The joy of May

Last week was a busy one but my husband and I managed to a visit to the Dunk River Trail and Scales Pond where we enjoyed a picnic. 

Otherwise we walked the boardwalk during a week when temperatures fluctuated, the wind blew and we walked between the raindrops.

The Dunk River Trail is one of our favourites on the island and the trail is well groomed and ready for the season. Soon, as the trees erupt with leaves for another short growing season, the beauty of this trail will surround hikers. Meanwhile we enjoyed the sound of the river and everything around us.

There are dozens of fallen trees along the river and some show evidence of the Spruce Bark Beetle, which left a worm-like track in the wood.

Butterfly season has begun and this Mourning Cloak was flitting about as we followed along, 

attempting to capture it digitally.

The tapping of Woodpeckers accompanies the sound of the river. One Hairy Woodpecker appears to be accustomed to people on the trail and starts lower down on this favourite tree.

This time of year, male Mallards are on their own as females are nesting.

In Scales Pond, Double-crested Cormorants float by or dive for food. One jumped on some wood in the pond and spread its wings to dry.

A Canada Goose nearby doesn’t need to spread its wings however.

Meanwhile, on the boardwalk, a Snowshoe Hare hopped towards my husband one day. 

The Hare stopped and stared for a few minutes before moving along. We hope it avoided the Bald Eagles which hunt in the area.

The male Red-winged Blackbirds are in fine voice again as they overlook their domain.

On Mother’s Day every year, we enjoy the first lobsters of the season. Yesterday was no exception. They were so good!

Finally this week, I want to thank all the dance teachers who work so diligently and do such great work teaching our children the movement and joy of dance.

Last weekend we watched Ballet Jörgen perform in Summerside. Our eldest granddaughter was part of the production of Sleeping Beauty which included local dance students. The music, costumes and movement take one on a beautiful journey for a few hours. 

Our granddaughter was a two year old watching a video of the Nutcracker Ballet, exposed to it by her mother who always loved the story and watched the ballet too. However, her daughter wanted to dance and has taken lessons since she was three. At fourteen, she hopes to do point this year. Dance is in this young woman’s soul. A great dance teacher has trained and nurtured her love of dance. We thank her and all dance teachers for their great work.

Picnic season

My husband and I have been out and about this week between the raindrops and dressed for the cold. It was a lovely week in nature however, as we revisited Cavendish one day and explored the Dunk River Trail another. There we had our first picnic of the year on a cool but wind-free day.  The boardwalk provided a much better walk than the treadmill other days too.

It was a sunny day for our first picnic, as we sat at a table overlooking Scales Pond, which is a favourite fishing spot of many. 

The area was alive with birds twittering all around us. A Red-winged Blackbird joined us, watching from a nearby tree.

We walked part of the nearby Dunk River Trail that day, a trail which runs parallel to the river and is frequented by anglers too. 

We could hear the birds high in the trees but the only one we saw was a tiny Downy Woodpecker. 

At Cavendish, we walked along the trail by Clark’s Pond. A Bald Eagle sat atop an old snag near the pond. 

A large Snowshoe Hare was feeding along the trail. 

Osprey had rebuilt their nest which was destroyed over the winter. The female was incubating eggs and keeping an eye on the area.

Along the boardwalk, we saw the mother fox and her three kits. The little ones are out and about but look to be nursing still. I like this photo of the mother being nuzzled by one of the little ones.

I hope the young squirrels who are feeding along the boardwalk lately, can avoid the fox as she hunts nearby. This little one is the smallest Red Squirrel I’ve seen and it’s new to the boardwalk this week.

I am including webcam information of an Osprey nest at Old Tracadie Harbour, Prince Edward Island. The two Osprey have at least two eggs which the female is incubating. The dynamics of the pair of birds are fascinating to watch. I look forward to seeing the chicks. The webcam is 

here.

Have a great week everyone! 

Visitors

We anticipate our first hike and picnic for this year but the wait continues. While it doesn’t have to be warm, the wind has been the ever present deterrent in the last few weeks. On our only pleasant day in recent weeks we had appointments. Meanwhile, Georgie, the golden grand-dog is visiting while her family is out of town. 

We enjoy taking Georgie to the boardwalk, a place she loves and where we see some visitors to the island.

The arrival of our warm weather feathered friends has begun. The Red-winged Blackbirds came back this past week and announced their arrival with their calls from the trees overlooking the stream. 

We suspect the males are calling their lady friends.

Along the water’s edge at the mouth of the stream, another visitor, a lone Kildeer fed along the icy shoreline. 

It was puffed up against the cold. Its arrival is a bit premature according to conditions along the shoreline.

While the squirrels have been out and about all winter, now the chipmunks are emerging from their nests and burrows having weathered another winter. This one is enjoying the spotlight.

Georgie enjoys the area immensely. There is never a shortage of other dogs walking with their owners and she sniffs every one and the scent along the trail of those who have gone before. Georgie watches over my husband and I as we walk. She doesn’t want to be out of sight of either of us. Usually he is in the lead with her, while I lag behind taking photos. Georgie stops every so often to see where I am. If I am what she judges to be too far behind, she plants her feet and refuses to move until I catch up. She does the same if my husband is the one following. 

We seniors stick together as we enjoy what nature has to offer.

Joy of early morning

We always start a walk at the gazebo. It overlooks the saltwater marsh and the stream which empties into the Summerside Harbour. There are usually ducks in the stream or hidden among the reeds and wheatgrass. 

However, other feathered friends often drop by the area and spotting and observing them are always pleasant for my husband and I. Our early morning outings now, ahead of the heat later in the day, always start off with avian-induced smiles.

The chattering male Red-winged Blackbirds are always about,

flying amongst the reeds and trees. Occasionally, a female leaves her nesting duty and feeds in an area where she is visible. 

European Starlings congregate in the part of the stream which empties into the Summerside Harbour.

We see them later on the bridge overlooking the area.

Most of the time, Common Grackles dart around too quickly for me to photograph. This one was the exception 

and later it met up with some friends for a chat in a nearby tree.

Over a period of two weeks, I tried unsuccessfully to take a good photo of a Sora. Then early one clear morning, after numerous attempts, my husband took some great photos of the fast moving bird. I finally took a photo which shows its white crinoline.

That same morning, I saw a Killdeer for the first time. We see plovers on the beach every year but the Killdeer has always escaped us. It was camouflaged amongst the straw and other plant material in the stream but I managed a digital capture.

The ducks always interest us as well. There are Mallards and American Black Ducks living in the saltwater marsh these days. One morning, we could hear a duck among the reeds and wheatgrass long before we saw it. When the ducks appeared, one Black Duck was the source of the quacking but others weren’t thrilled with it and several chased after it. It persisted. You can hear that persistent duck here. 

“Don’t let anyone keep you from uttering your truth Ducky, “ I said as we turned to leave.

Watching birds is a great way to begin any day.

P.S.

In my last post, David at  https://travelswithbirds.blogspot.com/  asked about Piping Plovers at Cabot Beach.

On Prince Edward Island, there is a concerted effort to encourage nesting of Piping Plovers. Where the birds are known to nest, areas on the beaches are cordoned off to allow the birds to nest without interference. To my knowledge, Cabot Beach has never been such an area. 

Morning perspective

People from many locations in the Northern Hemisphere are writing about buds, blossoms, blooms, garden work, planting vegetables and flowers. Those spring events are almost two months away for us in eastern Canada. In the mornings this week on the island of Prince Edward, we have been greeted with snow, not a lot, but enough to cover lawns, trees and roadsides. 

It disappears during the day but its presence can be disheartening.

My husband and I are taking our usual walks along the boardwalk since our favourite hiking trails are still covered with ice and snow. After snow the previous night, 

the wind was missing on Wednesday as the snow began to fall gently around us. The birds were singing in the trees and the red-winged blackbirds were not as shy around walkers as they had been in previous weeks.

Although we are a long way from the traditional signs of spring, Wednesday morning in the snow was perfect.

Birds birds everywhere

We are escapees, broken out of the house after the winter. My husband and I have had that first glass of wine on the patio and the first barbecue is on the horizon. The first picnic has already happened. The beach, heritage road and trail walks have begun. Meanwhile, our fascination with birds is on-going. They are everywhere we go these days.

From our patio, we watch a starling check out this bird house in the neighbour’s yard.

Gulls float around in Richmond Bay, having gorged on the fish which stir up the water around them.

Puddle ducks, including male and female mallards, swim around water accumulated beside a field. They waddle away as we leave the car. I bet they complain to each other about our interruption of their morning routine.

Canada geese take to the air as the car door closes.

Blue herons are back. Five of them have taken up residence in a pond near Malpeque. They wade in the water and dip their beaks in to grab food. Stately creatures, their movements are slow and deliberate.

Black ducks fit in anywhere, among the geese, the mallards or the blue herons. 

The male blackbirds are among the bulrushes again, their coloured wings obvious even at rest.

This song sparrow sings its happy notes along the trail to Cavendish Beach. 

Wouldn’t it be a sad world without birds?

Birds of the national park

The bird song was obvious from the moment we left the car. The wetland between the parking lot and sand dunes of the national park at Brackley Beach was his domain and he let everyone know. I was drawn to his unusual voice.

 

You can hear the red winged blackbird here.

He was partially hidden in the spruce tree but the flash of colour on this shoulder was visible on occasion. Then he flew to last year's cattails and the red and yellow on his wings, visible when the male red-winged blackbird is courting, was in full display! He was a beauty.

 

This ruddy turnstone was cruising the beach, flipping the seaweed for insects or crustaceans. 

 

He is stout bird with a strong bill and a pattern on its back in flight.

 

A juvenile ruddy turnstone doesn't look much like the adult but the orange legs give it away. My husband and I saw this one last September in Savage Harbour, Prince Edward Island.

 

                        Juvenile ruddy turnstone

The sand dunes along the beach of the national park near Brackley, are the perch for a pair of bald eagles. They sit on the dunes, about twenty-five meters apart, and survey the area below them. The birds are visible from the road and have used this perch for at least a year. Others have reported the two in the same place numerous times.

 

Wind was high in the open area, making it difficult to hold the camera steady using the zoom. However, I managed to take two almost clear photos of these huge birds.

 

The tidal marsh of Brackley Bay in the national park had numerous ducks but also a small flock of greater yellow legs. One of these sandpiper type birds was in an area by herself as she waded in the cold water. 

 

Two others were never too far apart as they waded through the marsh. The long yellow legs and long beaks are designed perfectly for their niche. They walked away when I crossed the road to get a closer look.

Birds make any excursion on Prince Edward Island interesting for us.