The Pierre-Jacques Rivers, Egmont Bay

 

This summer, I finally went to explore the two Pierre-Jacques (PJ) Rivers of Egmont Bay. These two rivers flow into the NW part of Egmont Bay, about halfway between Brae Harbour and West Point. The mouths/estuaries of the two rivers are only 2 km apart but they are not related (i.e. they have separate watersheds). The Little PJ has a large estuary as it meets Egmont Bay (Wolfe Inlet and a 2 km sand spit). The Big PJ also has sand barrier banks and a rich salt-water marsh estuary as it comes into Egmont Bay. These unique estuaries should be good habitats for all kinds of sea creatures and birds.  

Pierre-Jacques Rivers (WD12, 10 km)

I didn’t necessarily pick the best day for a kayak trip. The weather was unsettled, and through the paddle, I got some strong winds and rain at times. I launched the WD12 kayak at the end of MacDonald Road (R176). MacDonald Road is a great spot to launch for exploring both rivers and the Glenwood sand spit. I paddled across Wolfe Inlet to the west exit going towards the mouth of the Big PJ River. There were many seagulls and shorebirds gathered on the sand banks at the mouth of the river. I got through the narrow channel into the Big PJ River and found that the water inside was very shallow. I circled a bit taking photos of the many birds in the water and came back out.

WD12 and iffy weather

Greater Yellowlegs

Before heading back to Wolfe Inlet, I went to explore the point to the west of the Big PJ River. Inland, behind that point is a good size salt-water marsh and a flock of Mallard ducks was present. After a shore walk, I headed back towards Wolfe Inlet in the wind and rain. I made a stop at the west end of the sand spit for a break and to decide if I should continue. The weather soon improved, so I decided to finish the planned route and try paddling up the Little PJ River. To my surprise, the Little PJ River isn’t as shallow and I was able to paddle over 1 km upriver. There’s no development on the river for 1.5 km, so it feels pretty isolated. For the short time on the river, I observed and photographed an Osprey, GB Heron, Cedar Waxwing, and a Kingfisher. See my iNaturalist page for the day – HERE.

Osprey

Great Blue Heron

Since the weather was holding, I paddled to the east end of the sand spit for a beach walk and a bite to eat. After lunch, I paddled straight back to MacDonald Road in worsening weather. It was just in time – once ashore and the kayak loaded, the wind got pretty strong and scary!

Kingfisher (typical pose; one of my favourites)

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Pics from my June 21, 2023 paddle trip up the Big Pierre-Jacques River - all the way to Glenwood Pond. I had lunch at the pond before paddling back to the launch at MacDonald Road. Great day!

Here's a link to the iNaturalist postings for the day. CLICK HERE.

	Track, 21Jun2023

Pics from my Sep 1, 2023 paddle trip up the Little Pierre-Jacques River - all the way to Hebron Road and back. Another great day on the PJ rivers, Wolfe Inlet, and the Glenwood sand spit!

Here's a link to the iNaturalist postings for the day. CLICK HERE.

Track, 01Sep2023