Grand Manan and Fundy National Park
August 28 - Sept. 4, 2007 - Trip Report
Peg Abbott and Tony Beck, guides

 

Tues., August 28 St. Martins / Covered Bridges / Fundy National Park
Several of our group arrived a day early and had a nice seafood dinner and time to chat in St. John’s. Wynn and Ken thoroughly enjoyed a retreat at an elegant B and B right on the water; one we’d gladly recommend! After some errands and grocery shopping, we met Don and Jan, Reed and Barbara, and Pat at the airport and were soon underway. It was a glorious sun-filled day; we made great time, and soon were eating fresh crab bisque and other delights at a restaurant right on the beach. The geology here was striking; a meeting of new and old rock, the younger Tertiary layer a bright red. In a nearby cove we had a chance to see Red-throated Loon alongside its larger cousin the Common Loon, and our first of many Common Eider. We took time to photograph the lovely pair of Covered Bridges and the colorful boats and fishing buoys, and then headed on towards Alma, driving through Fundy National Park. We stretched our legs at a pretty lake where an Osprey called and made a pass overhead, then on a boardwalk trail where we found Common Yellowthroat, Catbird and Yellow-rumped Warblers. We settled into our lodgings and had one of the finest meals of the journey at Tides, a local restaurant with a great view of the bay, which exhibited a very low tide under this evening’s pull of a Full Moon.

Wed., Aug.29 Fundy National Park / Hopewell Rocks
Several joined Tony for an early morning outing along the Laverty Road in Fundy National Park. Birds were very quiet, as they would prove to be all week, but the morning was lovely and we enjoyed being out. Numerous Bunchberry had deep orange-red fruit set while other flowers were still in bloom. Barbara worked through the field guide to reveal a few; others Jan recognized as similar to species at her Pacific Northwest home. Cedar Waxwing and a quick fly-by of a Rose-breasted Grosbeak were highlights; we all got good views of very cooperative Black-capped Chickadees, including their pink-sided juveniles. We returned for breakfast, and with the full group afterwards returned to this little-traveled road to try for more species. At Lac Laverty we found Moose -- a young bull that we soon realized was in trouble. Several park people told us it had been reported stuck in the mud on the far bank the night before, here mid-morning it was trying to get out, and quickly weakening. We could see in the scopes that it would try, but just could not get enough leverage with its forelegs to lift the hind end, deep in water and mud. Thankfully, the presence of the park rangers, who wisely went around it, caused it to turn around to flee, and in doing so it broke free. It was even more of a relief to see that it was sound, moving well, and all its legs seemed normal with no permanent injury. What a drama we witnessed! Our timing was great to not only see the Moose, but to know it got free and to watch it settle down to rest on the shore. We left it in peace, and hopefully it did not return to feed on that muddy far shore….

As there was still so much to see in this beautiful park, we decided against going up to Mary’s Bay, and spent the rest of the afternoon exploring the scenic highlights and some short trails along the coast. The mid-day tide was high, and we observed an excellent display depicting the story of these famous tides at one of our scenic overlooks. Along the coast Ken Frey picked out a Spotted Sandpiper on rocks below us, and we had good looks at Common Loon and Common Eider just offshore. Land birds were few, but Tony found a group of Golden-crowned Kinglet that came down low enough for us to admire, and a family group of Black-throated Green Warbler with still-begging young. The day went quickly but we all appreciated the lovely healthy forests of birch and spruce. We stopped at the Visitor’s Center en route home, and enjoyed a free evening in Alma.

Thurs. Aug 30 Irving Park (St. John) / Ferry to Grand Manan
This morning we packed up to head on to Grand Manan, returning to St. John where we took time to explore and search for wildlife at Irving Park. We scanned the marsh at the entrance and found Northern Harrier and a number of Great Blue Heron. We hoped that the woods would be alive with warblers, as Tony has experienced in the past, but we had to be content with Black-capped Chickadees, a very vocal Red Squirrel and a couple of Black-throated Green Warblers. Glassing the bay we found several Common Eider, and far in the distance a group of Surf Scoter. Peg put out a lavish lunch spread with the help of several, and we enjoyed time to visit among good company. We had an afternoon ferry to catch, so stopped only briefly for some shorebird sightings as we left. A Peregrine flew right over Peg’s minivan as we drove away!

The ferry ride was great; even waiting was fun as we were full of anticipation of our adventure. We found a Short-billed Dowitcher feeding on rocks by the shore, and soon were called to board. From the deck we enjoyed expansive views of the ocean, several large islands and soon – seabirds! Sooty and Greater Shearwater circled in close to the boat, and about half way across we picked up Northern Gannet. Best of all, in the distance we spotted our first whale – a very large Fin Whale, a new species for many. We had an hour and a half ride to where the Swallowtail Light greeted us and guided us into safe harbor at Grand Manan. Fisherman were busy pulling herring from the weirs; we later heard it’s a banner year for this industry. It was just a short ride to the Shorecrest, where cheery Red-breasted Nuthatch were at work on the feeder, and Gunter and Evelyn were ready to greet us. It was immediately apparent we had made a fine choice – delightful ambiance at the Inn made us feel right at home. Dinner was superb, and we all got a good rest to be up and ready for the next day’s birding.

Fri., Aug 31 Castalia Marsh, Anchorage Park, Seawatch Boat Tour
Today was just an incredible day. We started at Castalia Marsh, where numerous Greater Black-backed and Herring Gulls were loafing. We scanned through them for other species, then turned our scopes on four Snowy Egret which had been present for a couple of weeks on the island, quite rare this far north in Canada. Driving around to the egrets’ side of the bay, we got excellent views of a large flock of Black-bellied Plover, migrants returning from the Arctic -- many still in breeding plumage. We then continued on towards Seal Cove, stopping at a park in Anchorage to use the facilities before boarding our vessel. Here we found our first real flock of warblers – to our amazement right by our cars. The birds were very cooperative, giving us eye-height views of Northern Parula, Black-throated Green Warbler, Yellow Warbler, and both Red-eyed and Warbling Vireos. It proved to be the best warbler viewing of the week!

Mid-day, we boarded the SeaWatch, where Captain Peter Wilcox and first mate Durland Ingersoll made us feel very welcome. There was deep fog on the coast, but they were certain they could get past the effect of the island that created these conditions, and with a bit of trepidation we were game to try. Leaving the harbor, Tony spotted Manx Shearwater right away; a group of seven or so feeding quite close to shore. We also saw a group of Razorbill; a new species for many and one which Don had really wanted to see. Our route took us through a passage between several of the smaller islands, then out into deep water. Once in that deep water, the crew enticed great numbers of seabirds close by chumming with herring. We got superb close views of Greater Shearwater, the most abundant species, but also Sooty Shearwater and Herring Gulls of various age classes. In the distance we had good numbers of Wilson’s Storm Petrel, and several large flocks of Red-necked Phalarope, which sported a few Red Phalarope as well. These species were the targets of several jaegers during the course of the day. We spotted several Pomerine Jaeger, one coming close enough for photographs, and a couple of Parasitic. The sea is incredibly productive here, and the whirling of seabirds never ceased.

Our attentions, however, were drawn to the first cry of “Whale, starboard side”! Our first North Atlantic Right Whale was loafing on the water, perhaps resting after the rigorous interactions of courtship. The captain could see several more whales about a mile ahead, and kept motoring to reach them. Once there, with soft light around us, we had ample time to watch as the great whales surfaced. We could hear (and smell!) their breaths, and see their characteristic white facial protuberances. One of the whales had a porcelain white belly; we learned later it was a female, and she lay on her back with her white belly exposed to avoid the unending attention of the males. When she rolled over to breathe they were ready; we learned a lot about the sex lives of whales this day! We had at least eight Northern Right Whales to study fairly close to us, and several more in the background. The loudest oohs and aahs uttered by our group occurred when the whales dove, signaled by arching their backs, then exposing the muscular tail flukes, which drained water in beautiful patterns. Every camera clicked at that moment, and we found out they also did shallow dives, signaling with the tail. To do this, they made loud sounds on the by water hitting it with their tails; one mother whale repeatedly slapped her tail, perhaps signaling a calf to come closer – quite a muscular feat! The sea was remarkably calm, which made viewing quite easy despite the cloud cover. Indeed time had simply vanished, such was the intensity of our viewing. Our cameras kept clicking away, and I think all were satisfied by the time we turned around. We returned to the Shorecrest where Gunter made us most welcome. Hot showers, cocktails for those who wanted them, and chicken Marsala for dinner made for a great evening.

Sat., Sept 1 Grand Manan Museum/Whales and Sails Bay of Fundy Tour
Gunter made us delicious blueberry pancakes this morning, complete with real maple syrup. What a great way to start the day! As it was breezy and still a bit cloudy, we decided to visit the Grand Manan Museum before boarding our boat today. A local woman provided excellent commentary, gliding easily from one subject to the next, from Willa Cather to Allan Moses, the island’s first ornithologist, to the various aspects of the island’s fishing industry. The museum was well worth a visit and after her presentation we had half an hour to wander at leisure and read in more detail. Then it was on to the main harbor by the ferry docks, where an elegant schooner was waiting for us. Tony’s advice to get comfortable in the stern was well heeded when we headed home against the wind. Just as we got on board, the skies cleared to a deep blue, with just a bit of puffy cloud on the horizon, and stayed that way throughout the day. We put the sails up and motored directly out to the deep waters closer to the Nova Scotia side of the bay to where we saw the whales yesterday. Several other sailboats were out there, but the whales for the most part ignored them and went about their courting. We had a tremendous show with one female again resting with her belly up, avoiding the suitors. As soon as she would turn they were ready; splashing would ensue with flukes and flippers flying. Today the light was perfect – deep blue water with small white caps catching the sun. Greater Shearwater, Sooty Shearwater and Northern Gannet came and went, though not in yesterday’s abundance. Two sightings made the voyage back successful – first two great jumps of a Basking Shark and the second a close up sighting of an Ocean Sunfish. The shark was new for many, an enormous beast full of muscular power to leap above the waves. The sunfish stayed near the surface as our captain turned the boat, and the water was clear enough for photography. Seas were indeed much livelier, particularly heading back in, when waves were literally crashing over the bow. They were well prepared with waterproof slickers and we bundled up, but Wynn can attest that some rather odd fashion statements were made this day! We laughed at our adventure, and felt fortunate, if a bit worn out, by the chance to see Northern Right Whales a second day; this time in bright sunlight. We got back about 5:00 PM, with time to explore a bit and enjoy a hot shower. Dinner was halibut with a lovely mango salsa, with ice cream for dessert.

Sun., Sept. 2 Whitehead Island / Castalia Marsh
We wanted to find a greater variety of shorebirds, and decided to take the local ferry over to Whitehead Island, named for a stunning outcrop of rock above? the main harbor. We did some local birding first, and caught the noon ferry. As there was a delay, we ate our sandwiches while perched upon the rock jetty, enjoying the sunshine and views. Time on the island was marvelous, and as the tide was coming in, we had perfect shorebird viewing conditions for over an hour. With the scope we were able to get great looks at Red Knot, Whimbrel, Ruddy Turnstone and Sanderling. Further down the road, just below us in a small cove, we got good views of smaller ‘peeps’, the most abundant being Semipalmated Sandpiper. Eagle-eyed Tony picked out a White-rumped Sandpiper, and luckily we all got views before the entire flock exploded! A Peregrine was the cause; Ken Frey spotted it right away and we all got good views. As our subjects scattered, we made our way around the island, enjoying a walk in a small woods adjacent to a quiet back island cove. Grey Comma and Red Admiral butterflies were cooperative for our cameras in the bright sun, and Barbara recorded several more wildflowers blooming late in the season for our plant list. By now we realized landbirds were just migrating in another corridor this year, but the delights of the island more than made up for this; with great scenery framing the picturesque settlements, we were content to just explore. Tony showed us Dulse, a prized type of seaweed harvested commercially on Grand Manan, drying in the sun. As it was Sunday the last ferry of the day was at 4:00 PM. Luckily we got there early but had a scare as there were more cars than space. To our great relief several were just there to hold space for the first Monday morning spot, so we got on with several cars behind us. Typical of easy-going island life (Whitehead has only 250 residents), there was just no one there to explain that to us! Good thing we had snacks to quell the worried waiting!

Returning to Grand Manan, we stopped at Castalia Marsh to make a try at observing Nelson’s Sharp-tailed Sparrow, and we had luck! We spent quite some time looking, but finally several perched right up on a cluster of shrubs rimmed by saltgrass, affording quick but excellent views. Tonight was a free night for dinner, allowing us to explore a bit, which was fun! Some explored close to home and Gunter prepared some divine scallops. Others headed down the road to a small restaurant overlooking the harbor where they enjoyed fresh seafood. Peg took off with her camera and got some wonderful sunset shots from the Swallowtail light.

Mon., Sept. 3 Long Eddy Point / Anchorage / Whale and Seabird Museum
This morning we visited a few spots Tony had not yet revealed. We traveled to the North End of the island, to a great viewing platform where we could see seabirds swirling below as the tide fluctuation brought food close to the surface. It was fun to see large schools of Harbor Porpoise working the current around the point. We found a family of Ring-necked Pheasant en route, and our ever-present Cedar Waxwings posed for close inspection. We returned to Anchorage, the location on the island’s west coast where we had had luck with warblers. After checking out the pond, we drove left down the main beach, but gale force winds precluded walking the beautiful shoreline. We took refuge near the back bay where we found a few species of ducks, then returned to the meadow by the picnic area we’d visited before. We ran into the very same warbler flock of a few days previous and this time they were feeding low in the shrubs, so all of us got great looks at a bright male American Redstart, Northern Parula and the Blue-headed Vireo. Gunter met us with our picnic lunch, and in the shelter of the Ramada Peg gave a talk on the local geology. Much to our joy Tony got a Great Cormorant in the scope – one we’d spotted from the windy beach but had not viewed clearly.

After our picnic lunch, we enjoyed a visit to the Grand Manan Whale and Seabird Research Station. It was informative to visit with biologist Laurie Murison in more detail, and they have a fine set of displays on all aspects of marine life. Several of our group wanted to stretch their legs on a more rigorous hike, and we set out on a trail near Shorecrest Lodge. It was lovely to walk in deep woods, with picturesque views of sea arches, the coastline, basking Great and Double-crested Cormorants and to watch the flight of Northern Gannets and other seabirds. Views of the Swallowtail Light were superb as we circled around the north end of the island; Pat and Ken took a detour to view it in detail. Tony took several of our keen birders out to try to find a few more species, venturing down to the southwest corner of the island on this blustery day to see what the wind might blow in.

Tues., Sept. 4 Ferry return to the Mainland / Departures / St. John
We split into two groups today to accommodate airport departures, Peg and Pat leaving early. They enjoyed conversation with a couple who spent several weeks each year on the island, and learned we had missed a BIG treat by not frequenting the local bakery, which opens early enough that the fisherman come for coffee ahead of their day, mixing with tourists and locals. We had a quick glimpse of a Minke Whale, and saw some of the same seabirds. A quart of fresh blueberries was a treat en route back, and Peg later shared it with those of the group staying on. Tony drove the rest of the gang back, and we all met up for a final lunch in the historic downtown district of St. John. It was a grand lunch, with delicious sandwiches and local tap beer. Several of the group had 3:00 pm flights, after which Tony headed home to Ottawa. Peg, Polly and Ernie, and Don and Jan stayed over, returning to St. Johns’ interesting downtown area to tour the fine natural history museum. After a well deserved nap, we drove back downtown to a restaurant on the harbor. It was delightful; an old warehouse made into an eatery, with lots of seafaring accoutrements decorating the walls. Ernest ordered the seafood platter and received a wondrous plate of mussels, crabs, lobster, shrimp and more – what a way to end another grand adventure! Reed and Barbara hope to return on their own to explore in more detail, and I would not be surprised if many of us do the same. The island was enchanting.

Photos by: Peg Abbott.

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