Despite the reputation of the Atlantic Ocean, Nova Scotia hardly gets the waves they get in western France, called Bretagne. Over there, the waves sometimes get over 20 meters high, high enough to cover lighthouses. One such lighthouse in Penmarch', called the "Phare d'Eckmuhl" is 65 meters high.

In Nova Scotia, this is virtually non-existent.

The end of the year has been tumultuous, to say the least. Relaxing for a few moments along the seashore was a welcome reprieve.

But the Atlantic Ocean and coast in January are hardly a welcoming place. Even if the waves are calm, the temperatures are somewhat hostile.

Osprey speak to the imagination. They are fierce birds, often seen, rarely heard. When they nest, flocks of photographers gather beneath the nest high up on a pole or other high spot.

The birds usually ignore the people unless they start to approach the nest.

The sounds on a beach are wonderful. Between the waves, the moving sand and the wind, there seems to be nothing much else, even if this is already a great soundscape. But sometimes, just sometimes, you hear something else.

In this case I was listening to a pair of Eastern Willets, yacking at each other.