One Foggy day in Nova Soctia… part 3
If you have digested the campsites and beaches, you are ready for the finale’. To be honest, one of the main reasons that I wanted to go to Nova Scotia was to see the Puffins. We actually scheduled this trip to ensure that we would be there at a time the Puffins would be there. We were not disappointed. Grab a cup of coffee, or a glass of iced tea and enjoy the journey….
PUFFINS ….
These adorable little birds are only about 6” tall, live for about 25 years and lay only one egg each of those years. They mate for life and if the mate is lost during the year, they will stay on the island and find another mate to lay an egg with which incubates between 36 and 45 days leaving them on the island for much longer than usual.
The natural habitat is in cooler temps and these little guys resided on two very small cliff band islands in the north Atlantic off of Nova Scotia.
Our trip from the southern tip of Nova Scotia north towards the Puffins, took us through Lunenberg and onto Mavilette Beach Provincial Park just to dip of our toes in the Atlantic. An early arrival gave us a deserted beach and fog that was thicker than pea soup.
A life guard stand with no one in site….
Fog for miles, quiet for miles and sand for miles without a living soul. PERFECTION! We allowed the dog a free run, against the rules, but she had the time of her life. At 11, she smelled and tossed the remnants of clam shells into the air, dug deep into the sand to find more and then ran around like a puppy. The fog surrounded us not being able to see the top of the boardwalk or the ocean at the same time. Somehow, although it was a little eerie it was also comforting. An unexpected event with no one but the fog, the ocean and us to enjoy this magical moment.
So now that I have made you wait until the very last moment to tell you about our last weekend in Nova Scotia and what was truly the best of the best for us. Without further ado….. Drumroll please…. OK OK!!
Cormorants …
One of the many species of birds living not only on Bird Island, but all over the coast of Nova Scotia.
More puffins as you continue on the journey, but the weekend was amazing for another reason as well. What made this part of our trip so special was the connection of the two things, the place we stayed and the puffin tour.
The road to the Normaway Inn…
The tree lined lane that greeted us before we saw the cabins. With a week of more rain, bugs and fog than clear sailing, this beautiful lane was just the comfort we were seeking.
Our accommodations was at the Normaway Inn and our puffin tour with Donelda’s Puffin Boat Tour ticked off more lists than imaginable. In fact, there are not enough breaths in the day that can be taken away or words spoken to describe the joy of both of these experiences. Yes it made us feel like kids . . . .
The cabins….
at the inn which is about an hour from the boat tour. The Normaway is run by a family with assistance from local and seasonal young adults that helped the family.
The young people were so special, friendly and fun which made it hard to stay away from the main part of the cabins.
A croquet set was in the yard and the entrance to this lovely property with its tree lined dirt road make you feel invited into a very private kind of hamlet. Even one of the resident cats met us at the door.
Highland Cow
The inn not only featured the fire pit, kittens and croquet, but it seemed to have a working farm as well. We heard chickens, so I imagine the eggs were harvested there, and the pasture held 5 or 6 highland cows.
We did indulge in a bit of breakfast and dinner which is where they served us with these fun amazing cookie like “biscuits”. They were actually generous enough to share the recipe.
Staying here with the wonderful “kids” as well as meeting several of the other guests made it feel like a home away from home. To then have a tour of the Bird Islands and see so many species of birds was icing on the cake. It really was a dream come true.
A Puffin pair surveying the land…
There were birds everywhere and our captain and host (Donelda) pointed out the type of birds all over the cliffs. These little guys were part of the flock enjoying the beautiful sunny day.
Choosing The Normaway was due to its proximity to Englishtown and the puffin boat tour. I MEAN….. who does not want to see puffins? (I know I keep going on, but it was magnificent). Since our travel to Iceland several years ago we had been searching for these gems of the sky and sea. So this was our chance.
All I can say is WOW…!! We both highly recommend taking the time to seek this type of opportunity.
Coming in for a landing….
The grassy cliffs allowed for the puffins to build their nests in a cave like dwelling and be able to fly into the water to gather fish.
Their habitat on the island includes Cormoerants - above- along with herons, eagles, seagulls and razor bills.
Heron…
Hanging out among the rocks and grasses another bird species on the islands.
The Bird islands are inhabited only by birds and the sea around it had seals moving about. Situated off of an inlet leading to the ocean these rock cliffs are so small they are challenging to find on a map.
We lucked out with a spectacular, warm sunny day with barely a ripple on the water.
Donelda’s tour was the best educational experience to see the little clown birds. Donelda along with her husband, the captain, operating the boat.
Our host shared the names of every bird we were seeing with each turn of the cliff band. She tossed a fish to the Eagles as we motored to and from our destination. These majestic creatures “asked” for their treat with each passing one on each side of the boat.
FANTASTIC. . . . .
Our next stop was unknown, but thanks to the inn owner and her knowledge of the entire province, we were able to map out a plan for our journey after leaving the inn. What we had intended was a short jaunt up the north western coastline, but her suggestion of the Cabot Trail around Cape Breton Highlands, was next and it was worth the trip.
Deadman’s Pond…
The very northern coast of the Cape Breton Highlands we stumbled on Deadman’s Pond. Camping high above the pond on a cliff over looking this area.
The story we heard from a fellow traveler was that this pond was created when in 1869 tropical storm “Saxby’s Gale” moved through and closed up the opening to the ocean creating the “pond”. Fun place to watch the sun set, in spite of the bugs. . .
This was our last stop in Nova Scotia before we headed to New Brunswick and back home.
Enjoy the photos of this foggy, wet and bug filled ride in Canada and connect with the links of these places. Hopefully it will spark your intrigue to travel to this wondrous and surprising place.
Thank you for stopping by. . . .
