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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.

June 29
Cape St. Mary's Road
June 29
Cape St. Mary's Road, nearing the station
June 29
Cape St. Mary's Lighthouse and sheep
June 29
Cape St. Mary's Ecological Reserve sign
June 29
Walking out the Cape St. Mary's Trail
June 29
Walking out the Cape St. Mary's Trail
June 29
Walking out the Cape St. Mary's Trail
June 29
Walking out the Cape St. Mary's Trail; the anticipation is building
June 29
Cape St. Mary's Overlook
June 29
Cape St. Mary's Overlook
June 29
Liz and Jim Cape St. Mary's Overlook
June 29
Northern Gannets on Bird Rock
June 29
Northern Gannets on mainland west of Bird Rock
June 29
Northern Gannets and other birds on mainland east of Bird Rock
June 29
Northern Gannets
June 29
Northern Gannets
June 29
Liz looking over the edge ...
June 29
... it is a long ways down!
June 29
Jim photographing over the edge ...
June 29
... hey, you looking at me? (bird's eye view of kittiwakes on nest)
June 29
Northern Gannets
June 29
Black-legged Kittiwake
June 29
Black-legged Kittiwake
June 29
Northern Gannets, plus thousands of Common Murre on water
June 29
Northern Gannets atop Bird Rock
June 29
Common Murre (L) and "Bridled" Common Murre (Rt; notice eye lines)
June 29
Fancy Savannah Sparrow
June 29
Dwarf Dogwood and other tundra plants underfoot
June 29
Northern Gannets: proud parents of a downy nestling
June 29
Northern Gannet fly-by -- this is a big bird
June 29
Northern Gannets plunge-diving to catch capelin fish
June 29
Northern Gannets "fencing" (welcome back to the nest)
June 29
Razorbills yacking
June 29
Razorbills
June 29
Fin Whale (notice tall, narrow blow)
June 29
Harbor Seal on the rocks
June 29
Northern Gannet flying in at sunset
June 29
Bird Rock with the last rays of the sun
June 29
Looking back at Bird Rock at sunset
June 29
Looking ahead at Cape St. Mary's Station at sunset

Note: All distances, elevations, and other facts are approximate.
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