Encounter

The first week of March provided the usual conditions for this time of year. It felt like spring for a few days, then winter returned. Wind kept us home one day and I didn’t take my camera for two days due to falling snow, using my cell phone for photos instead.

The stream through the salt marsh was flowing again at the beginning of last week. Then the weather turned cold, the stream iced over and the flock of ducks disappeared again. The blue colour of the stream was remarkable that day.

A day later, it was mild again and the ducks were back. Fog in the bay added another element to the usual scene from the bridge.

Ducks were busy the rest of the week, flying around the marsh or chasing others in the stream. The male and female Mallards put on a show as we watched another day.

Along the walkway, I always stop in this area which has a lot of animal activity if it isn’t particularly windy. 

A favourite of the Red Squirrels 

and Bluejays, 

the feeder is filled regularly by walkers to the area.

A favourite photo of the week was a chance photo of a Downy Woodpecker diving from one tree to another in that area.

Meanwhile, on a calm day, the resident Mourning Doves gathered in a tree overlooking the bridge.

Another day, it looked like an American Crow in the foreground and a Common Raven beside it on the bridge railing eating seed. More expert birders can correct me if I’m wrong.

Sometimes the best stories are of the non-photo events. Yesterday, it was snowing again and I left my camera home, relying on my cell phone for photos instead. As I stood in the area near the feeder for my usual few minutes there, I was buzzed by Black-capped Chickadees. The tiny birds expect food from walkers who stop. I didn’t have food with me but they didn’t give up. I could hear their wings all around my head. 

As I held up the cell phone to take a photo, one of the birds landed on the top of my phone at eye level. No photos of course. Such an incredible experience looking into the face of that tiny creature about 30 centimetres away. 

The little bird stayed for mere seconds but I was happy not to have reacted negatively and scared it off. 

It was a memorable encounter and one I will talk about for some time.

Birds of a feather

Over the last several years I have come to enjoy watching birds. These days, as summer is taking her last breaths, some migrating shorebirds spend time along the beach in Summerside. I enjoy standing in silence along the shoreline photographing the migrants and some of the full time island birds. Sometimes the results are curious.

This mallard had a perfect reflection in a blue stream.

As she proceeded up the stream, the reflection of the reeds on the water changed the scene entirely.

Sometimes I take photos facing into the sun to see silhouettes. These crows were such a photo.

The beach in Summerside provides perfect camouflage for some of the little shorebirds such as Semi-palmated Plovers. Can you find two of the little birds among the stones along the shoreline?

Taking photos of water while facing into the sun results in a silver setting for bird silhouettes. The Great Blue Heron is unmistakable.

The Greater Yellowlegs is not quite as easy to identify.

This is a Black-bellied Plover which I had seen earlier otherwise I would never have been able to identify it among the sparkles.

Sometimes you just want to have all your ducks in a row.

Update:

I mistakenly called the crows ravens. Thank you to https://her55kim.blogspot.com/ for the correction.

My husband and I hope to go cycling again this week. We’ve had to wait for a hitch for the car so we can attach the bike rack. I will use our daughter’s bike again. My new one isn’t expected for another month.

Tanza at https://www.healthanddynamiclife.com/ asked if there are wild horses on Prince Edward Island. While there are many horses on the island, there aren’t any wild horses. There are such horses on Sable Island off the coast of neighbouring Nova Scotia.

Wise bird

After what felt like weeks in the house, my husband and I headed out to lunch earlier this week. On the way, we decided to head to the north shore of the island to see if ice lined the coast. The sun threatened to appear as wind blew clouds over the frozen land as much of the snow disappeared with the most recent thaw.

We drove to Malpeque Harbour, a favourite place to take visitors. The beach nearby, the working harbour and the farmers’ fields along the way are representative of island life. 

The wind was high enough to make the -7 C feel 10 degrees colder. It was icy under foot as well since we had a flash freeze after the last thaw. I forgot my ice grippers, so I didn’t go far. 

While my husband, who has better sense, waited in the car, I had company as I crept along behind the fishing shacks. A flock of European starlings filled some trees but took to wing as I approached. Several Blue jays landed near the same trees, picking seeds off the ground. 

But the most impressive creature was a Common raven, the biggest I’d ever seen. It  had claimed its place in a tree. 

With its distinctive call, it summoned another raven, which swooped in from a tree nearby but didn’t stay.

The basin was frozen, 

the fishing shacks deserted, 

the area desolate. Some boats were stored in the parking area near the shacks.  

Nothing stirred except the birds and the only sound was the raven. It squawked as I passed by as if to warn that I soon would be frozen like everything here. 

Time to go!

Sights along the coast

On the first full day of spring, the bright sun drew us out of the house. The bonus was the lack of wind on this glorious spring day. My husband and I decided to drive along the western shore in the Evangeline region, just west of Summerside. 

There was much to see this day. We stopped at Linkletter Park again and walked along the shoreline. The ice hadn’t changed from the previous day but it was pleasant to walk there without the bitterly cold wind. It will be a few months before anyone is on these monkey bars.

A pair of huge ravens inspected their domain, as the two invading humans paused to observe them.

They spoke back and forth with their characteristic, “Cawwww.” 

They surmised we were no threat to anything in the park.

As we drove along the coast, we stopped periodically to take photographs. This unusual man and pig ornament sat atop a gate to the driveway at the side of a property. It is an unusual piece of folk art in this area.

All along the road, you are never too far from the sea. The cottages, houses and sheds or barns, stood out against the backdrop of the ice covered sea. In this photo, behind the shed, a wee bit of open water is visible.

It gives us hope.

The gazebo overlooks an area where people dig for clams in season. 

There is a sand bar exposed at low tide, making it easy to see the clam holes. You would never know this from the look of the area now.

One fenced yard next to a house had numerous old wheels and pieces of farm equipment on display. 

There is open water in the background here as well.

We returned home energized and enthusiastic for the days ahead. We could have taken a picnic this day and sat by the ocean with a mug of tea. It was pleasant enough and would have been invigorating after the long winter. If only the Nor‘easters were finished for this year!