George Loper

George Loper, Riviere Sainte-Anne, Parc National de la Gaspésie, July 19, 2010

Northern Gannet


Gannet, Fous de Bassan, Bonaventure National Park, Percé, Quebec, Canada, July 21, 2010

The Northern Gannet

* is a fast and powerful flyer but its short legs and large webbed feet make it awkward at landings and take-offs
* can see forward with both eyes—which is unusual in birds
* may glide for hours just above the wave tips, seldom moving its wings
* occupies the same nest year after year, until it becomes a substantial heap of feathers, fish skeletons, and droppings

- Canadian Wildlife Service

Percé is situated on the Gaspé Penisula (Gaspésie) east of the city of Quebec. It's a mountainous area with forests, streams and lakes. Almost all the population lives along the coast in towns: Gaspé, Matane, Percé, Chandler, and New Carlisle.

There are several bird sanctuaries along the east coast, and the Northern Gannet colony on Bonaventure Island in the Gulf of St. Lawrence off Percé is said to be the largest in the world with over a hundred thousand Gannets nesting.

Young Moose


Baby Moose, Le Mont Ernest-Laforce, Parc National de la Gaspésie, Quebec, Canada, July 18, 2010

Jardins de Métis, Quebec

Pomme de Parterre


The latent energy of 1,000 potatoes is harnessed by simple wiring, in a bunker built in a potato field in Quebec. It is wired to produce an audio hum, but really, the power could be put to any purpose. Photographed July 23, 2010.