Cape St. Mary’s Ecological Reserve

Exploring “the Cape”

By Patricia Boulter

One perfect sunny Sunday morning in early May, 2013 we decided to cross off another destination on our bucket list: Cape St. Mary’s Ecological Reserve.  We headed out down the Trans Canada Highway from St. John’s, and headed to “the Cape” via Placentia.

On the way to Cape St. Mary’s we stopped in Fox Harbour near Placentia.

Newfoundland is known for its array of different types of seabirds.  Each year masses of bird enthusiasts, tourists, and researchers alike flock to the Cape in order to catch a glimpse of one of the most spectacular seabird rookeries in the world.  What makes this experience so special is the site’s accessibility. “Bird Rock” as it is called can be seen from land after a very short (1 km) hike from the parking lot.  You can literally view nesting sea birds from a mere stones throw away (10 meters).

Our first glimpse of “Bird Rock”

Bird Rock is the nesting grounds to thousands of seabirds such as common gulls, razorbills, common murres, black-legged kittiwakes, northern gannets, and double breasted great cormorants.  It is also the winter home to close to 20,000 scoters, oldsquaw, harlequin, dovekies, thick-billed murres, and kittiwake.  The birds are so numerous that as soon as you open your car doors you can instantly hear and smell them.

A zoomed in photo to depict just how cramped living conditions are on Bird Rock.

The drive is quite pleasant from St. John’s to the Cape, and can be done quite comfortably as a day trip.  You can drive to the Cape in approximately 2.5 – 3 hours, but we decided to take our time and stop and view the sights along the way.  The turn off for the reserve was unmarked , but perhaps that was due to the time of year we visited.  The turn off comes shortly after the community of St. Bride’s, and is near a restaurant and RV park.  The road is paved and well maintained and takes you past pastures and tundra-like landscape.

When you arrive at the car park there is an Interpretation Centre to the left and a light house to the right.  The Centre was closed when we were there, but in season there are guided tours and musical performances.  The trail to “Bird Rock” can be accessed on the other side of the Interpretation Centre.

A birds eye view for bird watching from afar.

As you approach the sight you are overwhelmed by the scale of the landscape, giant rolling cliffs tumble into the Atlantic to create impressive (yet dangerous) cliffs.  The trail hugs the cliff side as it winds its way to the viewing area.The views at this sight are truly breathtaking.  As soon as you make your way past the Interpretation Centre you can immediately view the seabird colony from a distance.

Scattered birds in the water like constellations in the sky.

Viewing the colony from a distance, allows you to appreciate its true size.  Birds not only nest on what is referred to as “Bird Rock”, but also on the surrounding cliff edges.  You could spend a whole day being mesmerized by watching the spectacle of birds slowly and gracefully circling, looking for a place to land.  Or by watching the thousands of birds splashed out across the turquoise waters diving, feeding or just bobbing up and down.  The sheer number of them are akin to constellations scattered across the night sky.

The viewing area itself, which is an outcropping of rocks that literally jut out over the edge, is not for those afraid of heights.  There are no viewing decks, railings, or seats of any kind, you are literally standing on the edge of a cliff.  Every inch of “Bird Rock”, a mass expanse of rock which has fallen away from the mainland, is covered with nesting birds.  We spent a long time just watching the different birds swoop, land, feed, and groom themselves.  We could have spent the whole day just happily watching them.

We decided, however, to take a little trek out across the tundra like landscape.  There are no paths, but it would be hard to get lost in this landscape, especially if you just follow the coast.  Our decision, while at first seemed questionable due to the many bogs we encountered, did pay off.  We eventually stumbled upon a lone female caribou, who let us get quite close to take some amazing pictures.

On the way back from our small hike the light had changed, and again we were taken aback by the immense beauty of this rugged sea bird colony that literally stumbles into the Atlantic.

We did a loop back to St. John’s through Branch and up to North Harbour, eventually leading back to the Trans Canada Highway.  If we had more time there are many lovely spots to stop at along this route.

The light changed so dramatically, it was stunning. I wished I could stay another few hours to capture the “magic hour” light on site.

Overall Cape St. Mary’s was a lovely surprise, I had read about it in brochures but I knew few people who had actually been there.  Many Newfoundlanders have not been here, or if they have, only when they were little.  It is well worth a stop or detour on anyone’s itinerary and should be added to your bucket list if you live here.

What to Bring:

It is a remote destination so bring water, snacks, a picnic etc.  You should also be prepared for high winds, and unpredictable weather as it is right along the coast.  Bring comfortable and reliable walking shoes, especially if you plan on going off the beaten path. Be sure to bring your camera, binoculars, and (if you can) a local bird book.  We really wished we were there in season to have a guided tour in order to learn more about the site and the various birds.  The site is also dog friendly (at least when we visited), while we were there numerous groups had opted to bring their dogs.  However, the cliffs are very steep and the viewing area is extremely rugged.  Be sure to leash your pet, or better yet opt to leave them at home.

Additional Resources:

http://www.env.gov.nl.ca/env/parks/wer/r_csme/

http://www.newfoundlandlabrador.com/placestogo/capestmarys

http://www.capestmarysperformanceseries.ca/   (Information about the Performance Series held at the Interpretation Centre)

On the way to Cape St. Mary’s we stopped in Fox Harbour near Placentia.

In Fox Harbour. It is almost as common to see a boat parked outside someone’s house as it is to see a car.

In Ship Cove there are some lovely cows near a dairy.

A picturesque old salt box house in Ship Cove.

A very pleasant surprise. A sand beach at Gooseberry Cove Provincial Park.

Our first glimpse of “Bird Rock”

Overlooking bird rock near the trail head.

Scattered birds in the water like constellations in the sky.

Looking over the edge of some very steep grassy cliffs.

A birds eye view for bird watching from afar.

A zoomed in photo to depict just how cramped living conditions are on Bird Rock.

You are literally right on the edge of this natural platform. A stones throw away from the colony.

Out of focus, but still pretty cool.

This shot lets you see just how close you get to the colony from the viewing area.

She let us get pretty close.

The light changed so dramatically, it was stunning. I wished I could stay another few hours to capture the “magic hour” light on site.