Joanel

we are thinking about making a trip to newfoundland. our interests are mainly nature, birds and photography. Hiking ability is very limited.

Is it still possible to see what we want to by driving close and walking a little or will we really be limited by the limited walking ability.

understand the major birding site at st. Mary's? requires a 1km walk each way which is pushing it. is it possible to roll a cart with scope and camera stuff or do you really have to carry it? (path not wheelchair accessible - already checked.

we are also not big fans of boat rides - seasickness.

so does that leave us any options for the type of trip we want to take?

thanks for any info.

Joanel

forgot to title it as being in newfoundland.

LJ

While the main ecological bird sanctuary of Cape St. Mary's MAY be off limits for you, (suggest you contact them directly, its been 3 years since I was there and the facilities may be enchanced) I don't think that this will limit your ability to see nature/ wildlife on the Avalon.

You can do whale watching from Signal Hill, right in the city of St. John's or Cape Spear (1/2 hour away). There are birds at every cove but esp. St. Philips, and Portugal Cove both easily accessible. If you go at certain times of year (like late May at dusk) you will have a harder time NOT seeing a moose than seeing one! If you can bear it, you should down some Gravol and get on a Gatheralls tour by boat.

I advise you to get hold of the tourism guide for the province of Newfoundland Labrador and go for it!
www.NewfoundlandLabrador.com

nfldbeothuk

The government tourism site mentioned above is very useful.
Salmonier Nature Park I believe is wheelchair accessible, with a boardwalk. It's about an hour outside of St. John's.
Here's their web site:
http://www.env.gov.nl.ca/snp/WhatsHere/WhatsHere.htm
When I was there (~10 years ago) the St. Mary's trail was definitely "unimproved", and this picture is dated 2007, so if it's changed, it would be recently:
http://tinyurl.com/ceyrq8
I would also suggest taking a seasickness pill and a boat tour--check out the Witless Bay Ecological REserve near Bay Bulls.

kodi

You've received great advice from the best! LJ and nfldbeothuk sure to know what they are talking about.

All down the coast of the Avalon Peninsula there are little roads that will take you right to the coast .. You can get out of the car in many places to see the birds, without having to hike far.
It's a wonderful destination! Have fun.

(LJ, why oh why were all the moose hiding when I was there???)

George

Hi, I would second all of the excellent recommendations you already received. As stated, Salmonier Nature Park is totally accessible. If you continue further south on Rt 90 to St. Vincent's there is a beach where humpback whales come very close in to feed. There is paved parking and wheelchar accessibility. Also, coin-operated (25 cent) telescopes.

Continue on this road (now Rt 10) to the turn off for St. Shotts and you may see the herd of caribou. I've seen most of them after turning off Rt 10.

As mentioned, if at all possible, take the Gatherall's tour out of Bay Bulls. They use a catamaran, which minimizes the risk of sea sickness, less rocking and side-to-side movement. You will see thousands of birds (puffins, turrs, etc.) and, of course, whales.

Regards

LJ

Kodi: I have a theory about the missing moose...the word went out "We want this one to come back so don't reveal all the wonders of NL in one go!"

Seriously, driving back from St. John's to Cornerbrook leaving late afternoon, we saw countless moose and TOO many collisions...sometimes you don't want to see them TOO close.

gannetmusic

Joanel,

I'm a birder / naturalist and have birded the Avalon several times so might be able to offer some ideas.

First, yes, there are opportunities to observe wildlife without much walking.

Second, you should really try to deal with the 'seasickness' problem. The Witless Bay reserve is truly a wonderful place to observe seabirds and it would be a shame to visit the Avalon and miss this area. Taking the catamaran is a good suggestion,as is taking a boat out of Bauline East, near the southern edge of the Witless Bay reserve where a major breeding island is a six or seven minute boat trip from shore. There are various remedies that your pharmacist can suggest to combat seasickness.

Witless Bay offers the chance the see 10's of thousands of Atlantic Puffins, Common Murres and Black-legged Kittiwakes and smaller numbers of Thick-billed Murres and Razorbills. There are several pairs of Northern Fulmar nesting on 2 of the islands and chances are good to see them in flight and on their nests. Whales are often seen in this area, with Humpbacks being the most interesting species.

My suggestion is to visit in early to mid -July. I will post again shortly with some specifics about birding and wildlife viewing on thev Avalon Peninsula. It truly is a wonderful place to see wildlife and enjoy amazing scenery and hospitality.

By the way, the "gannet" in my screen name refers to the gannet colony at Cape St. Mary's.

cheers

Jerry

LJ

Yes, I am with Jerry 100%-the Gatheralls boat tours out of Witless Bay are REALLY worth it. I mentioned Gravol (I think thats dramamine?) and it really does the trick for some, but see your doc before you go.

I grew up in St. John's and went back not too long ago for a 25th high school reunion, having lived 'away' for too long. When we booked our trip on Gatheralls (they used to be cod-fishing boats, sadly) we used our traditional high school anti-nausea remedy: down a batch of hot fries before leaving shore!

laverendrye

For tours of Witless Bay is there anything to choose among Gatheralls' O'Brien's and Captain Murphy's boat tours? I understand they all offer similar tours, but which is your favourite?

Seeing whales would be nice, but as we also plan to go out with Peter Beamish at Trinity, the birds at Witless Bay would be the prime attraction.

We'll be visiting in the first two weeks of July.

gannetmusic

My favourite from Bay Bulls is O'Briens, just for the general overview they do of the culture , and for their excellent conservation ethic. A bit 'touristy' but they do know the waters very well and, weather permitting, get as close as is legal to the nesting islands. Whales seem to be the prime focus of these trips, so they might give a bit less time to the birds if Humpbacks are around. I have no problem suggesting either O'Brien's or Gatheralls.

There are a couple of smaller boats out of Bauline East on which you might be the only passengers and often can provide a more 'up close and personal' experience with the birds. Let me know if you want specific info -highly recommended.

Just a note on whale watching. If you do encounter whales at Witless Bay don't 'assume' you will have the chance to see them up on Trinity Bay. Every year is different and each day is different as the Humpbacks follow their prey, so enjoy every viewing opportunity you get!

Jerry

gannetmusic

A few more thoughts on birding /wildlife viewing opportunities on the Avalon Peninsula that involve minimal walking.

Others have mentioned Cape Spear and Signal Hill. Signal Hill provides great views over St. John's harbour, and, with luck, perhaps whales. Minke Whales often hunt close to shore here. Birds tend to be distant, since the vantage point is so high.

Cape Spear [ a few miles south of St. John's] offers whale spotting opportunities again, often with Minke's foraging very close to shore. We've frequently seen very active Humpbacks feeding offshore here. You are lower here, so seabird viewing can be good for flocks of murres, kittiwakes and puffins. Watch on the cliffs here for the very handsome Common Guillemot that nests in the cliffs. Landbirds include American Pipit.

Further south, La Manche Provincial Park can be good for boreal songbirds. Drive into the dayuse / picnic area. Ruby-crowned Kinglets are usually vocal here, and it is a good location for Boreal Chickadee. We've frequently had Pine Grosbeak here and various warblers.

There is another excellent patch of boreal forest with roadside birding very close to St. John's - but I would need to send you a map.

Further south on the Avalon take the entrance road into Chance Cove Provincial Park. It traverses a beautiful area of scrubby spruce and luxuriant mosses and Reindeer Lichen. Lots of wildflowers and warblers here. Listen all along this route for the beautiful Fox Sparrow song. The race in Newfoundland is the 'reddest' of the Fox Sparrows - a very handsome bird. The ocean shore at the end of this road [over a small embankment] is a good location for Gray Seals.

Much more to follow.

Jerry

laverendrye

Jerry

Thanks for your advice. We'll be making our second visit to Newfoundland, revisiting some places and seeing new ones. I'll start another thread with a few questions on various places to see both on the island and in Labrador.

Joanel

jerry

thanks for all the birding tips keep them coming. you said something about sending directions.

you can get to my e-mail at www.pbase.com/joanel. I believe there is a way to send a message thru the site and I can send my address back to you.

thanks much.

LJ

For the very keen (even as a tourist) I heartily reccomend this group which we were members of when we lived recently in NL. They will help with co-ordinating walks and drivers if your timing is right.I am uncertain about how far you can walk but they may have experience by now with keen birdwatchers who live with limited mobility.
www.eastcoasttrail.com