R: Grey Seals!
Today was our last Naturing outing, so we returned to the Highlands to try out the East side. So we visited the Jack Pine Loop (North end) and the Coastal Trail above Black Brook Cove.
But we first stopped at Lakies Head to take in the views down the coastline and enjoy the amazingly huge red rocks leading into the sea.
While there, Brian spotted a Seal that I wasn’t able to see. But while looking for it, I spotted a bird far out on the water that I didn’t recognize. Looked like a Gull, but with a different bill. Turned out to be a Life Bird! A Black Guillemot! It took a while to get good looks at it, as it spent most of its time below the surface. Got a lucky shot of it mid-dive where you can see one of its feet!
Wasn’t able to catch sight of Brian’s Seal, so we headed out. Boo.
On to the Jack Pine Trail…
It’s impossible not to mention those dang FALL COLORS. And this sweet and tucked away trail gave us all the colors to start off. We soon found a spot where many small birds were calling and flying and chasing each other.
Red-breasted Nuthatches, yep. But we spotted one that was black and white with a yellow streak on top of its head. Merlin’s Sound Feature confirmed that we had seen a Golden-crowned Kinglet! I’ve seen them so rarely that it was like seeing one for the first time.
Also saw a Yellowish bird (Warbler?) among them all, but it was out of sight too soon for us to ID in any way.
Further on, we got a treat in seeing a Downy Woodpecker at about our eye height (which is uncommon!), just going about its business just off trail from us. Didn’t seem to care we were so close.
And then we got to the highest point of the route, and the large slabs of rock took over. With so little of the colorful trees and so many fireenginered Black Huckleberry bushes and Gray Reindeer Lichen below the Jack Pines.
After catching an occlupanid in the wild (!), I spotted a good size Fungi on the side of the trail. Perhaps an Orange Webcap?
Newtome Yellow Map Lichen and Northern Bayberry (with berries!) were fun to see and admire along the way, in addition to little Look-Offs to gaze into Squeaker Hole and Still Brook Waterfall. Oh! And some Fungi on a log that reminded me of Golden Ear, maybe Orange Jelly Spot?
We soon thereafter completed our loop and headed down further into Black Brook Cove Beach, where Brian spotted more SEALS! And this time, I got to see them, too!! The Grey Seal (that is spelled “Gray Seal” in the U.S., but when in Canada…), a LIFE SEAL!
In the end, there were at least SEVEN of these that Brian counted. I saw about five or so. And I must say they were frickin’ adorable. Made me think of the selkies in the film The Secret of Roan Inish. And, after looking it up as I write this, it’s THE SAME SEAL!
They are just as charming as in the film. With their heads out of the water so casually, looking curiously at the beach in front of them. I wonder what they were looking at. What they were thinking! We watched them for a while. Wishing we could see them a lot closer.
Crap photos of them (as well as with the Black Guillemot), but ah well.
We left the area and headed down the Cabot Trail to eventually take the Englishtown Ferry. And while waiting to drive onto the ferry, we saw birds along the Spit!
A couple Black-bellied Plovers were eating in the shallow water. And a group of Red-breasted Mergansers were hanging together further out. And then it was ferry time.
We definitely only got little bits of the Highlands National Park on this trip, but we are HOOKED. And are very much looking forward to returning someday for more. Hopefully to see a Moose!
