Charlottetown lies on the northwestern corner of the Hillsborough River in south central Prince Edward Island. A morning’s tour of the Hillsborough estuary will bring you from the river’s base in Charlottetown to its upper reaches 30 kilometres (20 miles) upriver in Mount Stewart. Over the centuries, Mi’Kmaq, French, Scots, Irish, English and other cultures have occupied its lands. Its virgin Acadian forests were mostly cleared by the 1870s for agricultural field development and for wood for heating, shipbuilding, lumber and other forest products. Today its lands are dominated by agricultural fields, woodlands, hedgerows, saltmarshes, homes and wetlands. This article provides a series of highlights featuring birding and natural history sites in a clockwise tour of this historic watershed starting from Charlottetown. Entrance ways offering scenic viewpoints along the Hillsborough River are marked by the Hillsborough Canadian Heritage River System signs.

Charlottetown:

Early summer visitors can anticipate the raucous calls and watch the feeding antics of one of the Island’s largest Common Tern colonies on the old Hillsborough Bridge piers just south of Route 1 (the Trans Canada Highway). Along the harbour waterfront, Great Black-backed, Herring, Ring-Billed, and Bonaparte’s Gulls, Great Blue Heron, Osprey, and Belted Kingfisher can be seen in summer and, during autumn through spring, Iceland Gulls, mergansers, goldeneye, Canada Geese, and American Black Duck. In winter, an occasional Glaucous, Mew or Thayer’s Gull may be encountered. The waterfront also often affords good views of Double-crested Cormorant and Bald Eagles. A large American Crow roost at Victoria Park adds to the thrill as waves of hundreds congregate in the evening to roost and then disperse in the dawn.

Battery Road Salt Marsh and Glenfinnan Island Heron Rockery:

The Battery Road salt marshes and the heron rockery are located about 18 kilometres (11 miles) east of Charlottetown. Drive east on Route 2 then turn south on the Battery Road which is located between routes 260 and 218 and proceed to the wharf. In season, the adjacent salt marshes afford opportunities to observe Willet, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, sandpipers, Red-winged Blackbird, Nelson’s Sharp-tailed Sparrow, and many other species. The Island’s largest Great Blue Heron colony is located across the water from the wharf and the heron can be safely observed in their tree nests from the wharf.

The Mount Stewart Wildlife Management Area Trails:

Mount Stewart is about ½ hours vehicle drive from Charlottetown or a 30 km (20 miles) cycling trip. For naturalists and historians, a visit to the Hillsborough Eco-Centre in Mount Stewart is a must. Here you can leisurely explore the Hillsborough’s natural and cultural history and learn much about this Canadian Heritage River System jewel. Pigot’s Trail is within a 5 minutes walk of the Eco Centre and lies adjacent to the Confederation Trail just south of the Confederation Trail Hillsborough River former rail bridge in Mount Stewart. The Pigot Trail brings you through marshlands, woodland, and fields. Killdeer, Spotted Sandpiper, Northern Harrier, Bald Eagle, American Coot, a host of waterfowl, shorebirds, warblers, swallows, and much more can often be heard and seen on this trail as well as Confederation Trail.

Pisquid River Wildlife Management Area:

The Pisquid River Wildlife Management Area lies upstream from the Route 21 road bridge. This waterfowl haven lies just 4 kilometres (2.5 miles) south west of Mount Stewart along routes 22, 21, and 214. There are good spots where binoculars or telescope can provide vantage points for waterfowl such as American Wigeon, black duck, teal, Northern Pintail, and sometimes Northern Shoveller. During the June gaspereau (a herring like fish) spawning period, significant concentrations of Great Blue Heron can be observed along the shallows and Osprey or Bald Eagles can be seen catching the gaspereau.

Dromore Provincial Forest and Birding Trail:

The Provincial Forest’s green and gold diamond shaped signs mark various entrance ways to public forest lands. These woodland roads afford good walking corridors for woodland birding. The Dromore Birding Trail is located within the Dromore Provincial Forest (C-2) south of route 21. Take route 214 (the Dromore Road) and travel 4.5 km (2.8 miles) south and then turn left (eastwards) along a woodland road. This trail is located about 0.2 km short of the West Branch Pisquid River woodland bridge. This trail runs through the West Branch Pisquid River riparian zone and features tolerant hardwood and mixed woods. Here a variety of species including Northern Parula, Blackburnian, and Mourning Warblers, vireo, Boreal Chickadee, and sometime Gray Jay can be seen or heard.

Auburn Demonstration Woodlot:

For visitors wishing a good walking trail and information on forest management on Prince Edward Island, the self guided Auburn Demonstration Woodlot can be found 3.6 kilometres south of route 21 in Fort Augustus along the Monaghan Road (route 213). This single loop walking trail is slightly over a kilometre in length and offers a variety of softwood stands and plantations. It is part of the Provincial Forest system and is managed for sustainable, multiple use including education, recreation, birding, wildlife, and much more. This is a great site to see Cedar Waxwing, Black-capped Chickadees, Yellowbellied Sapsucker, Northern Flicker, warblers, vireos, Hermit Thrush, and many other woodland birds.

Fullerton’s Marsh:

This estuary offers good tidal flats and saltmarshes where, during migration seasons, shorebirds and waterfowl can be readily seen. It is located along Route 21 on the Bunbury Road only 5.8 kilometres (3.6 miles) from Charlottetown on the south face of the Hillsborough River. In season, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs. Semipalmated Sandpiper and Plover, Willet, Wilson’s Snipe, Spotted Sandpiper, and sometimes godwit can be seen.

Moore’s Pond and Stratford Lagoon:

Moore’s Pond, a fresh water pond and marsh on Stratford Road in Stratford offers a chance for Sora Rail as well as puddle ducks such as Blue-winged Teal and American Black Duck. During spring through autumn, Swamp Sparrow, Red-winged Blackbird, and Belted Kingfisher can often be located here. The lagoon at the east end of the Hillsborough Causeway adjacent to the ESSO Service Station often attracts a variety of gulls including an occasional Black- headed Gull and Mew Gull in winter. Stratford also offers a variety of walking trails including the Robert L. Cotton Park Trail.

Note: Bird illustrations courtesy of Dwaine Oakley, Hillsborough Canadian Heritage River courtesy of the Hillsborough River Association, and the Provincial Forest symbol courtesy of the P.E.I. Department of Environment, Energy and Forestry.

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