Early July on PEI

We had a quiet week, confining our activity to home and the boardwalk. It was hot and humid enough to keep us home one day. Several other days, we walked in the wind and rain. On those days, the camera was absent. However the area of the boardwalk always provides photo opportunities even if one gets there but one day a week.

Near the gazebo one day, multiple birdhouses decorated a tree. One can imagine children enjoyed this project and their efforts make the area a place of interest as people walk along.

One day, my husband and I watched as a Great Blue Heron came in for a landing near the salt marsh. 

We observed four Herons in that area as we walked the boardwalk later.

Meanwhile, the rodents are not to be outdone. Chipmunks are busy these days and a new generation is out and about, approaching walkers cautiously.

Red Squirrels are present year round. This one let me know it wasn’t pleased I didn’t provide any peanuts. 

When it turned sideways, I noticed its ear was malformed, the first time we had seen such a defect. The feisty little creature appears to be doing well.

On Saturday past, we saw a Snowshoe Hare again in the area we had seen several this past spring. 

With the number of Bald Eagles which have been in the area recently, we suspected the hares hadn’t survived. At least one did and it’s a beauty.

I suspected the Yellow Bellied Sapsuckers were finished with the nest. 

However, we walked earlier in the morning this past week and I discovered the nest is still busy with the birds, 

back and forth with food for chicks.

One day, a Starling waited around, 

watching the proceedings as adults occasionally poked their heads out but stayed in place at the sight of the other bird.

This Yellow Warbler added its song to that of the Song Sparrows another day. The Warblers are beautiful against the clear sky.

I couldn’t finish the week without sharing a photo of the Black Ducks, the reliables of the salt marsh. I hope everyone has their ducks in a row this coming week. 

We do…ahh…did.

In the green

Last week was a windy one and the open areas along the boardwalk were cold enough to require a jacket. Among the trees on the trails of the Rotary Park in Summerside was quite lovely though, as was the River Trail in Tyne Valley. We had a picnic in Tyne Valley, about a thirty minute drive from home. We also took our first bike ride last week.

The trails through the forest in the Rotary Park are glowing with new green.

The leaves overhead are also open now and spread adoringly before the sun which they worship for the next several months.

Along the boardwalk, nesting Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers are sometimes visible as an adult pokes its beak through the hole in the tree. 

On the River Trail, evidence of Sapsuckers abounds and we heard numerous woodpeckers as we walked the trail. I spotted a male and female in the same tree.

Two apple trees among some huge pines on the Rotary Trail are in full bloom.

The blossoms were abuzz with huge bees flitting among the blooms.

Along the River Trail, apple blossoms were numerous too.

At one location, near the beginning of the trail, petals randomly covered the soil, leaving white speckles on the red sand.

In some areas of the River Trail, the plants almost created a tunnel, except for a few beams of light which managed to break through the leaf cover on a windy day. 

The river in Tyne Valley flows gently along, not in a rush to get anywhere most days. In this area by a bridge, the water and reflection resemble a watercolour painting.

Later in the week, smoke from the fires in western Canada joined the fog in Bedeque Bay. The lighthouse across the bay couldn’t distinguish between the two. 

We had heavy rain this past week on several occasions. How I wish we could share the rain with western Canada. So many people are out of their homes in northern Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta. Rain is urgently needed.

The last photo of the day is a Mourning Dove looking down at the world. I understand that look.

Finally, this past week, while walking the boardwalk, we chatted with a gentleman about the beauty of the day and the pleasant surroundings. He was so pleased to be there, unassisted, at 92 years old, enjoying the setting and the day. We were thrilled for him!

Enjoy your day!