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BIRDING
ON GRAND MANAN TRAILS
The Grand Manan
Archipelago has long been a Mecca for birders, conjuring images
of puffins with beaks full of
fish and shearwaters gliding effortlessly over the waves.
Some birders may not be aware of the birding potential of
the
extensive trail system that traverses habitats ranging from the old
growth,
hardwood forest of the "backside of the island" to the stunted spruce
and bogs of the east.
Spring migration and the summer breeding season, although
rewarding, are accompanied by blackflies and deer flies making the
forest
trails somewhat less attractive than the windswept, insect free,
beaches! For
those wishing to hike the remote parts of the island in search of
birds, the
period from August to late October is ideal.
During this interval, fall migration combines with post‑breeding
dispersal of resident birds to provide a great birding experience for
novice
and fanatic alike.
THE
WEST COAST TRAIL: WHISTLE TO SOUTHERN HEAD
The
drier, upland areas of this part of the island support
large trees and often sparse undergrowth. Juncos and White‑throated
Sparrows
flush off the ground as you walk. A half‑day hike will almost always be
punctuated at some point by the crash and clatter of a Ruffed Grouse
springing
up from under your feet!
When the breeding season ends, resident songbirds combine
with
northern migrants to form mixed species flocks that forage together in
the
treetops. The presence of one of these "bird parties" is heralded by
the persistent chatter of Black‑capped Chickadees. The clue for the
hiking
birder that it may be time to stop admiring the ocean views and focus
on birds
is the presence of chickadees calling in the area. Attracting the
chickadees
with a "pishing" or squeaking noise will eventually attract the other
birds in the flock to see what all the fuss is about. When the birds
finally
figure out what is creating the irritating sound, they will disperse so
it
helps to be very still and wear colours that blend in with the
environment.
The composition of the feeding flocks varies as the season
progresses. Black‑throated Green, Magnolia, Nashville Warblers and
Black‑and‑white
Warblers dominate in August. Some species are more cautious and less
curious.
They are interested but hang back watching from a distance. This group
includes
the thrushes and some of the more interesting warblers such as the Canada and Mourning. It is a good idea
to try and ignore the
Chickadees that are attacking your hat and try to focus on these
"skulkers" in the background.
As summer advances into fall, Blackpolls arrive in numbers
and
become the dominant species in some flocks. This species "stages" on
the coast before heading out over the Atlantic in a
migration that takes them hundreds of miles south over a hostile ocean.
As the
Blackpolls prepare to depart, Yellow‑rumped Warblers become abundant,
usually
accompanied by Goldencrowned Kinglets and Red‑breasted Nuthatches.
Broad‑winged Hawks are the most commonly seen resident
raptor,
but vacate the island in early September. Goshawks and Sharp‑shinned
Hawks may
provide a brief glimpse as they fly off through the foliage. An upward
glance
can spot a Bald Eagle or Osprey soaring along the cliff top anywhere on
the
back of the island.
Turning
away from the forest and looking out over the Grand
Manan Channel towards Maine, one can usually see
Bonaparte's Gulls and Kittiwakes amongst
the Herring and Black‑backed Gulls. A careful study of a flock of
feeding gulls
will usually reveal a Minke Whale or two as well. If the wind is fairly
strong,
Jaegers are regularly seen. Formerly, Parasitic Jaegers were common but
in
recent years most sightings are of Pomarines.
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EAST COAST
TRAILS.
Many of the trails
on the eastern side of the island, such as
the Ross Island or White Head trails are
dominated by spruce bogs. The
migrant song birds tend to be similar to those on the upland trails but
there
are a number of species that are more easily found in this habitat. One
of
these, the Boreal Chickadee, sounds like a Black‑capped with asthma.
This
species is not as gregarious or curious as the Black‑capped and often
hangs
back in the thickest part of the tree to observe the observer.
Finches are another specialty of the coniferous forest. The
most interesting of these are the White‑winged and Red Crossbills.
These
sparrow‑sized finches are named for their bizarrely twisted bills, an
adaptation for opening spruce cones. Crossbills are extremely nomadic,
following the spruce cone crops. Some years there are hundreds on the
island
and others they are almost entirely absent. Flying in loose chattering
flocks
they descending on the tops of spruces to feed. Often they attack the
cones
while hanging upside down, bringing to mind miniature pink parrots.
The eastern trails
often run
close to the shore where
migrating shorebirds may number in the thousands, roosting on the beach
at high
tide then departing to feed on the exposed mud and seaweed as the tide
falls.
The far‑carrying cry of the Black‑bellied Plover is the hiker's
constant
companion while flocks of small sandpipers, collectively called
"peeps", fly in tight flocks that twist and turn in perfect
synchrony.
FINDING RARITIES
For the birding enthusiast, southern and western species that
get blown off course are the attraction of Grand Manan in the fall.
Many of
these "vagrants" make land fall at lighthouses. The Whistle and the
Swallowtail are excellent locations to bird in the early morning. As
the day
progresses, the birds disperse and you can find a rarity almost
anywhere on the
island. They usually accompany the mixed feeding flocks so don't forget
to stop
and check out those Chickadees!
A checklist of the birds of Grand Marian is available at
the
Business Centre, the Grand Isle and the Museum in Grand Harbour where there is an impressive
display of bird species
collected by Alan Moses in the first half of the 20th century.
Kenneth Edwards
Kenneth
Edwards has visited Grand
Manan every summer for 45 years. He has birded on every continent and
seen over
3000 species. (John
Belyea provided sketches)
OUR SPECIAL THANKS TO:
 Island Arts, the Marathon Inn,
the Grand Manan Museum, Newton's Wharf Art Gallery and the Shorecrest Lodge for
selling our Trail Pins. And to
Laura Buckley of the Inn at Whale Cove for sponsoring the 2004 Trails Dinner.
Anne Mitchell James, Ce Bowden and Linda L'Aventure helped again in the
kitchen
while Fredonna, Jana and Joanne waited on table. A grand total of $800
was
raised for the benefit of Grand Manan Trails and a good time was had by
all.
WILD FRUIT - Alison Hawthorne Deming
But
take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours
become a stumbling block to them that are
weak.
‑Paul,
I Corinthians 8:9
1
At the cusp when spring begins
to turn into
summer, come
the
strawberries, little
baby's knuckles,
lying low in
the scrub
so that one who
would taste
their juice
must kneel
>or lie on the
ground,
testing her
gentleness.
Their season is
short, yet
if she grows
impatient,
she will carry
home
only their blood
soaked into the
knees
of her jeans.
They are so
precious that a
woman
might refuse to
eat them‑
five years
worth in jars
untouched on
the shelf‑
but she would
grow bitter
from trying to
hold on
to that which
will pass.
2
If you want
wild raspberries,
level an acre
of forest
and leave the
lot
a mess of
bleaching brush.
The brambles
will crawl
out of the
rubble
as if to
compensate the land
for its
grievous loss.
To pick the
berries you must walk
knee‑deep in
deadfalls,
waist‑high in
thorns, and
compete with
yellow jackets.
You must inch
you way
into thickets,
crushing a path
through the
canes, throwing off
the green
beetle and white spider
that rise in
your bucket like
stones in a
fanner's field.
And when you
are done,
backtracking
through
your own
destruction,
you will step
free of the uncertain
ground and walk
happily, perhaps
through a
meadow of ferns,
to come home,
lay ice
on the bee
stings, and
savor, in small
handfuls,
the healing
taste of the wild. |
3
Most of the
blueberry patches are gone
roads widened,
backlots plowed,
ridges claimed.
On Beech Hill
they subsist on
the skin of soil
covering
bedrock, at the summit
stone breaking
through like bone
on a wounded
elbow. The bushes
lie low, and it
is a mystery why
such scrawny
plants are not overtaken
by scrub of
alder and spruce.
>Perhaps their
taste for acid ground
is more
refined. But where they find
the ingredients
to make their version
of the color
blue or the flavour
that could
remind a monk of sex
these are
questions for which I want no answers.
4
No one but
myself to blame
for being late
to get the gooseberries.
The only patch
unpicked, one growing
over a domestic
dump‑little patch
of china
shards, rusted arcs of tin,
and rotted
pillow ticking behind
a place where
once a family was
gnarled now
with nettle and rugosa,
the fruit
smelling winy and falling
at my touch.
But I'm persistent
when it comes
to berry picking,
driven by the
avarice to know
how even this
late and wasting
fruit that
guards itself
with row upon
row of rigid
spines
might serve to
make me
thankful.
5
The
blackberry is like
a person who
puts off
saying the thing
she most wants
to say
so that finally
the words blurt
too large and
clumsy.
The blackberry
puts off
making its fruit
until its canes
tower and are
over those
which have
expended
themselves
early in summer
and winter is
just about
to wrap its
hands
around the
stalks.
After spending
so long
making itself
strong
it cannot
promise
that its fruit,
gravel seeded,
All it can
promise
is abundance. |
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Poem
reprinted, with the author's permission, from genius loci published
by
Penguin Books, New York; 2005.
Alison HawthorneDeming is a long‑time summer resident of Grand Manan
whose
writing has been published in previous Newsletters. (John Belyea provided sketch)
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GRAND
MANAN
MASTERPIECE
The Bishop,
Ashburton Head Protected by Conservation Easement
Easement
donor Jim Munro stands overlooking the Bay of Fundy from
his property on Grand Manan
"Grand
Manan is my
favourite place on
earth." So says Jim Munro, a plain‑spoken
New Englander who, some years back, bought a large chunk of land at the
north
end of the Island.
We are
driving back to the ferry after a trip to Mr.
Munro's property at Northern Head. The purpose of the visit arranged by
lawyer
and friend Frank Longstaff, was to see if the Nature Trust
would contemplate holding a conservation easement
on Munro's land ‑ a 65‑acre
parcel that takes in three prominent
landmarks: Northern Head,
the Bishop
and Ashburton Head, extending for just under 2km on the northern tip of
the Island.
The magnificent scenery and wildlife of Munro's property
took our breath away that day. And in January 2004, after agreeing on
terms and
conditions, the Nature Trust of New Bruns
wick
signed a conservation easement with him that
will protect the undulating coastal forest with its cliff‑top trail,
forever.
Mr. Munro bought the property in 1990 with the idea of
one day preserving the best parts for Grand Mananers and others to
enjoy. A
resident of Nahant, Massachusetts, he frequently brings his boat
to the island from Marblehead, a 11‑hour journey on a good
day.
Visiting the Northern Head
property has obviously been a joy
for Munro, and he knows the rugged trail well. At one time Islanders
navigated
carriages along the same route we walk on, looking for shipwrecks. As
we arrive
on a grassy plateau atop the Bishop, a whale's blow pierces the surface
of the
calm waters below us. We stand, mesmerized, not wanting to disturb the
quiet of
the warm September afternoon.
"This is
certainly one of the better vantage points for
watching marine life and migrating seabirds," said Laurie Murison,
Managing Director of the Grand Manan Whale and Seabird Research
Station, when
informed of the easement. "Overlooking the Long Eddy Rip (where tidal
currents converge around the island), there is a wide variety of marine
mammals
and pelagic seabirds that can be observed from the site." Murison
speaks
of a painting which hangs in the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto depicting the geological
majesty of the coastal bluffs on the
property. A framed print of it hangs in her North Head office.
Island artist Helen Charters has walked the Munro property
many times. "It (the easement) certainly has my support' she said
during a
telephone call. "It's good because a main interest of anyone who knows
the
island is to preserve the beauty of Grand Manan." The beauty she speaks
of
comes from her first‑hand experience of viewing Bald eagles from the
height of
land, and colorful fall walks taken close to home.
The
easement prohibits the building of new roads and houses,
and all but the most rustic of trial markings and structures on the
site. A
clause ensures there will never be a fee for passage levied against
hikers
traversing the land. In donating the easement Mr. Munro has
truly given Grand
Mananers an Island masterpiece. A tribute to a son who passed away at
age
seventeen, the land will be known as the Thomas B. Munro Memorial
Shoreline.
Margo Sheppard
In December
2004, Mr. Munro took one further step and
donated this parcel of land as
a full nature preserve to the Nature Trust.
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IN APPRECIATION OF THE
GRAND MANAN TRAlLS
For
the past ten years my wife Elaine and I have been
coming
to Grand Manan for two weeks in September from our home in Orangeville, Ontario. Many things keep drawing us
back to the island,
including the numerous friends we have made over the years, the
challenge of
kayaking in the bay, the amazing sightings of whales and of course, the
Grand
Manan trails.
 Being avid outdoor
enthusiasts and hikers we have explored
much of Ontario, parts of the Maritime Provinces, as well as international
destinations on foot. Much of
this hiking has been spectacular but we keep returning to the footpaths
of
Grand Manan for a variety of reasons.
First and foremost it
is the wide diversity of trails in a
very concentrated area that make Grand Manan a hiker's dream. From a
leisurely
stroll on the Anchorage boardwalk and beach to a more demanding hike
such as
Pat's Cove to Southwest Head to a multi‑day backpack trip along the
whole
backside of the island. It is clear that these trails offer something
for
everyone.
Secondly, it is the
unbelievable scenery and opportunities to
view wildlife. From squirrels to deer, butterflies to Bald eagles and
eels in
Eel Brook to whales just offshore. If you keep a close watch you will
not have
a hard time seeing something new even if you have walked the same trial
a dozen
times.
The history the
coastal trails hold is also fascinating. If
the trails could talk, harrowing tales of rescue both successful and
doomed
could be heard from the light keepers and rescuers who once used them
as a
vital link between life and death. Just pause for a few moments at the
sign
commemorating one such rescue near Southern Cross and you will
appreciate the
will to live of the victims and the heroics of the rescuers
as you peer over the bank down to the cold dark waters
below.
The trails of Grand
Manan are a wonderful resource for both
tourists and locals alike. They are a link to the past and a great
opportunity
to get some exercise while soaking in the beauty that surrounds you.
One can
only hope that the trails continue to be maintained so they can
continue to
entertain, educate and excite people in the future.
Alan Dernaline (John
Belyea provided sketch)
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EARLY
ECOTOURISM ON GRAND MANAN
In the
2004 Trails Newsletter, Don
Baldwin reported on an ecotour he organized in 19 70. This year, we
turn to the
early days of whale watching and two other ecotour programs.
In 1980 Jim Leslie,
owner of the Marathon Inn received a phone
call from the Department of Tourism inquiring "Do we have any whales on
the Bay of Fundy?" (Whale watching had recently begun in Hawaii, Boston and Newfoundland). David Gaskin, a professor of
marine science at Guelph, knew there were whales but
nobody had paid much attention.
So that summer, David and Ivan Green, a Grand Manan fisherman, set out
in
Ivan's "Pat and Robbie" to look for whales ‑ and they found many ‑
North Atlantic Right Whales. This discovery created great interest
among
researchers and newspaper reporters from around North America.
 The
following year, 1981, Jim, David and Ivan created a whale watching
company, Ocean
Search, the first in the Bay of Fundy to take
tourists out to see the Right Whales. David Gaskin was the whale watch
naturalist on board the "Pat and
Robbie" to identify and talk about the different kind of whales
and
seabirds that were sighted. Laurie Murison, initially a graduate
student of Dr.
Gaskin took over from him. Ivan Green continued as captain until 1987
when James
Bates arrived with his boat, the D'Sonoqua, which he chartered to Ocean
Search.
The whale watchers filled rooms at the Marathon Inn and other places on
Grand
Manan and whale watching became a big draw attracting many tourists.
Initially
this was a week package with people hoping to sail every day and
participating
in evening programs about whales. This later changed to day trips with
hot
chowder served for lunch. James continued this tradition with his new
company
Grand Manan Sea‑land Adventures and Laurie, who has 'the best eyes in
the Bay
of Fundy"
continued as interpreter.
In 1981 the Grand
Manan Whale and Seabird Research Station was
incorporated and later Laurie started collecting mammal, bird and other
materials for the museum. The research on the biology and ecology of
ocean life
was conducted by biologists at the Station and was and is presented to
the
scientific community through publications, conferences, lectures and
the annual
newsletter to the general public through the museum, now named the
Gaskin
Museum of Marine Life in tribute to the late Dr. David Gaskin. (To become a
friend of the GMWSRS and receive the newsletter Whale and Seabird send
a
charitable donation to 24 Route 776, Grand Manan, N. B. E5G 1A 1
http://www.gmwsrs.org).
In 1991 Jim Leslie
started offering Elderhostel programs with
a natural history focus. The number of programs offered grew from 2 in
1991 to
about 18 offered now. Different themes and activities are covered:
whale
watching and marine life (Laurie Murison), birding (Brian Dalzell and
Hank
Deichmann), botany (Wendy Dathan), geology (Dick Grant), ship wrecks
(Eric
Allaby), fisheries and social history (Jim Leslie).
Tourists still come
from many countries and seem to appreciate
the working harbours, natural trails, and the non‑commercial feeling of
Grand
Manan. Many ecotourism companies offer natural history tours of the
Island;
these groups stay at such places as the Shorecrest Lodge, Manan Island
Inn as
well as the Marathon. The island is not a tourist trap with plastic
slides and
go‑carts but rather a relatively unspoiled treasure where those
interested in
ecotourism can observe, learn and enjoy encounters with nature
first‑hand.
During the summer of
2005 two captains were taking
tourists whale watching. Sarah McDonald of Whales‑n‑Sails Adventures in
her
ketch the "Elsie Menota' has been in the ecotourism business for seven
years. Peter Wilcox of Sea Watch Tours, in his new boat the "Day's
Catch',
has been taking tourists to see the puffins on Machias Seal Island and whale watching for many
years. Originally, his father, Preston, had the government contract to
deliver supplies to the
lighthouse keeper on Machias Seal Island and Ken and Mary Edwards
persuaded him to take birders there
too and that was 42 years ago!
Ann Chudleigh (Photo provided by Laurie Murison)
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STATUS OF
THE GRAND MANAN WIND FARM
A significant portion
of the roads for the wind farm
have been built, and we are planning on additional groundwork
preparation this fall
We anticipate that there will be 10 turbines, 2MW each and that the
Island's entire energy needs will be met with the wind
farm. In other words, the energy output from the farm over a year will
approximately match the energy use in Grand Manan over a year, making
it the
only truly green‑powered municipality in Canada.
So where are the
turbines?
Our hope was to see
the turbines up by the end of this year,
but we have had some delays and we're now targeting Spring 2006 for
turbine
supply. Why the delay? Well, last September, a few days before we
signed our
agreement with NB Power, a law was passed in the USA to encourage the construction
of wind farms and that
created a huge demand for turbines. We are pleased that this is
spurring the
installation of more renewable energy, but it has hampered the
availability of
turbines and increased pricing of course. However, we expect to
announce our
turbine supplier this fall and have turbines in the air next summer.
Our parent company,
Western Wind Energy Corporation shares our
commitment to Grand Manan, and is also continuing its development
efforts in California and Arizona. Among its other activities,
Western Wind Energy has
completed the purchase of an operating wind farm in Tehachapi, California. This wind farm will have the
older turbines replaced
with newer more efficient ones within the year,
Eastern Wind Power is
committed to long‑term wind energy
benefits for New Brunswickers, and we look forward to a showcase
project on
Grand Manan, In the meantime,, the Provincial Government has indicated
its
commitment to renewable energy in the form of a Renewable Energy
Portfolio, of
which we all should be proud, and NB Power has followed suit with its
own
commitment to 40OMW of renewable energy before 2016. We hope to see
this result
in direct benefits to New Brunswickers with manufacturing and service
jobs for
the long term.
So, although
construction has taken longer than expected,
Grand Manan will soon be able to say that all her energy needs have
been
produced right here on the island,
Paul Woodhouse
Eastern Wind Power
(Photo of site from Eastern Wind Power)
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TRAILS 2005
Thanks to the hard
work of
Jessie James and Anne Mitchell, the trails were in very good shape at
the
beginning of the summer. The two spent a total of 96 hours working on
them in
the late spring, We are still having difficulty keeping signs in place,
as they
seem to disappear almost as fast as we put them in place. We found,
much to our
surprise, that the beginning of the trail going north from Dark Harbour had disappeared, as the side of
the cliff had been cut
away to provide material for the road to the windmill
site. However, thanks to the able assistance of David
Green, the beginning of the trail was moved east 200 metres or so, and
then
joined in with the existing trial.
TRAILS BOOKLET
We plan on a rewrite
of the trails booklet for next year. Much
will be the same, but there will be some changes because some of the
trials are
changing, and some areas ‑where we have had trails have been clear‑cut.
It will
also include a section including GPS waypoints for major of places on
the trail. They will be listed by longitude/latitude.
TRAIL
DONATIONS
The following
people have donated to the trial within the
past, 12 months:
Malcolm Bull
Harley Griffin
Henry
Biedrzycki & Valerie Evans
Nicole Faulkner
Warren McFee
Jane Zocchi
Linda Duchin
Judy Stone
Grand Manan
Tourism Association
Mary Majka
Maude Hunter
Elaine &
Alan Demaline |
Carl Cohen
Susian Lambert
Laird &
Jane Sloan
Heather Trim
Marcel Boyer
Sue &
Nelson Isenhower
Patricia Tripp
Frances Hodge
Sue Vetterlein
& Coleen Thompson
David &
Beverly Parker
Frank Longstaff
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The number of donors has
decreased this year, for the first
time in quite a number of years. If you have enjoyed the trails and
have yet to
make a donation, please send it to the Business Centre, or to me, Bob
Stone, 51
Red Point Road, Grand Manan, NB E5G 4JI. Your donations allow us to
maintain
the trails each year.
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TRAILS NEWSLETTER
We have been, indeed fortunate to
have Ann Chudleigh as Editor of
the Newsletter. Ann has said that after having been Editor for five
years or
so, she wishes to relinquish the position as of next year. We are
greatly
indebted to her for all the work that she, along with Susian Lambert in
the
Business Centre, has put into it. I suspect that you will find future
editions
will be much
shorter
and more "bare bones" than the polished editions Ann has edited.
We hope that you have
enjoyed the trails this year, and look
forward to seeing you on them next year,
Bob Stone
GRAND
MANAN
TOURISM ASSOCIATION
TRAILS
COMMITTEE
Bob & Judy Stone
Cecilia Bowden & Eugene Gilles
John & Diane Cunningham
Sidney & Barbara Guptill
Maude Hunter
Ginny & George Riseborough
|
Anne Mitchell & Jessie
James
Carmen & Peter Roberts
Frances Hodge
Lydia Parker
Shirley & Sheldon Cook
Beverly Parker
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FRIENDS OF GRAND
MANAN TRAILS
c/o Bob Stone
51 Red Point Road, Grand Manan, NB E5G 4J1
rstone@nb.sympatico.ca
or
Grand Manan Tourism Association
1141 Route 776, Grand Manan, NB E5G 4E9
Phone: 506-662-3442 (1-888-525-1655)
gmtouris@nbnet.nb.ca
Web: www.grandmananNB.com
NOTE: If you would like to receive the newsletter by email or have
changed your address, please let us know.
Note: Laurie
Murison prepared the newsletter for the web site version.
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