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!

  

September discoveries

Our past week started with a picnic in the community of Cape Egmont. We had driven along the Evangeline shoreline of Prince Edward Island, and stopped at the Cap Egmont lighthouse. The sea stack there is another favourite of my husband and I and we like to observe it seasonally.

This year, the size of both openings in the stack continues to grow and the first part of the stack visible from shore has two faces. 

Can you see them? We will be interested to see how they change this coming winter.

The Double-crested Cormorants have enjoyed the stack this year if the guano is any indication. 

The birds perch on the stack between their fishing flights along the shoreline.

This nearby cove, accessible via a narrow path and chain to hold was beyond the risk we would take, though I wanted to try it.

The shoreline has Goldenrod and Asters in abundance and the lighthouse is a wonderful backdrop.

At Cape Egmont, Arsenault Pond is a beautiful setting for a picnic.

A trail around the pond goes through the wildflowers such as Fireweed and Joe Pye Weed all gone to seed.

A fish ladder on the pond was busy that day as little fish were on their way down stream.

Just below the ladder, a Great Blue Heron knew of the fish too. You can bet it wasn’t his first day in this location.

We walked the boardwalk this past week as well. One location along the boardwalk is frequented by a flock of European Starlings. The chatty birds sometimes hang out in the trees in that area or among the seaweed along the shoreline below. 

Later this past week we cared for the golden grand-dog, Daisy again. She keeps us on our toes! It is cooler weather now so we didn’t take Daisy to the beach. Instead all of our walks were on the Confederation Trail, where we saw a few interesting things.

We expect this bird, probably a duck, fell prey to a raptor. 

Of course Daisy discovered it along the way. Only feathers remained around a headless body cavity. That predator was efficient! The tail feathers on this bird were beautifully coloured.

Also along the trail we discovered two tiny garter snakes. It looked like they had been run over by bikes. The tiny creatures would have been difficult to see as one rode along. We had never seen such small Garter Snakes.

The fields along the trail are near harvest time, potatoes having been sprayed, waiting for harvesting. Corn fields are tall and provide beautiful texture to the wildflowers bordering the fields.

Meanwhile, this young dog, along for a walk to use up some of the energy she has in abundance, can run free on the trail when no other walkers or bikers are around. The faithful creature, runs ahead as fast as she can, stops suddenly and looks around, checking on the two seniors walking along behind her. 

We smile and walk on…

  

One of the best

The Dunk River is in central Prince Edward Island about a thirty minute drive from home. We have walked the Dunk River Trail in early spring but never when nature was in her finery. We were in for a treat.

On first glimpse from the entrance, the river bends and disappears into the trees.

The roadside embankment is covered with lupins and rockets now as the late spring bloom has rolled into summer. 

The trail entrance is a hole in the trees which looks like an invitation to another dimension, and really, it is.

Inside the entrance, an open area is cool compared to the heat outside.

The first of numerous bird boxes greets visitors and the trail beyond is lined with rockets, the wildflowers du jour. 

Canadian Tiger Swallowtail butterflies flit among the blossoms and are difficult to photograph before they disappear among the vegetation. This is the best photograph I could manage of one earlier last week on the salt marsh in Summerside.

All along the trail, the sounds are enchanting. The constancy of the flowing water and the intermittent bird sounds are like nature’s orchestra with a masterful conductor leading the way. You can experience it here.

Meanwhile the sounds accompany vignettes like these:

where water and vegetation capture the eye and hold it hostage. One lingers a while at these scenes.

Maples saplings grow on the forest floor while overhead, the distinctive leaf shape provides a screen in front of us. Autumn will be glorious here.

We turned around near lunch time, leaving the completion of the trail for another day. On the way back, we saw a tree filled with mushrooms that resembled pimples on the trunk. 

Another trunk had woodpecker holes, some made by Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers.

Five female Mallards fed in the river as we walked by.

The river valley didn’t get as much damage from post tropical storm Fiona as other areas of the island, and while there are some signs of damage, 

the area has been cleaned up and provides an escape from the world.

Anyone who enjoys nature will love this trail. 

Be sure to bring insect repellent with you though. We did and the pesky creatures were still an annoyance in places, but manageable. It is not a difficult trail but watch for the roots which sometimes break ground.

This world along the Dunk River is one of the most beautiful trails on the island and is well worth your time.

Exploring the southwest shore

My husband and I have thoroughly enjoyed our exploration of the southwest shore of Prince Edward Island this autumn. One of our recent excursions took us to Howard’s Cove, a natural cove which is now a boat basin. In the many areas of exposed shoreline on the island, boat basins have been built to offer protection to fishers, their boats and gear. At Howard’s Cove, the natural protection afforded by the little cove was developed into a boat basin for the area.

There is a tiny light, not quite a house,

which overlooks the cove where three feathered sentinels were on watch that day. 

Nearby, weathering of the red sandstone cliffs along the shoreline have resulted in a sea stack which is a sentinel of the earthy kind, albeit a slowly disappearing one.

A trail runs across the western edge of the shoreline from the lighthouse and we followed as far as muddy conditions would allow. Lobster pots look to have found a winter home along the trail. We will return! Such a shoreline trek is among my favourites.

We drove further along the shore until near Miminegash, we heard a pond full of Canada Geese above the radio in the car with closed windows. They called us to stop for a look and listen.

In Miminegash, another boat basin is positioned along the shoreline, this one has a damaged run into the basin. 

It was busy in the basin so we proceeded further along the coast, looking for access to the beach. We drove down Shore Rd and weren’t disappointed as the road ended at the shoreline and our little table once again came in handy.

Our lunch of beef stew as we sat by the stream that crossed the beach was delicious! As we ate, five shorebirds entertained us with their antics as they fed along the water’s edge. 

The three Semipalmated Plovers were easy to identify but the other two, not so much. Surely those five have headed south by now!

My husband and I headed in opposite directions to explore the beach after lunch. The erosion on this beach is dramatic, as two layers of red earth erode at different rates. It may have something to do with the amount of water which flows over the embankment. 

And don’t those bird houses stand out?

Waterfalls are a rarity on the island and a trickle down a bank is an unusual sight especially with faces shaped by the water.

Off-shore, I saw a black bird I thought was a cormorant bobbing around in the water. Looking at the photos later, it was obviously a non breeding Common Loon, a first for me.

While we were walking, a crab boat came from the west and we watched with interest as the fishermen checked their pots. In the photo below, you can see one of the men measuring the crab to ensure they don’t take undersize animals.

The final photo is my favourite of the day. Every now and then, moments of beauty align and, if you are really fortunate, there will be a bird in the frame.