Waning days of summer

It is that time of year again when many of the tourists have left the island for another year. A few remain but cruise ships will bring thousands of voyagers for daily excursions over the next two months. Autumn is knocking on the door and we are enjoying these waning days of summer at some of our favourite places and one place which was new to us.

We’ve watched the fishing boats in the bay this past week as the lobster season in this part of the province continues. One day, gulls stayed close to a boat, expecting offal to be cast away which they could eat. 

Another day, we saw a trap coming out of the water. 

Fresh lobsters are a common meal in homes and restaurants this time of year.

Meanwhile, along the shoreline, a Great Blue Heron was fishing too.

On a visit to Cavendish for a walk and a picnic, we watched a squirrel chasing a chipmunk which disappeared into a tree. The chipmunk poked its head out as we watched, hoping it had escaped the squirrel.

Nearby, a fallow field has become a mass of Queen Anne’s Lace and Red Clover. It is mesmerizing, in a good way.

At the Oceanview Lookout, 

newly built since Hurricane Fiona destroyed the previous one, one can see the length of Cavendish Beach nearby.

We visited the Borden wetlands last week as well. This area is new to us, but is an area popular with birders on the island, especially at low tide. We saw Semipalmated Plovers and Sandpipers. I was happy to see this juvenile Caspian Tern. 

The Canada Geese coming in for a landing were a beautiful sight too.

The wetlands and beach are in the shadow of the Confederation Bridge, which connects the island to the mainland of Canada. The curved line of the bridge is a massive structural wave high above those of nature.

On the way home, sunflowers were the highlight. They can grow tall, as you can see by these specimens growing beside this old Volkswagen van.

Also along the way, the sunflowers in this patch were facing the morning sun. We find ourselves doing the same as we enjoy the last few weeks of the summer spectacle.

Have a great week!

Blooms and birds

There is always a surprise along the boardwalk in Summerside. This past week, my husband and I found sunflowers in various stages of development, from immature buds to full flowers in the area of the salt marsh. They captured our attention!

The first one we saw was visible from the gazebo, our first stop of the day.

It’s shining face was turned to the east, greeting the morning sun. We couldn’t resist walking to the beach to have a closer look. Often, people will pick a sunflower which grows along the shore so it might not last long if the past predicts the future.

How did this bloom and the others which are in bud,

happen to grow along the shoreline? We suspect birds drop some sunflower seeds which walkers leave at the many feeders along the boardwalk. Another possibility in that some seeds drop into the stream and are deposited along the shoreline. Either way, the plants are a wonder of nature.

The younger plants have buds of various sizes which expand as they near blooming. The buds have so much potential for beauty. 

Further along the boardwalk, more wildflowers are beginning their brief and glorious days in the sun. Now goldenrod 

and Joe Pye weed are coming into blossom. 

In the scene below, the newcomers join roses, Queen Anne’s Lace and Sow Thistle. Nature is an amazing florist!

Lastly today, I want to share a brief video of the shorebirds which stop by the same place where the sunflowers bloom. You can see the video here.

These birds are on their way south after weeks spent nesting further north. They stop over in Prince Edward Island in preparation for the long flight to warmer climes for the winter. This day, the tiny birds resemble ants scurrying around in the seaweed.

It is a joy to watch them.

On the breeze

From late spring to early autumn, it is common to see sailboats in the bay at Summerside. This past weekend, a sailing race from Summerside to Charlottetown made for an interesting morning on the boardwalk as well. While we missed their sail past the lighthouse, we enjoyed watching the boats in the Northumberland Strait as they headed for the Confederation Bridge while we walked in our favourite location.

Meanwhile, one boat was headed in the wrong direction. Before long, it turned around and caught the breeze which brought it close to the others.

However, it was the last one to sail through the Confederation Bridge.

My husband and I weren’t the only spectators that day. Yellowlegs kept a one-legged vigil along the shoreline, 

though on occasion they just couldn’t take the excitement and averted their eyes from the vessels. Later, we noticed some decided to sit it out entirely.

There are always distractions along the boardwalk. That day, we noticed a sunflower, probably from a seed dropped by a bird or squirrel. Every year at least one seed from bird food survives the animals and bursts forth to meet the sun.

As we walked, a Downy Woodpecker was busy among the trees. It is the first one we’ve seen this summer, though they are common in the autumn.

Other boats not competing in the race sailed past the lighthouse too. 

It is easy to see the curvature of the earth while watching those boats head toward the mainland across the Northumberland Strait. As they dip below the horizon, only the top of the mast and sail are visible. 

And as always, some lucky creatures can sail on the breeze any time. 

Note:

The photos of the sailboats were taken with the Nikon 83 optimal zoom. They aren’t great.