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Tag Archives: animals

Gold Cup and Saucer Day

Posted on 2012/08/04 by Guy Posted in Experiences .

Gold Cup and Saucer Day is one of Prince Edward Island’s biggest events.

Gold cup and saucer parade

When you look at the list of statutory holidays, you will see that some swap out the civic holiday in August for the privilege of participating in or attending the Gold Cup and Saucer parade. Now that is dedication.

The parade was established in 1961 and continues to draw tens of thousands of spectators.

 

harness racing on PEI

Gold Cup and Saucer day culminates with the Gold Cup and Saucer race. This is one of the most celebrated harness racing events in Atlantic Canada. The best and fastest racers gather in PEI all week for trials that culminate with this signature event.

There is a countdown clock on the Red Shores website that shows today just over 10 days left before the big race.

Formerly called the Charlottetown Driving Park (CDP), Red Shores Raceway was opened in 1889 and continues to be a major attraction on the Island.

So Come to Prince Edward Island for Old Home Week and if you are a harness racing fan, don’t miss the race for the cup.

 

Guy

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Tags: animals, Charlottetown, entertainment, festivals, vacation PEI .

Old Home Week in PEI

Posted on 2012/08/03 by Guy Posted in Experiences .
Old Home Week, Summer fair

Old Home Week, Summer fair

Old Home Week is a late summer classic in Prince Edward Island.  Running for 125 years, Old Home Week it is the largest of the farm and family fairs on PEI.  Now let’s not get carried away. Charlottetown has a population of 45,000 and Prince Edward Island boasts 140,000 inhabitants. So don’t expect something the size of the CNE in Toronto. That being said, Old Home Week features a midway, agricultural exhibitions, competitions, and the usual gathering of various local crafters and exhibitors.

Prince Edward Island has a lot of talent and it is showcased proudly during Old Home Week.

Old Home Week is a time when people come from all across Prince Edward Island to take part in this annual family event.

See the details of Old Home Week on their web site.  There is nothing old about it.  I prefer traditional fair.

So if you are planning a trip to PEI in the next few days, mark August 9 10 18 on your calendar.

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Tags: animals, Charlottetown, fair, Island Fun, vacation PEI .

PEI Woodpeckers

Posted on 2011/06/18 by Guy Posted in PEI the Garden Province .

woodpecker
With all the other important items to talk about I almost forgot to to get back to my animal ABC. This is the Pileated woodpecker.  These noisy red crested birds excavate large nests – usually in dead trees. While we may think this is destructive, there are two good outcomes.  They eat a large number of boring insects like termites, and they provide nest cavities for other medium to large birds. This woodpecker is the size of a small crow so it should be fairly easy to spot in the woods.

These birds have a wide range of habitats, from western Canada through to the Atlantic (except Newfoundland). You will also find them in the eastern half of the United States. They have been seen as far North as Whitehorse in the Northwest Territories.

woody the woodpecker

Its call sounds like what you usually hear in the jungle movies. You will easily recognize it should you hear it. Its digging/drumming sound is just what you expect – sounds like banging two hollow sticks together very quickly.

So come to PEI and see if you can spot Woody Woodpecker 🙂

Granny ~oo~

 

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Tags: animals, nature, outdoors .

The Plight of the PEI Piping Plover

Posted on 2011/06/11 by Guy Posted in PEI the Garden Province .

Piping Plover

You may have seen piping plovers scurrying about on the beach. I never seem to have the video camera with me when I see one running back and forth into the waves.  As the wave goes out, they run towards it looking for fresh food and then they scurry back to avoid the next wave.  I could just sit and watch for hours.

semi palmated plover

It is easy to recognize a plover by the black ring around its neck.  However the piping plover is often confused with the semi-palmated plover shown on the left – Can you see the difference?

If you do see a plover on the beach, be patient and wait for “feeding time.”  These little fellas are subject to the whims of nature.  Storm Surges often reshape the coast: rocks, shells, animals, etc. Often after a big storm, the plovers have to move elsewhere in search of food sources. Sometimes they even have to look for new nesting grounds. They need a fair amount of beach to set up their nest away from the tide line – and storm surges. So when a storm surge eats away 20 feet of beach, they are desperate to relocate.

plover sign

The Piping Plover is an endangered species. So please watch for these signs and respect their habitat. This is one of the reasons that animals are not permitted on North Shore beaches in the national parks during the summertime. Dogs foraging about may disturb sensitive nesting areas.

In 2010, conservationists counted 69 plovers on the Island.

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Tags: animals, nature, outdoors .

RCMP Musical Ride coming to PEI

Posted on 2011/06/10 by Guy Posted in Experiences .

RCMP Musical Ride

Yes, the world renown musical ride of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police is coming to Prince Edward Island on July 9th at 8:30 PM. I heard this on the news yesterday and I had to put my ABC on hold for this breaking news.

The musical ride will be part of the Summerside Lobster Carnival. The Lobster Carnival is an opportunity to participate in all sorts of fun events, especially the cardboard boat race.

If you have never seen the Musical ride, you are in for a big treat. Imagine a combination of dance and synchronized swimming (no the horses are no in the water – it is hard to describe something with no equal) with about 40 horses often parading within inches of each other. As far as I am concerned the RCMP musical ride is unequaled in precision horse shows; the only one that comes close is Rainbow Riders.  See this you tube video for a small sample. For over 100 years, the musical ride has been delighting spectators of all ages.

If you will miss them on July 9th, you can see them the day before on Lennox Island on July 8.

For a complete list of bookings, see the RCMP website.

Granny ~oo~

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Tags: animals, nature, outdoors .

PEI Osprey

Posted on 2011/06/09 by Guy Posted in PEI the Garden Province .

osprey

The Osprey can be observed in Prince Edward Island.  It colloquially bears the names fishhawk, seahawk or Fish Eagle. I am missing the wing tip in this picture but you can usually identify the Osprey by the 4 “fingers” in the tips. It has reversible toes and scales on its talon that act as fishhooks to help hold its catch.  Remember the Gannet that dives in like an arrow?  The Osprey goes in feet first to catch its meal. I have yet to see one with a fish in its claws but this BBC video shows how much of a struggle it can be to extract it from the water.

The Osprey is often mistaken for the bald eagle.  The Osprey is much smaller but like with the Llamas and Alpacas you would have to see them side by side.  The Osprey also has a white belly whereas the bald eagle is all black (dark colour).

In PEI we are always looking for something to latch onto for symbolism.  So you will find a B&B called Osprey.

Tomorrow, the plight of the piping plover.

Granny ~oo~

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Tags: animals, nature, outdoors .

PEI Nuthatch

Posted on 2011/06/08 by Guy Posted in PEI the Garden Province .

nuthatch

Come to Prince Edward Island to look for the Nuthatch.  You will find both the read breasted and white breasted nuthatch in PEI. These little fellas are handy because they eat tent caterpillars. You will most often see them clinging on the sides of trees or performing acrobatic feats on bird feeders – especially the cage type.

After 5 days of rain, and cold weather, things are clearing up here and the weeds are calling.  Perhaps I’ll have longer to explore nature tomorrow.  For now the weeds are calling.

Have a great day

Granny ~oo~

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Tags: animals, nature, outdoors .

PEI Mockingbirds

Posted on 2011/06/07 by Guy Posted in PEI the Garden Province .

mockingbird

Northern Mockingbirds abound in Prince Edward Island.  Of Course if you hear one, you may not be quite sure.  The mocking bird imitates blue jays very well.  it also imitates thrushes, wrens, and unhappy robins. They are usually pale grey like in the photo but can sometimes appear to have a bluish tint.  They are common all over North America so they are not necessarily a reason to come to PEI. But please do come and enjoy their song . . . even if they are but imitators.

Apparently, they are very smart birds.  Smart enough to make sounds like barking dogs or alarm clocks to help give them a feeling of security.  They also seem to have the ability to spot a dangerous person in a  crowd.  So if a mockingbird attacks someone, perhaps you should head the other way  :-).

so

 

Hush little baby, don’t say a word,
Mama’s gonna buy you a mockingbird.
And if that mockingbird don’t sing,
Mama’s gonna buy you a diamond ring.

 

Granny ~oo~

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Tags: animals, nature, outdoors .

Llama on PEI

Posted on 2011/06/06 by Guy Posted in PEI the Garden Province .

llama

There are Llamas on Prince Edward Island. On Route 2, just West of Charlottetown, you will see a Llama ranch on the North side of the highway.  On most days, you can see the llamas grazing. There is also a u-pick strawberry patch on the property.  What a quaint combination.  As far as I know, Llamas do not eat strawberries.

If you remember the post about alpacas, you may wonder about the differences. They are both in the camel family and they are both native to South America.

  • Llamas are bigger than alpaca.  So if you see the two together you may be able to tell the difference.
  • Alpacas have straight ears and the Llama is curved.
  • The alpaca I have seen have woolly fur resembling sheep whereas llamas usually have a straighter coat.

I am sure there are many other differences; I am certainly no animal expert. Regardless of the differences, both produce a fur/wool that is very desirable, and naturally waterproof.  Come for a drive in PEI and get some Llama pictures.

Granny ~oo~

 

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Tags: animals, nature, outdoors .

PEI Herons

Posted on 2011/06/04 by Guy Posted in PEI the Garden Province .

Great Blue Heron

From March to October, Prince Edward Island is known as the Great Blue Heron capital of North America. Like most large birds, it is not very graceful landing or taking off.  However a heron is wonderful to see in flight.  They are also quit interesting close up like in this picture.  As long as you move slowly, you can usually get quite close – I think they try to stay more still than us in the hopes we do not see them.

My favourite viewing spots are the marshes along the North Shore.  I often see one underneath the boardwalk leading up to Cavendish Beach.

The Great Blue Heron is the largest Heron in North America with a wing span of almost 6 feet. It makes a sound like a hoarse duck. Once you have heard it, it is instantly recognizable. If you see one in flight, you will recognize it two ways:  the crook in its neck and the feet extending far beyond the tail feathers.

Come to Prince Edward Island this summer and catch a glimpse of the majestic heron.

Granny ~oo~

 

 

 

 

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Tags: animals, nature, outdoors .
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