Mega Road Trip, June 29

Mega Road Trip to Far-Eastern Canada, June 29
June 29

Day 39. June 29, 2014. Sunday. St. Bride's, Newfoundland.

What an amazing day! Cape St. Mary's Ecological Reserve: nowhere else on earth can you get so close to so many nesting birds without disturbing them. During the breeding season, some 24,000 Northern Gannets, 20,000 Black-legged Kittiwake, 20,000 Common Murre, and 2,000 Thick-billed Murre, more than 100 pairs of Razorbills, more than 60 pairs of Black Guillemot, plus a few Double-crested Cormorants and Great Cormorants come here to nest and feed on the rich fish supply. The Fin Whales, Minke Whales, and Humpback Whales, Gray Seals, and Harbor Seals come to feed here too. In addition to birds on the cliffs, the sea surface is covered with vast numbers of birds, literally, for as far as the spotting scope can see.

Most of the gannets nest on Bird Rock — a 300-ft-tall rock spire that is separated from the viewing area by a chasm only a few yards wide. The gannets' courtship, nesting, and feeding behaviors, interactions, and delicate flying manoeuvres over the crowded rock spire are endlessly fascinating and easily observed from the edge. Being so close, not only is the experience a visual assault on your eyes, it is a loud and smelly assault on your ears and nose too!

Except for lunch in town at The Gannet's Nest, we spent the entire day, including sunset at 9:30 PM, visiting the birds, then got a room in St. Bride's (the closest town) at the CapeWay, a fancy B&B.

It was another wonderful day spent watching too many birds and too many whales. We left late, so this is short and we are going to bed.

Cape St. Mary's Road	Cape St. Mary's Road, nearing the station
Cape St. Mary's Lighthouse and sheep	Cape St. Mary's Ecological Reserve sign
Walking out the Cape St. Mary's Trail	Walking out the Cape St. Mary's Trail
Walking out the Cape St. Mary's Trail	Walking out the Cape St. Mary's Trail; the anticipation is building
Cape St. Mary's Overlook	Cape St. Mary's Overlook
Liz and Jim Cape St. Mary's Overlook	Northern Gannets on Bird Rock
Northern Gannets on mainland west of Bird Rock	Northern Gannets and other birds on mainland east of Bird Rock
Northern Gannets	Northern Gannets
Liz looking over the edge ...	... it is a long ways down!
Jim photographing over the edge ...	... hey, you looking at me? (bird's eye view of kittiwakes on nest)
Northern Gannets	Black-legged Kittiwake
Black-legged Kittiwake	Northern Gannets, plus thousands of Common Murre on water
Northern Gannets atop Bird Rock	Common Murre (L) and "Bridled" Common Murre (Rt; notice eye lines)
Fancy Savannah Sparrow	Dwarf Dogwood and other tundra plants underfoot
Northern Gannets: proud parents of a downy nestling	Northern Gannet fly-by -- this is a big bird
Northern Gannets plunge-diving to catch capelin fish	Northern Gannets "fencing" (welcome back to the nest)
Razorbills yacking	Razorbills
Fin Whale (notice tall, narrow blow)	Harbor Seal on the rocks
Northern Gannet flying in at sunset	Bird Rock with the last rays of the sun
Looking back at Bird Rock at sunset	Looking ahead at Cape St. Mary's Station at sunset

Note: All distances, elevations, and other facts are approximate.
; Last updated 140705

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