The view from here

This past week was busy and on several occasions we walked between the raindrops. However it was a lovely first week in October although a bit cooler than last month.

We met up with our friends, Helen and Frank, again and this time we drove west, stopping at Northport. The view from a wharf there is classic, 

the sea, lighthouse*, cormorants, and fishing boats. Some boats have already been pulled ashore for the season.

We continued our drive along the coast to Tignish Shore where the low tide revealed sea glass along the shoreline. Helen’s keen eyes found browns and greens which eluded me. Thank you, Helen!

At the far eastern end of the beach, we saw the nesting holes of Bank Swallows although the birds left the island for southern regions weeks ago. 

I hope winter doesn’t erode the soil, destroying the holes for the birds on their return.

At North Cape, we saw seals in the water, their heads poked out between dives, as they observed the people along the shore and the rock reef.

The reef, the largest of its kind in North American, is formed where the Northumberland Strait and the Gulf of St. Lawrence merge. People were walking on the reef, the first time my husband and I have seen people there.

Erosion is obvious along this shoreline with the collapse of the arch roof forming this sea stack. A hole in the stack will probably undermine the stack itself over the next several seasons.

We had a leisurely picnic lunch at North Cape and enjoyed the time with our friends.

This past week, as always, presented some interesting sights along the boardwalk. One day, from the gazebo, we observed a Great Blue Heron, Black Ducks and Mallards along the shoreline by the salt marsh.

As we watched, a lone Black Duck came out of the bulrushes in the marsh and started quacking insistently. Many of the ducks in the bay headed into the marsh, 

some waddled, while others flew. 

Once there, the ducks dispersed around the marsh.

It was fascinating to watch how one duck could marshal the others as it did. We can only wonder the reason for the action of one and response of the others. Meanwhile, the Heron caught some fish which you can see from the bulge in its long outstretched neck as it swallowed.

Also along the boardwalk, Common Grackles were their usual loud selves as the chatted in the trees. 

I love how the shape and colour of the feathers are visible in this photo. They are late migrating this year.

A male Northern Flicker, a species of woodpecker, was busy digging in the ground. The markings on its feathers are impressive.

The autumn colour has begun, as the trees, including many Red Maples, are beautiful again this year.

Along the shoreline, the Asters stand out among the seed heads and changing leaves.

The view never fails to amaze us!

*The lighthouse was decommissioned and is now in private hands as a summer home.

P.S.

I walked with my friend, Lucy, at Brander’s Pond this past week. It was a sunny day and the coastline look different from the same scene last month.

West to the Shores

After our picnic at Kildare Capes, as mentioned in my last post, my husband and I continued along the northwest coast to Tignish Shores. This beach is one we like to visit to watch Northern Gannets in the spring diving for food off-shore. It is a great place for a walk and we always meet locals as they enjoy their daily walk on this iron-rich sand. 

The beach is just east of a boat basin and part of the wind farm on the northwest coast is visible in the distance. The decorative lighthouse in the nearby park is visible from the beach as well.

The sand dunes in this area were devastated by Fiona 

and the marsh behind the dunes shows how far the storm surge moved inland. 

On that beautiful autumn day, the breeze was enough to provide some fun for the gulls as they sailed above us over the length of beach. Some Buonaparte’s Gulls haven’t migrated south yet. As is usually the case, gulls landed at the mouth of the stream which crosses the beach and empties into the Gulf of St. Lawrence. 

Today they have company as a tractor moves sand around the area of the stream.

While we don’t know for sure, we can speculate that a shift of sand as a result of Fiona necessitated human intervention. A tractor moving sand on a beach is an unusual sight on the island.

A nice surprise was the presence of some migratory birds which stop by the island on their way south for the winter. Most are gone by mid September. However, this day a Sanderling fed along the beach 

as did a White-rumped Sandpiper. 

I watched the birds as I walked both ways on the beach, wondering how they would manage to fly south alone and wished they’d join forces for what lies ahead. 

Meanwhile in the water just off shore, three Red-throated Loons floated around 

as a seal swam nearby. 

                          Can you see the seal’s head?

There was something else in the water but I couldn’t manage a photo. 

Island beaches are a source of wonder!

Wood Islands

We visited the Wood Islands Park on the east coast of Prince Edward Island this past week. This day use park is across from the ferry terminal and features a beautiful lighthouse. While my husband and I have taken the ferry on a number of occasions, we have never been to the park.

The ferry had recently left port for Nova Scotia and was visible in the distance.

It was a beautiful day and we walked around the small park as hundreds of Cabbage Whites made the rounds of the late summer flowers all around us. 

This one is a perfect specimen while many others look tattered at this point in the season. 

I saw something bobbing in the water periodically and watched for it to resurface again. It was a long distance off shore. 

This is the best photo I could manage of the seal who was fishing as birds flew over the water to the breakwater nearby. It is the first seal we’ve seen here on Prince Edward Island though they are common along the east coast here.

Cormorants and seagulls have taken up residence along the breakwater. It looks like a few Great Cormorants were hanging out with the Double-crested birds. Great Black-backed Gulls were obvious among the seagulls.

I walked down to the beach and was surprised to see dozens of Bank Swallow nests along the shoreline but not one bird was visible. They may have left for warmer climes already. 

Opposite this park is the fishing port of Wood Islands which lies adjacent to the berth for the ferry. Lobster season finishes at the end of June along this part of the coast so some boats are out of the water already.

Close to the lighthouse lies a Victorian Rose Garden planted there by one of the light keepers. Most of the roses are spent now.

However nearby, some of the biggest, reddest and shiniest rose hips made me wonder about rose hip jam. 

In one jam recipe, it takes a kilogram, 2.2 pounds of rose hips to give 500 ml or 2 cups of jam. You have to cut the hips and discard the seeds. I won’t be making that jam any time soon.

There is a back range light near the main lighthouse in the park. It houses an amateur radio station with an antenna nearby which makes the Canadian flag on top look like a postage stamp.

We had other stops that day and already were two hours from home so we didn’t stay long. However, this park is worth another visit.