Eagles of Clark’s Pond

Bald Eagles of Prince Edward Island are putting on a world class show in locations such as Clark’s Pond.

The reason is the fish run. It started with smelt  

and now, the Gaspereau, a type of herring, have begun their journey from the sea through inland waterways to ponds where they spawn. The eagles gather, gorge when they are hungry and hang out afterwards as they digest their food.

The trees destroyed by the hurricane several years ago make great perches for the birds as they survey the area.

My husband and I visited the area recently to see the spectacle. The birds didn’t disappoint. The eagles had fed earlier and were lining the banks of the pond 

and filled the trees. 

We lost count at 30 eagles in just our proximity.

There were older birds 

but lots of juveniles of various ages.

It was interesting to see them flying over the pond 

or taking flight 

from a perch in the trees. 

And as you can see above, sometimes juveniles congregated together. 

Of course we are going back to the eagles of Clark’s Pond again this week.

Inland waters

Our quest to cycle the Confederation Trail from east to west on Prince Edward Island took us to what may be the most remote section of the trail last week. On our return ride from Selkirk to New Harmony, we only met one person, which is unusual. In addition, a section of this trail has not been groomed yet this year which made it look untamed. It is where I fell with my bike. However, the ponds and wetlands in this area are worth a visit.

Larkin’s Pond near Selkirk is known for fly fishing although on the two weeks we’ve been past there we haven’t seen anyone fishing. 

We saw ducks on both occasions but they were too far away to photograph. The wind in the bulrushes is almost musical. 

Numerous Baltimore Checkerspot butterflies flitted over the trail in this area and one posed for a photo.

Further along, in a peaceful wetland area, 

reflections of the occasional cloud overhead adds to the scene on the water.

We crossed the road to New Zealand, PEI, 

a tiny farming community whose name first appeared officially in 1925. There isn’t much written about this community but several families left the area in the 1800s to settle in New Zealand. The name of the community on PEI reflects the connection of its people to that island so far away. 

McVarnish’s Pond is a Conservation Area with a fish ladder which allows smaller fish, 

such as smelts and gaspereau easier access to inland waters where they return every year to spawn.

The area is pristine and quiet, the run of small fish over for another year.

Near New Harmony spring water flows, rising from the earth below, at a constant temperature of 7 degrees Celsius year round.

This section of trail has pristine water features and is more isolated than many areas of the trail. It will be safer for bicycles when it is groomed for this year.