After our Gros Morne hike we have a little time left before sunset, just enough to do one more hike. We decide on Berry Head Pond, it is a short loop hike and we can decide at any point to return to the parking if it is getting dark. The parking itself already is interesting with a flock of Canada Jays taking interest in us and our car.
We start on the short spur trail towards the loop and immediately have great views of the pond which is covered in water lilies. Unfortunately there are few to none ducks on it, we were hoping someting like the loon we found the previous day.
The trail is handicap accesible initially, it is wide and flat as it crosses the forest on the lake shore.
It soon becomes a boardwalk with a few viewpoints over the lake that we use to find ducks, not many to be found really. A group of ring-necked ducks and some American Black Ducks is all we see during our loop hike.
We find a decoy duck and that is exciting as initially we think it is something new until we notice what it is actually. The trail itself is very scenic through moss filled forest on narrow level trails passing benches placed strategically.
On the other side of the pond the trail opens up. There is no more forest, the trail is more narrow and we walk through an actual swamp. Here we see one more White-throated sparrow, from a lifer the day before it has become a common occurence.
If there is a marsh there will be purple pitcher plants. And lots of them some still pitchers and some flowering, both are interesting to see.
At the midpoint there is still enough light so we decide to finish the loop, it is a beautiful hike especially now with no other people. The only thing we are not sure about is why the water looks oily, quite surprising. And then we are back in the parking just as it gets fully dark and we decide to celebrate the full day with an evening at a restaurant.
There aren’t many choices but our host recommended two of them and only one is open late so that is where we go. Besides us it seems half of the city population made the same decision but we find an empty place and order and finally we can relax our tired feet.
The food is quite good, we ordered cod to taste it and that is good while the steak is average. Full now we return to the AirBnB to recuperate, tomorrow we have a long drive ahead of us to reach the north tip of the island.
