A week around here

Family commitments kept us close to home this past week, so we kept our walking to the boardwalk. I finally finished spring cleaning and we bought the mulch we needed for the garden. My husband and I hope to get the work done outside this week. In between, there may be a picnic or two.

One day, the sun poked through the clouds to illuminate the far side of the lighthouse in Bedeque Bay. Cormorants were visible along the rocks and platform there.

The warblers have returned to Prince Edward Island and we saw a few this past week. Yellow Warblers serenaded walkers 

while this Yellow-rumped Warbler collected material for its nest.

The Black Duck grabbed our attention as it noisily made its way to the salt marsh. The other soon followed.

Great Blue Herons frequent the salt marsh. It looks like they can twist their long necks in a knot.

This male Mallard is without his mate now. She is probably on a nest these days while mister argues with the Black Ducks in the salt marsh. The fine pattern on the white feathers and the fluorescent colours on his head are evidence of nature’s artistry.

Muskrats, which were absent from the marsh last summer, have returned this spring. They are welcome additions!

In the woodland along the trail, Blue Jays find peanuts left by walkers 

before the chipmunks can get to the nutty treasures. 

In the field by the trail, this American Robin draws our attention due to the feathers on the front of its upper breast. 

Could this be the start of molting?

This Red Fox, photographed from a distance, proved it has beautiful teeth.

Finally, closer to home, these two male Northern Flickers landed on a backyard fence. 

The bird on the right mimicked the movement of the bird on the left. They stayed in the area for several minutes bobbing their heads and other movements, initiated by one and repeated by the other. 

The animals make any day more interesting.

An island story

While we were in Alaska, Prince Edward Island, on a recent excursion, we stopped at a boat launch area on a creek which empties into Percival Bay. The scene was peaceful on a still day, overcast without the glare of the sun. 

Oyster boats were moored in a protected area in the creek and around a bend, Percival Bay and the oyster beds were visible in the distance. 

Nearby a muskrat went about his busy day.

We were just setting up our table and chairs to have a picnic, when a car pulled into the area. It is a common experience in rural PEI when we stop in an area for someone from the area to stop by to check us out. We’ve come to expect it. This man pulled his car in next to ours and greeted us. 

“Hello,” I said. May as well cut to the chase, I thought as I continued. “We’re from Summerside and we like to explore parts of the island we haven’t visited. It’s such a nice day and this is a beautiful area, we’re going to have a picnic here.”

My husband, taking the chairs out of the trunk didn’t hear the next comment. 

The man looked at me and said, “Follow me.” I looked at him questioningly and he repeated the order, “Follow me.”

I went  back and told my husband what the man had said and reluctantly he put the table and chairs back into the car and we followed this stranger.

The man drove up the road a few hundred feet and turned left to a path which led to several properties. Then he turned left again onto a field and stopped at the end of the field about a metre above the creek. The field was lined with trees, the white trunks of birches dominated.

We chatted easily with the man who owned the property on the creek he’d brought us to. There were picnic tables, a swing set, a trailer and shed on the property. The man stays in the trailer in the summer so he can watch his oyster beds since theft can be a problem. He invited us to use the picnic tables, and enjoy our lunch there overlooking the creek.

We shared our family history as he told us about his. He was a kind man, who shared his piece of paradise with us as he spoke of the oyster fishery in Percival Bay and the upcoming halibut fishery in which his son participates. We thanked him for allowing us to picnic on his land and he left us to our lunch.

It was humid that day and the mosquitoes were swarming under the trees. Rather than move a heavy table, we used ours in the open where the slight breeze helped fend off the nippers. Who would think to bring along insect repellent so late in the year?

We had creamed butternut squash soup that day, with cinnamon and ginger and the spices had gone through the soup made the evening before. Delicious. It is one of my favourite cream soups. A chicken sandwich went nicely with the soup and hot tea.

After lunch we explored the area around the creek and enjoyed the setting on a rare weather day in October. The colours of the grasses along the creek and a few remaining autumn leaves made a walk along the creek a real treat. 

The peaceful setting filled the senses! I smiled as I walked.

Recently I spoke with my husband’s aunt who lives in a large Canadian city and I told her about “Follow me.” She laughed at our trusting nature in following a complete stranger to an unknown place. She related how she uses a walker when she goes to the nearby supermarket. One day a young man asked if she needed help in crossing the street and she turned him down. She is always on the alert for danger and doesn’t trust anyone she meets. 

I love island life!

A day with friends

A blogging friend and his wife are visiting Prince Edward Island this spring and my husband and I met with them this week at Cavendish. Of course we had a picnic and Cavendish Grove was our meet and lunch location. David and Miriam brought good weather with them from Ontario and without any wind, it was a perfect day for birding.

David has been an avid birder since childhood and Miriam is a skilled birder who takes excellent photos. It was especially nice to spend time in nature with such birding enthusiasts.

The only way the Grove could have been better is if there had been goslings. The Canada Geese were swimming or flying around 

and arguing with each other in usual Geese fashion. 

Ducks such as Mallards, Gadwalls 

and Green-winged Teals dropped in while we watched. The Muskrat swam around the bulrushes and dived for tender shoots.

The National Park is a prime location for Bald Eagles on the island and we often see them when we visit the park. That day was no different and in honour of our visitors, the birds were in fine form. We saw one perched on a stump near the dunes 

and two adults and an immature eagle floated overhead on the breeze.

Elsewhere in the park, as per usual, an Osprey flew by.

We saw Golden-crowned Kinglets in a tree, tiny birds which I had never seen before. I didn’t manage a good photo, just a blur of flapping wings as one flew away.

It was a wonderful day with people who enjoy nature as much or more than we do. 

P.S.

I am leaving comments on blogs as I have always done and many aren’t posting. What is up with Blogger these days? Is there a fix for this?

In our element

On our second time back at Cavendish Grove this year, the gate was open for another season. Yay! Several geese families which return every year were settled in for another season and some of the frogs were singing as well. Spring! Besides, the return of the contrails overhead made it feel as if life was beginning to return to a semblance of normalcy after two long years.

We walked to the beach which is clear of snow now.

Along the way, animals go about their lives and if you take the time, you may see Osprey, Bald Eagles, Song Sparrows, Grackles, Gulls and Ravens, as we did. One of the gulls was playing, all alone, floating on the breeze along the shoreline.

The Ravens were especially interesting. They can be hard to distinguish from crows but are larger and have a fan-like tail. My husband found a large empty egg shell nearby and placed it on a post. 

Before long, one of the birds checked it out. The Ravens obviously raid nests of the Geese and Ducks in the area. 

Back at the Grove, we passed a Chipmunk, busy filling its pouches. It stopped to watch us for some time and eventually climbed into a hole in a tree. 

My husband and I had lunch overlooking the water, listening to the peepers and the geese. This is our favourite picnic spot on the island.

There was a new resident at the Grove this spring. A muskrat was active in the water and on the islands. We identified an area which could have been its lodge 

but before we left, it looked like a goose was moving in. I wonder if she was evicted.

A good landlord can make all the difference.

The boardwalk in late summer

It’s been a hot and humid summer, with weeks of heat advisories. My husband and I have not walked the boardwalk in Summerside, Prince Edward Island for a few months, so when the heat advisories ceased, off we went. 

Numerous Cabbage white butterflies flit around the foliage along the boardwalk. However this White admiral pauses long enough for me to take a photo.

The birds are active as usual, especially the blue jays. There are dozens of them in this area and their calls fill the air. On a day when there is no wind, the calls of the jays drown out the crows and ravens.

Chipmunks are back again. I didn’t see them this past spring. They are more timid than the squirrels which approach people. Chipmunks are more shy and less trusting of people. 

Squirrels take every morsel offered by passersby. Every generation of the furry creatures learns quickly to approach all who happen by. They are rewarded often enough to keep them interested.

The Common grackles take interest in the bird seed left by people. They watch stealthily as they approach the seeds, like bandits!

Song sparrows attract attention as they sing and hop among the branches. Rarely do they land on the walkway. 

Their friends the Mourning doves mosey along the boardwalk, oblivious to the walkers.

In the water, American black ducks periodically hide among the grasses at the edge of the stream.

A muskrat takes time to check for peanuts. The younger ones are trained by their parents in what to watch for and when to hide.

Greater yellow legs find their way to the stream every year. This year, one is commonly around on her own with occasional yellow leg visitors.

A Great blue heron loves this marsh area as well. Often found wading in the water, on this day she is stood guard in a spruce tree. This is the first time we’v seen a heron in a tree. 

I also caught her flying past on her way elsewhere.

Osprey nests looks abandoned. Their property needs a ‘Vacancy’ sign.

As a tribute to all the people who bring peanuts and seeds to feed the animals, a single sunflower seed, carried by the wind, water or dropped by a bird, took root along the water’s edge. She shines for all to see as people and animals go about their business. It will be interesting to see if birds eat at the seeds when they mature.

Refuge

Nature has a way of making us feel better by reducing stress, anger and fear. In Summerside, we have a paradise for stress reduction in the community. On a particularly stressful day recently, I discovered first hand how good a refuge from stress our boardwalk really is. 

It was a glorious winter day! The sun felt warm, the temperature, just above zero and the air was calm. The boardwalk called to us. There were many other seniors out too. People greeted each other, many were the regulars we see every time we go. Everyone spoke of the gorgeous day because there haven’t been too many such days this year. All were determined to enjoy this one.

The forest was alive with birds. My husband and I recognize their voices now. The crows, 

blue jays, chickadees, mourning doves and woodpeckers 

all spoke to each other, filling the woods with their happy voices, as they too enjoyed the respite from the bitter cold. The woods sounded and felt happy as we walked.

In the river by the bridge, three muskrats played in the water, not bothered by the admirers who stood above watching them. 

Occasionally someone threw a peanut in its shell into the water. The furry rodents grabbed them quickly and disappeared under the river bank,

to emerge later in search of more. While the river has open water, an inlet to their den or push-up is still frozen. 

The furry creatures manage well under ice as well as water.

Two American Black Ducks were in the water too. 

They dabbled for food and preened themselves in the sun. Then the two tucked their heads under their wings, as they stood in the water. They didn’t mind the people standing a few meters away, watching them, talking among themselves, several with cameras. 

The squirrels approached as people stood admiring the muskrats and the ducks. They too wanted peanuts and looked at each person, watching for food. They were brave as they observed humankind but were prepared to run at any sudden move.

The setting was perfect and though there is ice as far as the eye can see, 

the heat of the sun, the sounds of the animals and their antics take one away from the worries of the world and life. The greetings of other travellers, the shared human experience and connection in nature’s living room were a refuge from the storm of life. Such an encounter helps one face the day! Time well spent!