Atlantic Canada Part II

Atlantic Canada Part II

Saturday, June 30th

On Saturday morning it was time to say goodbye to the Magdalene Islands and make our way back to Prince Edward Island. The five hour ferry crossing was mostly uneventful. We saw two Sooty Shearwaters and a Manx Shearwater though all three were at a considerable distance from the boat. We had enjoyed some pretty good Humpback Whale sightings on the ferry ride out three days earlier and were hopeful that we might see more en route back. As it turned out, our diligent sentry duty on the windswept front deck was rewarded with just one whale sighting – a Minke Whale. Not a great sighting but a new mammal species for the year.

Once back in P.E.I. we drove directly to Confederation Bridge and across the Northumberland Strait to New Brunswick – the ninth province we have visited this year! Confederation Bridge is indeed a great Canadian landmark. Completed in 1997, it is 13 km in length and cost $1.3 billion.

Confederation Bridge

Cape Jourimain lies at the end of the bridge on the New Brunswick side and this is a very good birding spot so we stopped for an hour and made a good start on our New Brunswick bird list. We managed to spot several warblers despite the midafternoon timing of our visit, including an American Redstart, a new trip bird.

But the hour was late and we still needed to reach Saint John so on we drove, eventually pulling into our motel around supper time.  The highlight of this leg of our journey was discovering that our rental car had satellite radio and we were able to tune in the Andy Murray v’s Marcos Baghdatis tennis match at Wimbledon! Supper at Britt’s Pub in Saint John was excellent!

Sunday, July 1^st     Canada Day!

We were scheduled to catch the noon ferry from Saint John to Digby, Nova Scotia which left us time for some early morning birding in New Brunswick. We had a few tips on places to go beginning with Irving Park where we added Woodchuck to our year list, then continuing on to Red Head Marsh and Rockwood Park.

Woodchuck

All three spots were very pleasant and we would love to have birded longer in the Saint John area. We had several good sightings during the morning but no new birds which are of course becoming increasingly harder to find! But we don’t only focus on birds and mammals! Sometimes a flower catches our attention, sometimes a butterfly, and today, at Rockwood Park we came across a Green Frog!

Green Frog

On the three hour ferry ride to Digby, we once again found things very quiet but we did see two Great Shearwaters, a new bird species for the year. Once ashore in Nova Scotia, we drove down the Digby Neck to Brier Island, arriving in time for supper at our Brier Island Lodge Restaurant. We enjoyed a great meal and a relaxing evening made all the better by a nice bottle of Nova Scotia white wine compliments of Brian!

Monday, July 2^nd

Every day has its rewards on this trip but some days we just know we are in for a treat and today was such a day. Our reason for coming all the way down to Brier Island was to go on a whale-watching trip out into the Bay of Fundy. After a very pleasant early morning birding walk and a leisurely breakfast at our motel we drove down to the dock and boarded the “Island Link” for a three hour whaling and birding extravaganza. We were not disappointed! Skipper Roy was a very personable fellow and knew his birds and his whales. There were only four other people on the boat with us so we had all kinds of room and Roy was free to chat with us throughout the journey. We saw hundreds of seabirds, including great views of Manx, Sooty and Great Shearwaters. Far better views than previously! Even better, we encountered two new bird species for the year – Wilson’s Storm-Petrel and Northern Fulmar. Very early on in the trip we came across two Humpback Whales and these whales stayed close by our boat for about half an hour affording us some incredible views. Toward the end of the trip we came across a Minke Whale and saw it breach magnificently. This is a hard whale to follow and usually is hard to catch with the camera but we had a couple of pretty decent shots.

Humpback Whale

Minke Whale



Sooty Shearwater



Great Shearwater

Manx Shearwater

Northern Fulmar

On the negative side, Skipper Roy told us he had seen a Fin Whale the previous day as well as three Atlantic White-sided dolphins – but not today! Last week a Right Whale was seen by one of his friends – but not today! One should really stay for a few days and make several whaling trips but that will have to wait for another year!

Well satisfied with the spectacular views of both birds and whales, we left Brier Island and drove back north up Digby Neck and then back south down the Acadian shore to Yarmouth and beyond to West Pubnico where we were booked into the Red Cap Motel and Restaurant. We checked in and walked across the street to scope the adjacent bay. A local birder by the name of Alix d’Entremont saw the four of us and very kindly pulled over to introduce himself and chat about the local birdlife. One of the joys of this Big Year is the helpful and friendly people we meet along the way. Alix gave us lots of useful information about where we might bird the next day and we thank him!

While we were chatting with Alix, my son Rob and his wife Caroline arrived. They had driven down from their Alpaca farm in central Nova Scotia to join us for a day. We enjoyed a pleasant supper together before packing it in for the day.

Tuesday, July 3^rd

Like yesterday, today was one of those days where we were full of anticipation. And like yesterday, we were not disappointed! We were up and away early to a place called the Stan O’Brien Trail into Goose Creek Marsh which Alix told us about the previous evening.

Nice Trail Marker!

This spot was a hidden jewel and we enjoyed a good hour there, adding a couple of new trip birds (Least Flycatcher and Eastern Wood-Pewee)  plus a good number of new Nova Scotia birds. We couldn’t stay long however because next in store for us was yet another boat trip, this time to seek out Roseate Terns. Very few of these terns are found in Canada and West Pubnico is the place to find the few that make it here. It’s a well-known spot in the birding world and just over a week ago, there was actually a tern festival in the area, apparently an annual event. Together with about six other people, we motored out to the Brother Islets, two very small rocky islets which seem to be ideal for terns! Our excellent guide, Ronnie d’Entremont, told us there were several hundred terns nesting on the northern islet, mostly Common terns but also a number of Arctic Terns and of course – some Roseate Terns. We were in luck! We saw all three species and good views of each one! Perhaps you experts can tell which is which?

Answer: The first is the Arctic, the second is the Common and the third is the Roseate!

From West Pubnico we drove to Cape Sable Island for the second key target of the day. Here we were looking for yet another rare Canadian breeding bird, the American Oystercatcher. Like the Roseate Tern, this species is fairly common much further south but in Canada is extremely rare, found only sporadically on our Atlantic Coast and Cape Sable Island is the only reliable place to try for it. We were advised by one of our Nova Scotia birding friends (James Hirtle) to contact Johnnie Nickerson, a local expert, to help us locate this Oystercatcher. Johnnie came through with flying colours. Within a few minutes of our arrival we had two of them within our sights.

American Oystercatcher

These two species, the Roseate Tern and the American Oystercatcher were really excellent birds to get and we were all delighted with the day’s success.  Smiles all around:

Fur & Feathers on the Rocks

We spent the rest of the afternoon driving north to Bridgewater where we will spend the night. Tomorrow we will meet up with James Hirtle who guided us around these parts in our visit her back in January.

Atlantic Canada

We are four days in to our longest trip of the year, two weeks in the Atlantic Provinces. Besides the Maritime Provinces of Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, our itinerary takes in Quebec and Newfoundland & Labrador.

June 26 – We fly from Calgary to Charlottetown, PEI via Montreal. Our arrival in Charlottetown is not too auspicious, as we break through the clouds shortly before landing, and dodge the raindrops as we scurry into the terminal building. Brian picks up our Ford Escape which we’ll be using for ten days, and we drive the short distance to the Super 8 motel. Given the weather, there is no point in any evening birding and we have a fish supper at Maggie’s Family Restaurant across the parking lot from the motel.

June 27 – Making up for lost time we have a quick breakfast in the motel lobby and head for Prince Edward Island National Park, a 50-km stretch of PEI’s north coast. We will need to get as much birding done as we can before catching the ferry from Souris at 2 PM, and fortunately the rain has stopped overnight.

Prince Edward Island National Park

 

At various points along the shore between Cavendish and Brackley Beach we pick up several sea birds including the majestic Northern Gannet, which we will see in considerable numbers over the next few days.

Northern Gannet

In some wooded areas we find a number of songbirds including an excellent look at a White-throated Sparrow.

White-throated Sparrow

A hiking trail called Bubbling Springs had been recommended as a good birding spot, and we hear our first Winter Wren of the year there, but the trail is thick with mosquitos so we retreat to the car and head to the next birding locale, Pigot’s trail at Mount Stewart. No mosquitos there, as they have been swept away by the freshening breeze. Birding is accordingly quiet so we head for Souris and have lunch in a café by the harbour.

The ferry Madeleine plies the Gulf of St. Lawrence daily between Souris, PEI and Cap aux Meules, Quebec, on the Iles de la Madeleine, a 5-hour voyage. Brian had selected the Iles de la Madeleine (known in English as the Magdalen Islands) as our Quebec destination for the year, an unorthodox choice but an inspired one. The 135 km voyage to this remote outpost of Quebec is very smooth, with few birds except as we rounded the eastern tip of PEI and on the approach to the islands. Brian and Phil slipped inside for a coffee and missed a couple of Sooty Shearwaters spotted by Ray and Mike. We are back on deck to see the first of many Black-legged Kittiwakes and a couple of Humpback Whales and enjoy the final approach into the harbor at Cap aux Meules.

The day ends with dinner at our comfortable hotel, and a tally of our bird and mammal list for the day – 57 bird species recorded in PEI, and 12 in Quebec, and the whales the only notable mammals.

June 28 – Today we begin our exploration of the Madeleine island archipelago , consisting of about twelve islands, six of which are connected by sand dunes by the 65 km long Hwy 199.

Iles de la Madeleine

Before breakfast we bird the wooded slopes on Cap aux Meules Island, tallying over 20 species, several being heard-only, but we do get good looks at a Winter Wren. By late June, many birds are no longer singing with much vigour and two of our target birds, Yellow-bellied Flycatcher and Mourning Warbler prove elusive and remain on our wanted list at the end of our stay on the islands.

Sand dunes on Madeleine Islands

After breakfast we head north-east along Hwy 199, finally reaching Grand Entrée at lunchtime. Along the way we explore the dunes and marshes and take in the small communities and harbours, watching the fishing boats disgorging their catches of scallops, crabs and lobsters. We have excellent looks at both Common and Arctic Terns, Black and White-winged Scoters, Black Guillemots, Common Murres  and several species of sparrow (but unfortunately no Nelson’s).

Black Guillemot

Swamp Sparrow

A family of Red Foxes provides much amusement. This mammal is seen frequently on the islands. In contrast to the fertile soil of PEI, we see few signs of agriculture here. Two dead humpback whales on a long sandy beach are less appealing.

On our return south we check several beaches for signs of Piping Plover, without success. Scoping an offshore rocky island reveals both the numerous Double-crested Cormorants and a number of Great Cormorants. Arriving back at Cap aux Meules, we go into the office of Excursions en Mer to enquire about the possibility of a trip by zodiac to Ile Brion tomorrow. We are in luck, as the weather conditons look favorable and we will be on the second trip which will leave Grand Ile at 11:00 AM. Charming Pauline explains what the trip involves, and tells us she will be acting as our guide on the island tomorrow. She also tells us where to find the scarce Piping Plover on Cap-aux Meules.

We have dinner at a funky café at Cap Etang du Nord, and head home for an early night to ensure a good night’s sleep before tomorrow’s adventure.

An unusual dining experience at Le Salon de The Le Flaneur

June 29 – After a quick breakfast at Tim Horton’s, we do a couple of hours birding in the south before heading up to the harbor at Grand Ile. We are delighted to find a Piping Plover very close to where we park the vehicle by the Dune du Nord, a long expanse of sand dunes. Less delightful is watching a man walk his dogs right where the endangered plover is nesting.

Piping Plover

Our Quebec list is growing steadily, and as we await the zodiac a Glaucous Gull is a pleasant addition. Along with six other intrepid adventurers, we board the zodiac promptly at 11:00  AM. Captain Gaston (and owner of Excursions en Mer) explains the itinerary: a ½ hour journey to Ile Brion; 1 ¼ hours sailing around the island to a landing point; 2 ½ hours on the island; then ½ hour back to Grand Ile. The journey across is very smooth, everyone is having a great time and besides the expected sea birds we are lucky to spot a Manx Shearwater and a Long-tailed Jaeger. The sea cliffs of Ile Brion are filled with nesting Black-legged Kittiwakes, Common Murres, Atlantic Puffins and Razorbills. Several colonies of Grey and Harbour Seals are encountered.

Black-legged Kittiwake

Part of a Large Colony of Common Murres

Atlantic Puffin

Razorbills

We land on a rocky beach, where we are greeted by Pauline. The morning group leaves on the zodiac and we are left behind to enjoy the peace of the island, and a picnic lunch on the beach where the seals can be seen close up.

Our guide Pauline communes with Harbour Seals

We walked to the beach across beautiful meadows and a forest of stunted trees, past the lighthouse. descending the cliff down a narrow gully with a rope to hang on to. Almost all of the uninhabited island is now an ecological reserve, returning to the state it was in when discovered by Jacques Cartier in 1534. The island had been inhabited by one family for about a hundred years until the 1960s, as well as fishermen who lived there in the summer months.

Walking across the meadow at Ile Brion

On the beach at Ile Brion

Time passes quickly and we return to the landing beach, where Captain Gaston soon appears in his zodiac. We are quite unprepared for the rough return crossing, and our backs take a beating as the zodiac leaps and tosses like a bronco at the Calgary Stampede. But it’s only a ½ hour before we are back on dry land at 4 PM.

We spend the next three hours returning to the south end of the island chain, checking out a few birding spots we haven’t visited yet, and enjoying the views under glorious sunny skies. A Black-headed Gull is a surprise sighting.

Black-headed Gull

 

We have dinner at a lobster “factory”, and spend our last night on the Iles de la Madeleine with many happy memories.

Evening on Iles de la Madeleine

Prairie Grasslands - eastern Alberta and a bit of Saskatchewan

Friday, June 22



Checking out the attic in the Hesketh schoolhouse

The four of us are promptly away from Inglewood at 6:30, putting miles on Highway 9. Hesketh, about 20 kilometers west of Drumheller, is our first stop. Located in a lovely shallow valley, this tiny community is home to 15 people and a reputed Long-eared Bat population. Assisted by several friendly local folks we search the attics of the ancient town hall and nearby abandoned one-room schoolhouse, to no avail.

We move on, checking the Drumheller area, Wolf Lake and the Emerson campground along the Red Deer River. (A Badger would be nice, we comment 50 times or so.) At Wolf Lake, we find Lark Bunting for our first new team bird.

Lark Bunting

Near Steveville, we check out a site where Brian and Ray had a Grasshopper Sparrow a few years ago and, much to our surprise, we find one.

Grasshopper Sparrow

A short walk in Dinosaur Provincial Park gives us Rock Wren and a Common Nighthawk peents overhead, but we miss a Yellow-breasted Chat.

Overlooking Dinosaur Provincial Park

Approaching Empress Brian steers the car toward the local cemetery, home to the Ord’s Kangaroo Rat. As it’s strictly nocturnal we don’t expect a sighting, but need the lay of the land for our after-dark search. The clean, modest Forksview Motel is our overnight and we enjoy a pizza-and-beer supper at the nearby “restaurant”.  Following a too-short nap we head back to the cemetery, which is actually on the Saskatchewan side of the border. Conditions are perfect; however we find no rats – only a Lark Bunting foraging for insects in total darkness.

Empress Cemetery

Saturday, June 23

The only breakfast in Empress is a one-man operation located in the former bank building, and we take our eggs and toast at a table next to the vault door.

Ready to go after breakfast at "That's Empressive"

Back on the road we’re pleased to quickly spot a Burrowing Owl, and a Striped Skunk waddles across the road in front of the car. We’re impressed by the abundance of displaying Lark Buntings in this part of the province.

Burrowing Owl

Near Burstall we enter Saskatchewan and drive into the Great Sand Hills. An inquisitive Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel shows itself at the parking lot, likely hoping for a handout. (Two new mammals today!) There were also a couple of Common Nighthawks flying around and giving us much better looks than yesterday.  We meet our friend Milt Spitzer, exchange sightings and watch a Burrowing Owl pair before heading back across the border.

Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel

Common Nighthawk

Continuing south on Highway 41 we turn off near Chappice Lake, where along an unmarked road we find two target species: McCown’s Longspur (catch-up bird for Phil and Mike) and Baird’s Sparrow. Hanging on to our scopes in the stiff wind we see them well.

Longspur and sparrow habitat near Chappice Lake

Baird's Sparrow

An odd sight here are two dung beetles rolling their cow-patty ball down the trail.

Dung Beetle

A quick Dairy Queen stop in Medicine Hat stokes us up for the drive back to Calgary.   It was another enjoyable and successful trip - 5 new team birds and 2 new team mammals.  Next stop - Atlantic Canada.

- Mike -

Kananaskis Country

Kananaskis Country (or K Country as it is often called) is a recreational area west of Calgary.  For visitors to Calgary with limited time, it is the closest mountain area to the city – just a 45 minute drive to the west.  It is a multi-use area which means logging and oil exploration are on-going.  However, the birding and wildlife viewing can be quite good.

Kananaskis Country as seen from the Elpoca Viewpoint

This morning, Ray, Mike and I headed to K Country for a leisurely morning outing.  Ray and Mike had a couple of catch-up birds to find, I was looking to get some photos and we had a team target – American Pika.

We started off on Sibbald Trail and headed straight for the wetlands.  Mike needed Alder Flycatcher and they are usually quite common.  However, today, its cousin, Willow Flycatcher, was the common bird but we eventually found an Alder for Mike.  Can you tell the two flycatchers apart?

Any differences you see are probably due to differences in lighting, shooting angle or pose of the bird.  According to Kenn Kaufman in his book, “Field Guide to Advanced Birding”, the two are virtually impossible to tell apart visually, even in the hand.  For the record, the one on the top is an Alder Flycatcher and on the bottom is a Willow Flycatcher.  I was much closer to the Willow, thus the photo shows more detail.  I got even closer to an inquisitive juvenile Gray Jay.

Gray Jay (juvenile)

While flycatcher watching, we also saw a couple of sapsuckers, one a “good” Yellow-bellied and the other had a bit of Red-naped in him.  The Yellow-bellied was another catch-up bird for Mike.  We were looking for a MacGillivray’s Warbler for Ray but didn’t find one.  There were a lot of Northern Waterthrush calling and one posed briefly in nice lighting.

Northern Waterthrush

We then drove to Highwood Pass to look for the pika.  On the road up to the pass, there is a “rock glacier” and this is where the pikas live.

American Pika habitat

I expected that we would need to carefully scope the rocks to find one but, just as we started up a short trail, Ray called out, “I’ve got one”.  The American Pika ran between Ray and me, posed for a photo, and then ran up into the rocks.  If only all mammals were as cooperative!

American Pika

On the way home, we made a couple of more stops, the final one at Mt. Lorette Ponds.  This is a beautiful spot and a reliable site for Townsend’s Warblers.  We saw many of these warblers in BC but the trees are much taller there so it is always a treat to get good views.

Townsend's Warbler

Tomorrow, the four of us will head to eastern Alberta to find five target birds and hopefully, a couple of good mammals.