The seagull side of the Margaree Trail

When people travel around Nova Scotia , we often notice that they are just going through our many seaside villages  far too fast . Maybe they  just don't have the time to take to explore , but then they'll  miss many little gems. 


One gem many miss is taking the 5-15 minutes to "drive down to the wharf" or "stop at the lighthouse".
Now, all wharves may look the same , but in real life every one is different . 
It's a bit like our light houses, every one is different .


Anyway, on the Margaree Trail , it is the Margaree River that is a focal point and next  where the river joins the ocean. 
Now , don't get confused here by place names . At the mouth of  the harbour, on the South side  is the  village of Margaree Harbour ; 
 then on the  North side is the village of Belle Cote. 
The wharf is actually located  in Belle Cote but when referred to on maps and tide charts  and in travel articles it is often call the "Margaree wharf "   or the "Margaree Harbour wharf "  , seldom the "Belle Cote wharf". Odd , because usually the wharf name matches the  village location .
Anyway, you just  remember , to get to this lovely wharf and see these gulls  , you travel on  the Belle Cote Beach Road,off the Cabot Trail , opposite the Old Belle Cote Road .

                                                  Chicks at about 4-5 days

A nest of three  

                                                  A chick less than a week old 

                                                   Chicks at about 7 days 


Now at this wharf, there  is a large seagull nesting area. So every year in early June , the chicks are born and in just a week or so they grow from a little fluffy ball to about the  size of a robin . There are also terns and geese that  nest in the same area .

                                                            A bit of history 




Now , here is a photo of how this wharf area used to look in the early 1950's  showing what some would call the "fishermen's village" .

These are the fishermen's shanties .

These  buildings were about 10 to 12 feet wide and maybe 16-20 feet long . these would have had  had bunks for two people  at least , a wood stove , table and chairs , maybe a sink .
At one time , in the 1800's to early 190's , in the horse and buggy era , the village of Belle Cote was on the hillside over two miles away , so the fishermen basically left home for the week and lived in these shanties at the wharf .