Located at the southwestern tip of the Avalon Peninsula, Cape St. Mary's Ecological Reserve is famous for being "[t]he most accessible seabird colony in North America," according to Newfoundland and Labrador's tourist website. Bird enthusiasts from the world over flock to this reserve, and especially to "Bird Rock," a small, free-standing island at the tip of the cape that is "the third-largest nesting site and southernmost colony of northern gannets in North America" (https://www.newfoundlandlabrador.com).
We had the opportunity to visit on July 6th, with Jared Clarke of Bird⋅The⋅Rock (https://birdtherock.com). Throughout the day, Jared happily shared his wealth of knowledge of Newfoundland's feathered residents. Along the 2-hour drive from St. Johns, we stopped at various habitats to look for birds.
I was delighted to find out that Jared also had a good command of the flora and we stopped at several places along the 2+ hour drive so I could photograph wild orchids and carnivorous plants. He also gave us tips on where to see more unique plants and birds for other places we would be visiting in the province. I would highly recommend Bird the Rock for any bird watcher who is traveling to NL.
Here are a few photos of the colorful landscapes of Cape St. Mary's.
Iris versicolor
Viola sp.
Approaching "Bird Rock." We were fortunate to have a clear day.
"The site is overflowing with perching, diving, and scrambling birds from edge to edge – melding together into an awesome moving, breathing spectacle of colour and sound" (www.newfoundlandlabrador.com).
Gannets galore...
The island is so close to the mainland that birders are able to observe gannets up close and personal. A little gannet romance:
Gannets raising their young...
Gannets being gannets
Gulls, razorbills, common murres, black-legged kittiwakes, and double-crested and great cormorants also nest in the cliffs in this area.
Here, black-legged kittywakes are raising their young
The land, the air, and the water were teeming with birds.
Gannets and gulls fly over the ocean as seabirds including scoters, long-tailed ducks, harlequin ducks, dovekies, and thick-billed murres bob up and down in the restless water below. Unfortunately, we did not see harlequin ducks and dovekies.
Before we left the Reserve, Jared pointed out a short-tailed swallowtail, a beautiful butterfly with a very narrow range.
I would highly recommend Cape St. Mary's Ecological Reserve to any nature-lover. If I could do it over again I would allow more time to explore the hiking trails and to look for more plants and birds. Apparently short-eared owls and willow ptarmigan sometimes make appearances here.
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