Gaspé
June 15th, 2009
Our vacation to Gaspé Peninsula is just about set.
We're leaving on Thursday, spending the night in Riviere-du-Loup, and arriving in Percé the following day. The B&B in Percé is called "Gîte Le Presbytère." It's set in an old presbytery, specifically a former home for itinerant priests. It has several (all) positive reviews on TripAdvisor. I look forward to it and to the other B&Bs we'll be staying at, particular the breakfast part. French Canadians know how to do breakfast right!
The major attraction in Percé is an offshore island called Bonaventure. It's basically one big bird sanctuary, boasting the following breeding sea birds:
We plan to do some whale-watching too, and some hiking inland at Forillon National Park, where there may be bear and moose and, if we're lucky, lynx sightings.
I'm bringing five memory cards and intend to fill them. In the meantime, here's a few spring leftovers that I didn't get around to posting before.
Common Grackle
Female Downy Woodpecker
June 15th, 2009
Our vacation to Gaspé Peninsula is just about set.
We're leaving on Thursday, spending the night in Riviere-du-Loup, and arriving in Percé the following day. The B&B in Percé is called "Gîte Le Presbytère." It's set in an old presbytery, specifically a former home for itinerant priests. It has several (all) positive reviews on TripAdvisor. I look forward to it and to the other B&Bs we'll be staying at, particular the breakfast part. French Canadians know how to do breakfast right!
The major attraction in Percé is an offshore island called Bonaventure. It's basically one big bird sanctuary, boasting the following breeding sea birds:
- The biggest colony of Northern Gannets in the world. Over one hundred thousand of them. These are huge (goose-sized) sea birds related to boobies. They do spectacular dives for fish and have intricate courtship rituals which, apparently, they will happily perform in the presence of human spectators.
- Auks, of various species: the north-hemisphere analogue to penguins. Unlike penguins, they can fly, albeit not too well.
- Atlantic Puffins - the "parrots of the sea"
- Leach's Storm-Petrels - these birds, like other tubenoses, have the ability to drink salt water and expel the salt.
- Great Cormorants - relatives to our familiar Double-Crested Cormorants, who are also present.
- Black-Legged Kittiwakes
We plan to do some whale-watching too, and some hiking inland at Forillon National Park, where there may be bear and moose and, if we're lucky, lynx sightings.
I'm bringing five memory cards and intend to fill them. In the meantime, here's a few spring leftovers that I didn't get around to posting before.
Common Grackle
Female Downy Woodpecker
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