it was obviously a non breeding Common Loon, a first for me.
While we were walking, a crab boat came from the west and we watched with interest as the fishermen checked their pots. In the photo below, you can see one of the men measuring the crab to ensure they don’t take undersize animals.
The final photo is my favourite of the day. Every now and then, moments of beauty align and, if you are really fortunate, there will be a bird in the frame.
