ABC Wednesday: Q is for Québec

One of the highlights of my solo train trip across Canada last year was the beautiful province of Québec, wreathed in romance and mystery to westerners, beckoning us to visit, whether we are bilingual or not.


Above, left, and below,
Montréal, Québec

Old Montréal attracts
tourists from all
parts of the world,
but to Canadians of
a certain age, the
condo development
below is the
Quintessential
Montreal, built as it
was for Expo '67.

I rented a car to drive from the train station in Gaspé, Québec, back to the previous stop, Percé, and back again to Gaspé for my return trip to Montreal, so I could experience for myself the beauty of Quebec's wonderful Gaspé Peninsula

Thousands of Northern Gannets nest on the seaward side of Bonaventure Island (above)
off the shore of  Québec's Gaspe Peninsula. None nest on the landward side (below).

© Photos by Kay Davies, 2010

Gannets can, however, be seen fishing close to the town of Percé, Quebec.

The town of Percé is named after the "pierced rock"
(roche percé) offshore.

Posted for the letter Q
in ABC Wednesday
Mrs. Nesbitt's popular
alphabetical meme
for Scrabble-playing and
word-junkie bloggers everywhere!

To see how the letter Q inspired other photo-bloggers, please click HERE!

Gaspésie, Roche Percé, Bonaventure Island again

Above, the landward side of Bonaventure Island used to have human settlers, but is now parkland for the protection of the wildlife. However, visitors can walk the trail over to the viewing point to see the gannets "up close" -- too long a walk for the unfittie, however.

The cliffs on the seaward side of Bonaventure Island appear almost white with nesting gannets and gulls.
We passed two very fat seals when I was on deck and in a position to photograph them.

Below, the seaward side of Roche Percé with the last of the morning fog floating around it.

Gaspé Peninsula, a jewel in beautiful Québec

In search of the Northern Gannet

The markings and colors on the head of the Northern Gannet are beautiful.
Gannets swimming alongside Roche Percé near the Gaspé Peninsula town of Percé.
Just past the rock, the sky begins to fill with gannets.
Soon they're everywhere, except close enough to the boat to be photographed.
Smaller birds, black and white murres, share the rocks of Bonaventure Island with the gannets. Below, my favorite gannet picture is this shot I got of one "running" across the water to take off. I wish I'd been able to take a photo of a murre skipping across the water prior to taking off. TOO cute.

Because I'd so enjoyed "meeting" red-footed and blue-footed boobies in the Galapagos Islands, I decided my Great Canadian Adventure should include Bonaventure Island, where thousands of the boobies' cousins, the Northern Gannets, nest every year. The island is located off the Gaspé Peninsula in eastern Quebec, near the famous "pierced rock" or "Roche Percé" which is included in the boat tour from the town of Percé. I saw hundreds, maybe thousands, of Northern Gannets, but none up close. Unlike their Galapagos relatives, they want nothing to do with humanity. (Knowing what I know about humanity, I suspect they might often be right.) I had to find a public-domain photo online (top picture) to show you why I was so eager to see these beautiful birds.