The winter light

It was a lovely holiday season here on the east coast of Canada. The weather was variable, from cold and windy to mild and calm. We walked most days, even if it meant walking on the track at Credit Union Place here in Summerside. The holiday treats make exercise even more important than usual. Time with family and friends was the best.

Time in nature has been lovely too. As I’ve mentioned already, walking in the elements here this time of year, one may experience anything. The sun…always such a welcome sight, is often a stranger in the winter months though. Not so recently however, when on the last day of the year, a mild winter day of 9 degrees C brought us to Cavendish for a walk on the beach. Such a calm day would have been perfect for a picnic had we prepared for it.

The angle of the sun that day near noon, cast long shadows on the sand. 

Six months will make a huge difference to this beach in the noon day sun which draws thousands of sun revellers every year.

Similarly, the noon day shadow on the sea stack at MacKenzie’s Brook just down the road will disappear as the sun returns over the next six months.

Meanwhile along the boardwalk, each day brings enjoyment as we chat with other walkers and appreciate nature as we go. One of our fellow walkers is turning 90 this year. She and her husband can be seen in most weather, confining their walking to sheltered areas on particularly windy days. Another man, a former ferry captain, uses his walker every day, regardless of the weather. A stroke hasn’t stopped him! 

On New Years Eve, ducks were enjoying the last few minutes of daylight as the sun set, highlighting the bits of ice along the shoreline in Bedeque Bay.

On overcast days, even at noon, our winter day resembles twilight as it did on New Year’s Day below.

And always, the birds provide hours of enjoyment. The bluejays, ducks, sparrows, chickadees, woodpeckers, doves, pigeons, eagles, geese and gulls all catch our attention and the camera when possible. The latest species was captured by my husband on his cell phone however. This Ruffed Grouse has impressive plumage, a real beauty.

At home, we are enjoying the company of our Corvid friends, the crows. When the weather turned cold, we began to feed them again. There are numerous crows in our neighbourhood, but six of them frequent our lawn. Occasionally, extras start to gather but are driven away by the regulars. Below you can see some gather on our deck rail, waiting for the treat of the day.

We believe the six to be a combination of older crows and last year’s young. The younger ones wait for the food but will not touch it until the older ones have eaten. The biggest of the six always gets the food first. There is definitely a pecking order among this murder. We always put out extra food for the smaller crows after the older ones have finished. Birds provide hours of enjoyment every winter!

Have a great week everyone!

Through the leaves

This past week started at the Dunk River Trail in central Prince Edward Island. The trail is one of the most beautiful on the island and draws us for a walk there with the changing seasons. Our autumn visit is our favourite for obvious reasons. We always park near where the Dunk flows out of Scales Pond, which looked particularly serene last week.

The entrance to the trail is deceptive. The trees at the entrance were green still, which is hugely different from what one encounters after passing under these green sentinels. The trail was leaf covered with promises of more to come. 

Overhead, the blue sky was a perfect backdrop for the reds, yellows and oranges clinging to their mother branches. 

The river moved to the rhythm of the earth as it rippled through the shadows, 

the remaining leaves casting a red glow here, yellow there. We stood in awe at the scene. AI did not generate this wonder.

We also visited the Cavendish area again last week for a picnic in the Grove on a sunny autumn day. Although the wind was blowing a gale, the Grove is sheltered and peaceful. The photo shows the view from our picnic table.

Later we drove along the coast to North Rustico where several huge flocks of Canada Geese greeted us in several locations, this one in the harbour at North Rustico. 

We had an abbreviated walk along the boardwalk there but the wind made walking difficult. You can see from the grasses and bushes in the photo the strength of the wind.

Along the boardwalk in Summerside this past week, one day was particularly calm and we watched the gulls and crows argue over food the gulls drop from heights to break the shells for the morsels inside. I fully expect the crows to start gathering and dropping the shells like the gulls though their beaks may not be able to do it. Crows are intelligent enough to know what to do however.

A Solitary Sandpiper is still feeding in the salt marsh and a male Red-winged Blackbird gathered seeds left along the bridge by walkers. This is late for both species to be here on the island especially since temperatures have plummeted the last few days.

One common winter species here, Black-capped Chickadees, are busy in the trees these days and it is common to see groups of them gathering seeds, like the one below.

Autumn is a great time for fungi too. We have seen numerous mushrooms which we sometimes can’t identify. This Tinder Polypore on a tree trunk is easy to identify though since it resembles a horse’s hoof.

I’ll close this week with a photo of a pumpkin left at the entrance to the Dunk River Trail. The sunlight filtered through the leaves and cast on the tree make an ethereal body for the pumpkin.

Have a wonderful week everyone!

Blooms, birds and butterflies

It rained most of last week but we were out a few times between the raindrops. We had record rainfall, often with winds enough to deliver it horizontally. The most spectacular lightning storm accompanied the rain one night, lighting up the neighbourhood like mid-day.

Our peonies bloomed late the week before, so as usual, they didn’t do well with the wind and wet weather. Petals are beginning to cover the ground.

I did manage some photos when the weather was good, knowing what usually happens! Hope you like peonies!

We feed some neighbourhood crows late fall and winter but let them fend for themselves the remainder of the year. As a result, they haven’t been stopping by recently.

However, last week, some of the regulars dropped by with two of the young ones. These juveniles have red mouths and make unusual sounds, unlike the adults. 

We gave them some food and stayed nearby to get them accustomed to us. Two young ones have been back several days since. They wait around for a bit but we don’t feed them. It is good to see the family is healthy.

Meanwhile we continue to follow the Osprey at Blackbush on the webcam and their three young ones. The parents keep the chicks well supplied with fish and now that the little ones are more active in the nest, it looks like the adults are building up the sides of the nest with more twigs in an effort to keep them safe. Those Osprey are great parents!

Along the boardwalk one day, I stopped to photograph the blooms of a blackberry bush and out of nowhere, this Canadian Tiger Swallowtail landed and posed.

I usually chase butterflies without success so this one was a gift.

Another day, a White Admiral posed 

and this tiny Northern Crescent landed nearby at the same time.

I was doubly thrilled.

The wonders of summer from blooms, to birds and butterflies are a great diversion from the news. They kept us going this past week.

Around here

With the miserable weather around here the last several weeks, my husband and I have kept our walking close to home. Most of the time we encounter rain without the benefit of an umbrella because the wind is too high. As long as we’re warm, we manage.

Dramatic skies are often present as weather fronts move into the area. With some of the autumn berries along the shoreline, a view of the lighthouse almost looks festive.

By this time in the autumn, the trees are bare, even in sheltered areas. 

Some mornings, snow lingers along the trail as overnight temperatures are too low for rain.

For the next few weeks, juniper, also known as tamarack or larch trees will lose their yellow needles which are quite lovely now.

The ducks which call Prince Edward Island home for a few months every winter have taken to the waterways around the island. Surf Scoters are on the bay in Summerside and are a nice addition to the avian population.

Meanwhile, the usual residents are busy too, like this Bald Eagle which we’ve seen numerous days hunting from sand bars at low tide. We always enjoy these birds.

Recently after our walk, we drove to the head of the bay to see the geese which frequent that area. American Wigeons and Common Goldeneyes floated around, many with their heads nestled under their wings while the Canada Geese were quite unconcerned. 

We have seen several rainbows this autumn, but I haven’t always had the camera to take a photo. This is the best photo I’ve been able to manage of the elusive arcs.

Finally today, meet BB and his pal. 

They are among our crow friends who visit us every day. BB has a broken beak, hence the initials. That bird has adapted to the broken beak and learned how to pick up food in spite of the partly missing appendage. BB requires longer to feed and will drive the other crows away when he is eating and they’ve already finished their portion. We hope BB will be able to survive the winter! 

 

July along the boardwalk

It has been hot and humid, so my husband and I have been staying close to home. However, we walk early in the day, ahead of the worst of the heat and humidity. The boardwalk is our usual destination where we can often depend on a breeze to ease the effect of the heat and humidity. That breeze helps control the mosquitoes too.

The view from the gazebo is always our first stop, to look over the bay 

and across to the lighthouse.

The salt marsh changes with the wind and tides as rough waters wash inland during high tide. 

Shorebirds, such as Yellowlegs,

frequent the marsh but we happened upon a visit by a young Robin recently as well.

Every day, I photograph Song Sparrows along the boardwalk. Numerous tiny choristers sing to the heavens every day, oblivious to their human audience. I caught this tiny sparrow eyeing lunch as it flew by, hoping it would land on the tree.

At the bridge over the stream, a feeder is filled by walkers every day.

Recently a young squirrel was reluctant to share the food with birds and other squirrels who came by. It didn’t mind scolding them either.

This time of year, we always notice the wildflowers along the way. As children, my husband and I spent long summer days playing outdoors in different parts of Newfoundland. Seeing the seed pods on the Vetch plant reminded my husband how he and his friends ate those pods every summer. They are healthy and nutritious when the pods are newly formed. The kids didn’t care about that of course. 

Recently at low tide in the bay, a man dug clams along the sand bars as walkers watched him collect his supper. 

The border between the boardwalk and the sea is filled with a sequence of blooms every summer. I love the scenes with the sea as the background to the wildflowers. 

The floral border outlines land and sea.

Finally, even the crows are finding it hot these days. The four we had in our area have become six with the addition of two young ones. They have spent time on our patio railing with their heads back and mouths open but they don’t make a sound. It looks like the equivalent of a dog panting but we are uncertain what the behaviour means. 

All creatures are finding it hot this summer.