Yearn to Wander

French Creek Harbour

French Creek, a protected working harbour with moorage for its commercial fishing fleet, a charter fleet, and pleasure yachts was a delightful destination for a bicycle ride. In spite of a fairly dense harbour of commercial fishing ships, a lot of interesting ducks shared the harbour and adjacent waters. Two were new for me: Red-breasted Loon, European Widgeon (check out its blue bill in a guidebook or eNature.com), and several were repeats: Double-Crested Cormorants, Buffleheads, Oystercatchers, White-Winged Scoters, Red-breasted Mergansers. Unfortunately many were too far away to yield a good picture; guess I need a new lens?!?

Later, we walked the beach, or intertidal zone (that area between the high tide line and low tide line), at Rathtrevor Provincial Park. As we walked to the beach past several Doug firs, Chestnut-backed Chickadees flitted through the branches and snacked on the seeds in the cones. Low tide left the beach littered with some interesting specimens: a red starfish, a crab, many varieties of seaweed and shells (oysters, clams, mussels, scallops, et al). We had a chance to approach the birds, including a Great Blue Heron and an increasing number of Black Brants, for whom a month-long festival will start in early March. Thousands of Brants will begin showing up as they stop to rest during their migration from Mexico to the Arctic Coasts of Alaska, Yukon Territories, and Russia. They are attracted by the many shellfish and the Herring run, which apparently turns the sea white and attracts hundreds of fishermen and thousands of birds. It should be an interesting time.