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Happy Birthday puffin card for dad
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Story and Photos by Barb Rees
Welcome to Newfoundland and Labrador with 30-40 million seabirds making it “The Seabird Capital of the World.” It’s a land of extreme weather, extreme beauty and nature, and extreme hospitality. The 562,792 people are spread over the 16th largest island in the world. Including Labrador its coastline stretches 29,000 km (18,000 mi). However getting there by road is a challenge. The ferry runs from North Sydney, NS for the east coast to Argentia and the west coast to Port aux Basques. Make reservations well in advance at: www.marine-atlantic.ca The trip to Argentia takes about 16 hours so unless you can sleep in a chair, a stateroom is best. You are not allowed to stay in your rig. There are pet regulations. Sixteen hours later in 2013 we landed in Argentia to begin working our way around the island.
Our first stop with the motorhome was Whitbourne and Rodrigues Winery because they are part of Harvest Hosts, a group that offers free camping at farms and wineries. www.harvesthosts.com
We took the car to Cape St. Mary’s, which is the third largest nesting colony of Northern Gannets in North America. It’s the largest seabird colony in Canada. Called the Cape of Storms, offshore are the world’s richest fishing grounds, thus the seabirds. Cape St. Mary’s was settled in 1780. In 1860, lighthouse equipment arrived. The lighthouse keeper, John Reilly brought in supplies by boat then winched them up the cliff 100 m (325 ft) above.
Through a gate with a sign that says no dogs allowed, it’s an easy 1.4 km. walk over the boggy land or barrens. The end of the trail but the beginning of an experience like no other was at Bird Rock 100 meters high and only 15 m (50 ft) away from where dozens of us sat cameras in hand. It felt like a National Geographic Movie with thousands of birds overhead and on the cliffs.
5,400 pairs of Northern Gannets migrate from Africa every year. 100,000 birds contributed to overwhelming sound and smell. Gannets soared on two metre wings, or sat on their ledges and argued. They mate for life coming back to the same spot every year. When they leave it takes only four days to make it to Africa. Then they return to nest around St. Paddies Day in March to lay one pale blue egg. By July the young are hatched and flying. They learn to fly by walking to the edge of the ledge and falling off. On the cliffs are the “high rise apartments for birds.” Northern Gannets are on top. Common Murres, a little black and white bird that look like penguins are next, the Black-Legged Kittiwakes a sea-gull type bird on the bottom floor. 10,000 pairs of Murres and 10,000 pairs of Kittiwakes all talking at once know their places on the ledges. What a din! Other birds in the area are Razorbills, Black Guillemots, and Cormorants. A Bald Eagle cruised past looking for dinner and a whale spouted in the distance. Sitting on that bluff with other photographers was a moment in time we will treasure forever.
At the junction from the highway, The Gannet’s Nest and Restaurant and RV Site offers RV sites with power and water, and a sani-dump. Tent spots are available. Open mid-May to mid-Oct. www.gannetsnest.com
Elliston, “The Root Cellar Capital of the World” has 135 root cellars dating back to the 1830’s. A root cellar built into the side of the hill provided a cool place to store food but we went for puffins. The Atlantic Puffin in Elliston can be observed from one of the closest land viewing areas in North America. They are one of four species of puffins, and the only one to live on the North Atlantic Ocean. The official bird of Newfoundland, 300 pairs on Elliston Point and 1,000 pairs on Bird Island are here from May to Sept. With their vivid colours, big beak and ungainly way of flying they are nicknamed “the clowns of the sea.”
At Elliston’s Puffin Viewing Site, we parked and walked about 5 minutes over rocky hills. Dogs are welcome if kept leashed and under control. Cresting the top of a hill there they were, on the ground, in the air, beautiful puffins posing for tourists. Emotion welled up in my voice as I kept saying, “Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh!” I dubbed some “the ambassadors”, who were strutting or sitting along the edge of the cliff. Their job seemed to be to keep tourists entertained while off shore, on the island, were the real workers with their nests built into the hill. A puffin deciding it was time to fly, simply fell over the edge, madly flapping its wings. An article says they’re such bad flyers they have to flap their wings 300-400 beats per minutes to keep flying. Topping it off were humpback whales off shore. When you go, don’t rush it. Take time to sit with them and soak up the magic.
We drove 4,000 km and spent 32 days on The Rock, yet we didn’t see it all. www.newfoundlandlabrador.com
Barb Rees, Mètis writer is the author of four RV Canada books with the fifth due in the fall of 2014. From their home in Powell River, BC with husband Dave they have travelled Canada from coast to coast to coast on working holidays since 2003. Information on the books available at: www.write2dream.com