Eagles and Vultures

On January 1st I wrote a short poem which included this repeating line;-

“Whatever this year may bring I will remember…"

After I wrote it I almost hesitated to complete the post thinking I was tempting fate. But I am not overly superstitious and now recognize those words have grounded me over a few months of turmoil and change. Not that anything completely devastating has happened, but like Solomon wrote, it is often small things growing out of proportion that bring conflict and misunderstanding in our relationships.

Catch all the foxes, those little foxes, 

before they ruin the vineyard of love, 

for the grapevines are blossoming!  

Song of Solomon 2:15

I had a few days off work this week and the beauty of the beginning of May has restored and uplifted my spirit. I ventured out to the Nith River, which is flooded and fast-flowing due to recent heavy and frequent rain storms. The Bald Eagles are parents once again and appear to be raising one eaglet this season. They rule their world from the top of a lone pine tree and soar majestically in the sky, taking turns watching their offspring.

A little further down the road I came across a dilapidated shed where seven turkey vultures rested, opening their wings at times to the sunshine. They are similar in size to the Bald Eagles and are graceful in flight. But the differences between the birds are striking.

• Bald Eagles build a large nest high in a tree or cliff. Turkey Vultures do not build nests but lay eggs in caves, crevices, or abandoned buildings.

• Eagles have talons for catching live prey while Vultures have no need of talons or strong feet for their diet of carrion.

• Vultures are communal by nature and hang out in groups. Bald Eagles sometimes roost communally in the winter near a food source but are solitary and territorial most of the year.

• Turkey Vultures have a well developed sense of smell for sourcing food while Bald Eagles rely more on keen eyesight for hunting.

• Vultures lack a syrinx, the vocal organ of birds. They vocalize only with hisses and grunts. The Bald Eagle has a audible call that echoes across the river. Even the young eaglet can emit a loud, repeated single note when it is alone the nest.

• And then there is the head… a majestic, white-feathered head with piercing yellow eyes compared to a homely bald, red head with large olfactory openings.

The diversity of the natural world is not divisive but complementary. Eagles and Vultures each have important roles and one is not more valuable than the other. There are times when dead things need to be cleaned up.

Recently, I took a patient for a walk with a coworker. We chatted about the weather and looked out the window at the opening leaves and flowers. I cleaned the patient’s glasses and combed their hair. The person sat down after the walk and while we watched, died instantly. There was no warning, no cry, no pain, just sudden death. It made me glad that the last 15 minutes of life was spent in an agreeable way. If there was unresolved conflict in that life, there was no opportunity for resolution.

Can you find the single eaglet in the bottom left side of the nest?

We would choose to soar like eagles, living territorially above the grittiness of earth. But there are times when we must deal with conflict and death, putting our heads into the carcass of the past or present before moving ahead to better things.

Currently reading: Water to Wine by Brian Zahnd
Currently listening to: Illumination: Peaceful Gregorian Chants

Pilgrimage

“Faith is not the clinging to a shrine but an endless pilgrimage of the heart.” 

Abraham Joshua Heschel

We took the cog railway to the summit of Mount Washington in New Hampshire a couple of years ago. Travelling up the steep incline, we passed the tree line, a huge boulder field and arrived at the top in an unwelcoming mixture of wind, driving rain, cold temperatures and fog. Our temporary discomfort and risk was nothing compared to that taken by adventurers who hiked the distance, frequently passing markers with names of people who had perished on the same journey in the past. They had a more intimate knowledge of the mountain and its moods and gained strength and wisdom during the challenging trek.

Hikers on Mount Washington NH

It is easy to give advice to others about where they should go and how to get there. It is harder to allow them to take their own pilgrimage, perhaps on an alternate path with different experiences, making mistakes and learning their own lessons. It is especially difficult to free our grown children to forge their own way in life.

This is a year of drought. Scattered thunderstorms form on humid afternoons but we have not had long, soaking rains for weeks. Newly planted trees need water but they also need to develop large tap roots that reach down to the water table. Some people heap large amounts of organic mulch around young trees and pour pails of water on the pile. The trees send roots upward to the mulched surface rather than downward to a sustaining water supply, a journey that will ensure longevity for the tree, even in dry years. 

Gros Morne Park, Newfoundland Canada

We come to a time when we need to walk away from our shrines and become a pilgrim. Shrines can feel safe with someone there telling you what to think or do, saying this is the best or only destination. We may receive shallow watering, rote answers to hard questions, and acceptance from the group who hangs out there with us. We tend to unfairly judge those who are in different places, but in time we will see cracks and weaknesses in our own shrines as well. Shrines come in many forms and may be religious, political, social, career based or even family oriented. 

Jesus called a group of disciples to join him in pilgrimage. They travelled with their teacher but never envisioned where the journey would ultimately lead them. He taught hard truths in parables leaving his followers with more questions than answers. He encouraged them to walk away from the rigid rules and expectations of religion to seek righteousness, truth, justice and reconciliation with God and man. 

Toll road along the Devil's Spine, Durango-Mazatlan Highway, Mexico

The chaplain at our hospital is a Kenyan lady, gracious, wise and from an evangelical Christian denomination. She supervises chaplaincy students from different faiths, including Islam, and works with a diverse group of patients. When I asked her how she reconciled her own beliefs with her work at the hospital where proselytization is discouraged she said,

“Everyone is on a spiritual journey. My job is to find out where they are and to walk beside them.”

We will cross paths with other pilgrims. We may share a table briefly or stay with them for a longer season, and we may journey alone at times. I remember how hard it was when I began to question and move away from the inflexible doctrines of the church I was raised in. In my journey I have had spiritual mentors from every walk of life. I have grown in strength in times of difficulty and in times of favour. I want to continue my travels in wide open spaces, not in walled rooms. 

Blessed are those whose strength is in you (Yahweh);

    who have set their hearts on a pilgrimage.

Passing through the valley of Weeping, 

they make it a place of springs.

    Yes, the autumn rain covers it with blessings.

They go from strength to strength.

    Everyone of them appears before God in Zion.

Psalm 84: 5-7 (World English Bible)

Ottawa River, Ontario Canada

Falling, Fear and Fortitude

Trail companions- Raven and nordic poles

I have been afraid of heights as long as I can remember. Very afraid. I am uncomfortable on a balcony higher than the third floor or climbing more than three rungs up a ladder. Seeing someone stand on the edge of cliff makes me feel physically ill. For many years I could not look at a photograph of a waterfall without my stomach doing a loop. Sky diving, bungee jumping, zip lining, and rock climbing have never been on my bucket list. 

As a physiotherapist working in geriatrics, fall prevention is an important part of my job. I see many people who are admitted to hospital as a result of falling and sustaining a significant injury. In taking a good history, it is very important to determine the reason for a fall. Was it due to a medical condition or the physical environment? Does the patient need a gait aid? Our goal is to prevent further falls in hospital and after discharge. 

Whatever the cause, falling aways does one thing. It creates an increased fear of falling. And that fear keeps people at home, decreasing their participation in activities in the community and can even create walking disorders. Canadians endure long winters with lots of snow. We have a few ice storms each season which are far more treacherous than snow storms. Inclement weather is one reason people here can become increasingly isolated as they get older. This increases their risk of depression, physical and cognitive decline, placing them in a downward spiral functionally. 

I am surprised at the resistance I frequently get when trying to get someone with a history of falling to use a cane or wheeled walker. They don’t buy my argument that a gait aid will help them get more exercise, making them more independent and less likely to fall. I tried to get a family member to use a walker after she fell and broke her shoulder because of poor balance. A year later she fell and broke her hip and had no choice but to use one. (Family members are often most resistant to advice!)

Tackling my fear of ice and waterfalls at Niagara Falls

I had two bad falls on ice resulting in a broken wrist and a broken elbow. They happened over 20 years ago and when I see ice, I still feel some panic. Initially I was inclined to want to call in sick at work rather than walk across an icy parking lot after a storm. Instead, I bought ice grips for my boots and a pair of nordic poles which stay in my car at all times. Every time I succeed in walking across a slippery surface, my confidence increases. Nordic poles are also my constant companion when walking on trails and prevent stumbles on tree roots and uneven ground. 

Over the years I have come to understand the source of my fear of heights and my panic is under more control. Fear protects us but is debilitating in excess. Depending on our experiences, added years bring new anxieties which alter or replace childhood fears. We can fall down physically, professionally, socially, or in close relationships, but in each case it is important to learn from the fall, to put aside fear, get up and try again. Other people may have insight into the reason for our fall and may we never be too proud to ask for guidance and advice on our journey. 

Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. 

If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. 

But someone who falls alone is in real trouble.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 NLT

Ottawa Birding

We spent a few days in the Ottawa area visiting our daughter and new son-in-law. There is so much to see and do in the capital region but it is May and birding was near the top of my list. I decided to explore the area around their home rather than driving to more distant birding hotspots and was not disappointed. Spring was slow in arriving this year and as a bonus, mosquito season was also delayed. My husband was fishing in the Algonquin Park area while I was in Ottawa and he reported that it was the first spring fishing trip that was not accompanied by black flies and mosquitoes. Black flies and deer flies are pests that will keep me out of the bush no matter what bird may be around. Mosquitoes made their debut about the middle of this week but a bit of spray kept them at bay.

I decided to find the Bluebird trail and Osgood Link Pathway which are south of the Ottawa Airport. The first two bird boxes were at a busy intersection and a pair of Eastern Bluebirds and Tree Swallows were settling in as neighbours. I have seen Tree Swallows trying to evict Bluebirds from a nesting box they wanted but there was no aggression between these birds.

The female Bluebird was very busy gathering nesting materials while the male supervised and sang and flitted about.

Bluebirds are not commonly found in our home area and I may see only one pair a year. I seldom see them at this close range and was fortunate that they were not bothered by my presence.

I started walking the Osgoode trail near the 5th kilometer marker a little after 7 AM. This section of trail follows a marsh and creek and dense mixed bush making it ideal birding (and mosquito) territory. The was plenty of bird song but finding the singers was a challenge due to the fact that new leaves have grown quickly in the recent warm weather.

I found two very loud and persistent male vocalists;- the Rose-breasted Grosbeak in the canopy and the Common Yellowthroat in the bushes.

Female Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Their mates were busy with home building and worked quietly undercover in their dull plumage.

A very loud drummer accompanied the singers and it took some time to locate him. I rarely see a Pileated Woodpecker but they are more common in the Ottawa area.

My favourite bird singer is the Veery and they were present in this section of trail. Other Thrushes scurried around in the underbrush as well. My species count was 32 in about an hour and a half of early morning birding including several first of the year finds for me. There was still plenty of time to see tulips, flowering trees and The National Gallery in the city after breakfast.

Winter Springs to Summer

The beginning of May and October are my favourite times of year, seasons of transition, colour and beauty. Spring is unpredictable and sometimes rushes by with its succession of introductions and openings. This year rain and fog shrouded several days of soft greens and quiet blooms. This week we finally squeezed in our annual spring walk through the woods while there was a severe weather watch in place and large thunder heads intermittently blocked the sun.

It was a long, hard winter and some warm, artistic soul yarn bombed some trees along the trail. They either really hated the blankets or really loved the trees.

All the spring ephemerals were blooming at the same time this year instead of spreading their charm over three or four week.

Bloodroot...

Trout Lily...

May Apples...

Marsh Marigold...

Jack in the Pulpit...

and Trilliums. We come year after year to admire the carpet of white.

Raven is now three years old and behaves well off leash with us. It was almost 30 C on this humid afternoon as she stopped to rest by this knoll covered with Trilliums. Wild Ginger is growing at the edge of the trail where she is sitting and its blooms are at the base of the stems, covered with dead leaves.

I rode through the bush again today, five days after these photos were taken. Most of the flowers are finished and the leafy canopy has closed off much of the light. Ferns are growing rapidly and in a short time mosquitoes will keep me away from these trails until there is a fall frost.

Happy Victoria Day!

Season Opening

My blogging hiatus lasted almost half a year which is about the length of the winter that just ended. Early December brought a damaging ice storm and then we were visited with interminable snow, deep cold and no January thaw. I went birding once and got a flat tire half an hour from home on a very cold day. No winter hawks or owls swooped by as I waited for a tow truck. I even stopped feeding our yard birds when the squirrels destroyed my “squirrel-proof” feeders and Costco ran out of black sunflower seeds. 

The Mallard Duck and I were both prepared for muddy pathways

Winter finally ended in Narnia and spring arrived here in due course. Mother Nature has flicked the fast forward switch to make up for lost time. I walked outdoors for several hours today and felt more like myself than I have in a year. City crews started working last week to clear local trails of downed branches and trees from the December storm. 

Brown Thrasher, Skunk Cabbage, Spring Trail, Hermit Thrush

My bird count was most impressive! Birds are very vocal right now and there is no vegetation to hide them on the ground or trees. 

Bald Eagles, Osprey, Red-tailed Hawk, Turkey Vulture, Brown Thrasher, Hermit Thrush, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Pileated Woodpecker, Red-winged Blackbirds, Blue Jays, Northern Cardinals, American Tree Sparrows (leaving), White-throated Sparrows (coming) Song Sparrows, Belted Kingfishers, Tree Swallows, American Robins plus our usual year round Black-capped Chickadees, American Crows, House Finches, Goldfinches, Nuthatches...about 30 species in all. 

The sweetest spring song belongs to the White-throated Sparrow. The Becka heard one earlier this week and I was surrounded by them on the trail today with the help of some hulled sunflower seeds.

Oh Sweet Canada Canada Canada....

Yes, spring is sweet and life is good!

White-throated Sparrow

Spring Birding Here and There

Rufous-backed Robin-MX

I had my first good look at the Rufous-backed Robins found in Mexico this April. I heard their song early in the morning, a chirping very similar to our Robins in Canada but with a trill sounding like a rolled "R" and sung in a different key. These Robins were more wary than the ones that hop on our lawns at home. The orange-red breast colour extends over the wings and upper back of the birds. The American Robin below was in a tree today in a nearby wood lot here in Canada.

American Robin- Ontario

I didn't see any Great-tailed Grackles in January in Mexico but they were around in great numbers in April. The males displayed noisily throughout the day. They liked the bird bath and would clean out fallen leaves before splashing about. The bird below was the "alpha" of the flock and would not share the water with other Grackles.

Great-tailed Grackle- MX

There were many Orioles on the property in Mexico last month. They are very shy and the picture below was taken through the window in the morning. This is a Black-cowled Oriole and it was a life bird for me. The Altamira and Hooded Orioles are more commonly seen. Along with Hummingbirds, they like the nectar in the Bottle Brush blooms by the house.

Black-cowled Oriole- MX

I meandered around local trails in Ontario this morning for several hours looking for wildflowers and birds. Many long distance migrants have not arrived yet but some birds are already in their active nesting period. I walked by one tree and saw a female Pileated Woodpecker at the base looking in the ground litter for insects. She and her mate were actively calling and feeding in the area.

Female Pileated Woodpecker- Ontario

Forty feet above the woodpecker in the same tree, a female Wood Duck perched above her nest hole. It amazes me to think that the young ducklings will be pushed out of this high nest and led to water before they can fly. It would make more sense to see the duck at the bottom of the tree and the woodpecker at the top.

Female Wood Duck- Ontario

Mom always looked forward to the return of the Barn Swallows who nested in the car port of their home in Mexico. This is one bird that is common in throughout North America and their nesting period is similar in the north and south. The Swallows returned later than usual this year but their noisy chatter as they prepared their nest was heard throughout the day. The picture below was taken shortly after the sun rose over the mountain behind the house in the morning.

Barn Swallows- Nayarit, MX

There was one more bird which was heard and not seen in Mexico. After she was bed-ridden, Mom told me about a bird which called out all night long. She finally identified it as a Mockingbird who was looking for a mate. Apparently they do their courting after dark. Sure enough, as soon as the sun went down, the Mockingbirds started calling. They are great mimics and the calls sometimes sounded like a car alarm. I looked for them in the morning but never found a single one during daylight hours. I recorded the call with my camera and it is uploaded below.

I haven't kept a bird count this year but observing bird behaviour is more interesting to me than tallying a list of sightings.

Mockingbird night call

Cycling

I used to walk 5 km every evening until my knee surgery almost 4 years ago. Pounding pavement after work is not kind to my joints so I tend to meander along natural trails at a slow pace when I go for a walk. My aerobic fitness level took a big dive so this summer my husband and I each got a new bicycle. A co-worker recommended a certain bike shop and for the first time in my life I was fitted for a bike by people who really know and love bicycles. This Giant Suede is a cruiser with a slightly recumbent frame. I started slowly by going around the block a couple of times and then through the neighbourhood park. At the end of the first week, my knees were swollen and painful and I wondered if I had wasted money. But after another couple of weeks of gradual training, the pain was gone and my strength and endurance increased daily. I have worked up to 10 to 12 kilometer rides at this point.

I found the web tool geodistance.com where joggers, walkers and cyclists can plot their routes. I enter my postal code to zoom into my neighbourhood and all the local trails are well marked on the map. The bike allows me to explore linear trails like the one above that are too long to round-trip on foot. 

We are fortunate to have many kilometers of well groomed trails in our region. This one used to be a rail line along the Grand River. The scenery is beautiful and wild life is abundant. I saw many birds today and deer and other mammals are often about.

Northern Flicker

The days are getting shorter and cycling season will soon be over as winter approaches. We have a stationary bike but you cannot coast down a hill and feel the cooling breezes before you pump up the other side. And nothing on a television screen compares to the discoveries made on a trail.

I will have to use the indoor bike through the winter in order to avoid another painful initiation to pedalling in the spring. There are a few more weeks of beautiful fall weather to enjoy and I hope get out frequently before the snow comes. Toronto Island, the Niagara Parkway, the city of Ottawa... My list of places where I want to cycle is getting longer. It isn't hard to keep up something you love to do!

The other bike- A Giant Sedona- (distorted perspective)

On the Seventh Day...God Played Ball

Our society as a whole no longer observes a seventh day or first day of the week pause in commerce to focus on rest and worship. But members of our large Mennonite population who live in rural parts of our region will not sell you one brown egg on Sunday. Handwritten signs at the end of farm lanes advise customers of "No Sunday Sales". After morning chores are done, long lines of horse-drawn buggies drive to simple white meeting houses. By early afternoon long lines of horse-drawn buggies leave for dinner, perhaps at the home of friends or relatives. It is not unusual to see fifteen or more buggies parked at a farm on a Sunday afternoon.

In fine weather the men lounge outdoors in their Sunday clothes as they visit. During the summer you are sure to find several baseball games in progress in farm fields or village parks. Many men travel to the games on bicycle, black pants, white shirts and blue suspenders the uniform worn by both teams.

These young men, clean-shaven, strong and fit, sported fashionable sunglasses as well as the occasional cell phone. The game was was less competitive and more social in nature than organized sports in the city.

Around four o'clock the roads are lined with horse-drawn buggies and people walking or biking home for afternoon chores. Perhaps they will attend an evening hymn sing later or just rest in preparation for another week of hard work.

These pictures were taken yesterday along the Trans-Canada trail near St. Jacobs, Ontario. The trail winds through the heart of Mennonite country along the Conestoga River.