Canadian Maritimes 4

We took the Cabot Trail back across the top of Cape Breton, to take a proper look at the area. Our first stop was to make the Skyline walk along which we spotted Black capped Chicadees and hawks - rough legged, possibly. There is a board walk down to an outlook in order to save the fragile environment. The views are spectacular. Back up to the top again and round the second half of the loop, taking us a little in from the cliff edge. Here we almost stood on a garter snake on path.
The next stop was to make the Bog walk for pitcher plants, sundews, dragonflies and tadpoles. And we saw plenty, even pointing the sundews out to some visitors who hadn't managed to spot the sundews. The weather is very pleasant.
As it was getting round to lunchtime, we stopped at the Rusty Anchor. Before lunch we walked across to the sea wall to look at the East coast - an impressive series of cliffs ranging away into the distance. Then A looked the other way and just by us in a tree an immature bald eagle was watching us! We got some great photos, and by then, everyone wanted a look and people were climbing over themselves to see. We went into the café for wraps and sarnies.


Neil's Harbour and lighthouse beckoned down a side road with more wonderful views and a pretty harbour and lighthouse at the end.And now we had to turn for Cheticamp, back over Cabot Trail. Amazingly, we had been talking about moose and how people were sceptical about any even being on Cape Breton, when I spotted one in the bushes by the road. We stopped and walked back, and there she was - a mother and baby. More photos and almost a traffic jam of sightseers. Lovely! We were going to be late for dinner again, so bashing on back to Cheticamp we only stopped to see the stacks on the west side, then into dinner at La Gabriel again - scallops St. Jacques and sole fillets.