June062007

Nature Photos of the Week

June 6, 2007

Nova Scotia's Beauty!

From the spectacular tides of the Bay of Fundy to the heathlands of Cape Breton, there is no better highlights tour. Ride through rich, rolling farmland and explore the Bay of Fundy with a chance at seeing the rare Right Whale. The tremendous number of shorebirds in the bay at this time of year is legendary and known for its incredible aerial ballet. Cape Breton delights travelers with its high rock cliffs overlooking the northern Atlantic and its quaint fishing villages. The whole experience is a photographer’s and artist’s dream. The final night is spent at Liscomb Lodge, the third of Canada's glorious lodges located along Nova Scotia’s picturesque Marine Drive.

Tour next departs August 8 - 16, 2007. Call now for more information.

In 1783, Digby was settled by a hearty band of United Empire Loyalists led by Rear Admiral, Sir Robert Digby, Captain of the HMS Atlanta, a 24 gun Brigantine, leading the North American Squadron. In appreciation of Adm. Digby's leadership and guidance, early settlers from New York and New England named their new town in honor of their benefactor. The Town of Digby has been an active fishing and lumber producing community throughout the years. Famous for the delicious scallops harvested from their local waters, spectacular vistas of The Annapolis Basin from the waterfront, clear crisp air, and of course the incredible tides (28 to 35 ft.), Digby offers visitors a wonderful opportunity to visit in a relaxed way of life.

The highest tides of the Bay of Fundy are due to two unique characteristics of this finger of the Gulf of Maine. The gradual tapering and shallowing that constricts the tidal flow, causes the waters to rise and fall the astounding 52 foot tidal range found at the head of the Bay of Fundy. The second factor is the precise dimension of this incredible body of water. Every basin of water has its own natural rhythm and at 180 miles long, the time it takes for the tide to flood the length of Bay of Fundy is nearly identical to the time it takes for the tide to come in from the adjoining Gulf of Maine. This resonance, the meshing of these two rhythms, means that the tidal range is amplified. Called the "Seiche Effect," this amplification is frequently compared to the wave action produced by a child sloshing water back and forth in a bathtub, each wave higher than the one previous. It is this comparison which led to the Bay of Fundy being called ‘the world's largest bathtub.’

Cape Split is a continuation of the North Mountain range. The cape separates the main part of the Bay of Fundy from the Minas Basin, a sub-basin to the east. The cape itself is four miles long and at some points several miles wide. Both sides of the headland end in high cliffs overlooking treacherous tidal currents in the Minas Channel. Privately owned until recently, the property has now been sold to the Government of Nova Scotia and is being transformed into a provincial park. A popular hiking trail has existed for decades on Cape Split, taking approximately 2-2.5 hours each way to the tip of the headland. The actual point of Cape Split is meadowed, allowing scenic vistas.

Shorebirds are a great attraction in the Bay of Fundy, entertaining birders with their precise mid-air acrobatics. Thought to have evolved to confuse predators, their synchronized movements have inspired writers and poets alike. Writer and naturalist Harry Thurston describes these maneuvers in his book, The Nature of Shorebirds:

"As they bank, the light is absorbed by their dark backs, then reflected by their bright bellies...Sandpipers flow and turn together with such uncanny precision as to make one think they are a single organism."

The large roosts of shorebirds seen at high-tide in the Bay of Fundy are composed of several different species, including plovers, turnstones, sandpipers, yellowlegs, snipe, godwits, curlews and phalaropes. The Fundy corridor itself plays host to 75-95% of the world's population of Semipalmated Sandpipers. When roosting together, these birds are so numerous they may appear as pebbles on an endless beach. And they come from far and wide for the same, delectable treat and to get fat on the Fundy Mud Shrimp, Corophium volutator. There are as many as 20,000-55,000 of these crustaceans per square yard.

The Cape Breton Highlands, commonly called the Highlands, refer to a 'highland' or 'plateau' of ancient rock across northern Cape Breton Island, and is an extension of the Appalachian mountian chain. The Highlands are surrounded by water with the Atlantic Ocean on the east, the Cabot Strait to the north and east, the Gulf of Saint Lawrence on the north and west, and Bras d'Or Lake to the south. Elevations average 1,100 feet at the edges of the plateau and rise to more than 1,600 feet at the center. The plateau consists of numerous broad, gently rolling hills bisected with deep valleys and steep-walled river canyons. The southern and western edges of the plateau give way to broad valleys with soils resulting from glaciation providing some of Cape Breton's best agricultural lands. Most of the interior and southern edges of the plateau are covered with damp, cool deciduous forests, which makes for spectacular colors during autumn foliage. Southward facing slopes above 1,000 feet in elevation generally only suppor Balsam Fir, as a result of the short growing season and harsh winter climate. The northern and western edges of the plateau, particularly at high elevations, resemble arctic tundra.

Nestled among the evergreens in one of the most beautiful riverside settings in Atlantic Canada, one can enjoy the 6 miles of hiking trails that twist and turn along the banks of the Liscomb River. Our tour will spend the night at a lodge along the banks of this spectacular setting.