Murray House

07/24/2024

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07/19/2024

Cabot Tower, Signal Hill as seen from across the Narrows in Fort Amherst today

07/19/2024

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, St. John's War Memorial, NL

07/06/2024

Fun times aboard the Gatherall's Puffin Whale Watch tour boat today as three lovely people were made honorary Newfoundlanders in a screech-in aboard the boat. We love our come-from-away friends!

07/06/2024

Full photo credit to Clifford Doran for this amazing pic of a humpback whale feeding close to the shoreline at St. Vincent's, Newfoundland, Canada

🐳 The whales at St. Vincent’s Beach can put on a huckuva show! 😮

📸 Clifford Doran

06/27/2024

A few sightings of whales earlier today in Pouch Cove but none that I can see this evening. I took a run out to Middle Cove Beach and watched capelin starting to roll ashore. Quite a few glimpses of cod fish on the shore chasing the capelin to within a few inches of water. Lovely day on the beach!

06/26/2024

Irene's souvenirs and Gift Shop is well worth the visit to find the perfect take-home memory from your travel to Newfoundland, Canada

06/22/2024

It's been a nice week. Here are a few of my adventure shots (bird watching and cove lounging at home in Pouch Cove, whale & bird watching at St. Vincent's, and a walk along the oceanside in Flatrock, NL to name a few). Loving summer!

05/19/2024

Seal was a show stopper at Holyrood today too.

05/19/2024

Amazing day at Holyrood today as I followed the Humpback Whale along the coast for some magnificent nature adventures. Here's a few pics

05/12/2024

Wishing all Moms a very Happy Mother's Day. I hope you all had the opportunity to relax and take in some of your best loved activities. I had heard of whale sightings in Holyrood so, together with 2 of my sisters, headed out for a day trip. We were not disappointed. Here's a glimpse of one of our marine visitors (humpback whale) from this afternoon.

03/29/2024

Happy Easter, everyone. Weather has been taunting us all day with the threat of rain so I stayed close to home and headed out to take a few local pics.

03/16/2024

DID YOU KNOW? The double crested cormorant's feathers are not waterproof and, for this reason, it extends its wings to enhance drying. The reduced buoyancy of the feathers enables the bird to dive many feet in search of food.

Double Crested Cormorant, Quidi Vidi Lake, March 16 '24

03/14/2024

As we start to head into iceberg season, I thought it would be nice to share this post from Route 370- Newfoundland News & Weather as a quick glance info sheet.

Fun Iceberg facts! 🧊

As the iceberg season is upon us I figure I would share some interesting facts about icebergs

1. Icebergs are large pieces of freshwater ice that have broken off from glaciers or ice shelves and are floating in open water. 🧊

2. Despite their massive size above the water, about 90% of an iceberg's mass is underwater, giving them their characteristic towering appearance. 💧

3. The largest iceberg ever recorded was roughly the size of Jamaica, measuring about 11,000 square kilometers (4,200 square miles). 🧊

4. Icebergs come in various shapes and sizes, from small chunks to towering formations that can be hundreds of feet tall. 🧊

5. The color of an iceberg can vary depending on its age and the presence of impurities, ranging from white to blue. 🧊

6. Icebergs provide crucial habitats for various marine species, including algae, krill, and seabirds, making them important ecosystems in polar regions. 🧊

7. A more warming planet is affecting the frequency and size of icebergs, as rising temperatures contribute to the melting of polar ice caps, leading to increased iceberg calving events. 🧊

03/12/2024

DID YOU KNOW?

I've often been intrigued by the white patch on the back of the Northern Flicker Woodpecker and wondered its purpose. From internet searches, it is suggested that the white tuft is a form of an anti-predatory mechanism. When the flicker is in flight, the white tuft is quite exposed and predatory birds likely focus on the white spot rather than the whole bird. When the flicker's wings are retracted, these white feathers are rarely visible and the predatory bird becomes confused, giving the flicker a chance to escape.

This Northern Flicker Woodpecker was resting in a tree in my yard and had just finished pruning itself. The white tuff was clearly visible after its pruning.

03/09/2024

We had an absolute dumping of snow on us over the past 2 days and, even though this seems massive, I'm told that St. John's has more snow than this! Stay safe, everyone, as you clean out from Mother Nature's wrath.

03/09/2024

After the heavy snowstorm that persisted over the past couple of days, the skies finally cleared and the birds came out in large numbers to feed and hang out in the trees at our place. Here are a couple of shots.

01/27/2024

Check out these NL itinerary suggestions with photos & site descriptions.

01/01/2024

Wishing everyone a Happy New Year from Murray House Vacation Home, Pouch Cove, Newfoundland, Canada

12/25/2023

Murray House Vacation Home would like to extend wishes for a safe and happy Christmas to everyone.

10/20/2023

It's always a great escape to take a nature walk and visit the duck ponds. Here's the Northern Shoveler at Virginia Lake, St. John's, NL, today.

10/18/2023

It's that time of year again when the storm petrol's leave their nesting grounds to return to sea. Many become disoriented by city lights and become trapped on land (from where many are found, brought to a rescue team, and released back to sea). Here's some of what's happening in Newfoundland in recent days.

09/29/2023

Hiking the East Coast Trail in Newfoundland is an amazing adventure for nature enthusiasts. The Silver Mine Head path in Middle Cove is a distance of about 20 minutes from Murray House Vacation Home. Today I ventured out for a nature hike on this lovely coastal hiking path. Here's a few pics.