Seabirds, Cliffs, and some Whales!

Black Guillemot - There is an iridescent green sheen to the head! We were sitting only 10 feet from this bird. It wasn't until I stood up to readjust on the rocks that we saw it!

Black-legged Kittiwakes were nesting on the cliff edge.

Cabot Tower on the summit of Signal Hill. Signal Hill has long been used for Observation and Communication in the North Atlantic.

Scenic view

A long way down!

Crashing waves below.

The deep, gurgling croak of the Common Raven helped me find this bird, which was partially hidden in the shadows of the rocks. Common Ravens are smart, which makes them dangerous predators. They sometimes work in pairs to raid seabird colonies. One bird will distract an incubating adult and the other grabs the egg or chick as soon as it's uncovered.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Common_Raven/overview

I wasn't expecting to see any whales on this trip but a few Humpback Whales swam far below, past the point on Signal Hill where we were sitting.

Humpback Whales can be tracked acoustically, as they sing the most complex songs of any marine mammal and can be heard from hundreds of kilometers away! These songs are often repeated for hours by males to attract females. (Perhaps the above picture shows a mated pair??)

https://oceana.ca/en/marine-life/humpback-whale/

If it hadn't scurried nearby, I never would have noticed the Boreal Long-lipped Tiger Beetle! It was not a species I was expecting to find on the windy cliffs!

Instead of retracing our steps back to the start of the trek, we chose to continue following the trail. Miscommunication with some other hikers led us much further astray than expected.

The views were amazing! We eventually reached harbour level but our car was parked halfway up Signal Hill! Needless to say, we counted a LOT of steps that day! LOL.

Wild Lupine growing on the trail back to the top.