Presqu'ile Camping Trip
September 7-9, 2007
Day 2 - Owen Point Trail Hike
This morning we decided to pick a short trail to do with the kids. The information sign at the beginning sounded promising: "The Owen Point Trail leads to one of the best bird viewing areas in the province. This one kilometre route offers excellent viewing of migration shore birds on the natural beach and colonial waterbirds on the park islands. Flocks of a dozen or more species of sandpipers and plovers, including as many as 10,000 individuals, have been seen. A total of 38 species of shorebirds have stopped at Presqu'ile. These long distance migrants stop here to rest and feed." The kids were great and we discovered not just birds but a whole bunch of treasures.
Starting off full of energy, Sammy leads the way.
Some interesting berries. Remember not to pick or eat any unless mommy says it's ok!
Beach 3 seems to be reserved for the birds.
Elijah looking cool on his ride.
Great birdwatching sights are also great camera equipment sights!
Without better binoculars and more time,
the piping plover on the sign is the only one we could spot.
The tall grasses along the path are a change from the treed forest trails we're normally used to.
The kids find and admire a beautiful spider.
Quack, quack!
Riley finds a grassy broom.
Some of the leaves are starting to change colour.
Keegan and Emily find some interesting sticks.
Sammy likes birdwatching with Poppa's "knockers".
Poppa and Christopher get to be the holders of all the collected treasures.
Lots of birds everywhere!
A gull enjoying some sushi lunch.
A monarch butterfly - One of the many beautiful butterflies at the park.
Keegan and Samantha find a snake.
Geese, ducks and gulls.
Swans.
A cormorant? We thought it looked funny squatting on the beach.
A goose and a plover?
Gull and High Bluff Islands are the home of tens of thousands of colonial waterbirds. In order to protect the birds when nesting, there is no access to the islands from March 10 to September 10.
We can just make out tons of birds in the trees and a heron on the beach at the islands. Too bad we missed the chance to walk out there by just a couple of days.
While some of the group took the shorter route back, the hardy ones checked out all the viewing points along the way.
Sammy hopped along with this grasshopper (and nearly hopped on it in the process!)
Another beautiful butterfly.
Can't miss an opportunity to get in a "ploumps" game at the water's edge.
Samantha enjoying the warm September day.
Look at me!
a pretty wildflower along the way.
another pretty wildflower along the way.
and Some more pretty wildflowers along the way.
Keegan and Emily check on Christopher at the end of the hike...
I think Christopher is trying to tell us it's time for lunch!