Winter Cemetery

A winter night – the gates are locked

To guard the dead's serene repose.

But Nature's life abounds within

That snow-borne tracks clearly disclose.

Against this snow-blanched winter scene

The tombstones stand in stark relief

With chiseled epitaphs displayed

To honor those who lie beneath.

But it is Nature's poetry

Transcribed by tiny feet in snow

That do provide a depth of soul

That words in stone cannot bestow.

And I shall lie content to know

That squirrels, scribbling in the snow,

Are writing epitaphs for me

Upon my grave that all can see.

And though the sun and wind and rain

Erase them time and time again,

There'll be new poets to the site

To honor me by what they write.

2000

(from the book Discoveries In The Dark by Doris Potter)

© Doris Potter

My Squirrel Campaign of 2021

This is a story that illustrates what one person can accomplish with persistence.

Last November I discovered that new metal garbage cans placed around the campus of a nearby college (over 25 cans) were regularly trapping squirrels inside.  The hinged door on the domed lid could be pushed inward but not outward.  The squirrel would push the door and get in, the door would close, then when it tried to get out, it had to jump to the top of the can, try to get a toe hold, and pry the door toward it so as to squeeze through.  Not an easy task!

I contacted the college's Director General and several other department heads, etc. to alert them to the issue.  At first I was ignored, then a second email got a response but basically it was to tell me all the reasons why they couldn't change anything.  I started plotting out a strategy.  I took photos of garbage cans that the city had installed on our main street.  These had lids but also openings that allowed squirrels to go in and out.  I sent these photos.  Still, I didn't get much of a response.  Then I wrote back tackling the issue not only from the perspective of the suffering of squirrels, but from a safety perspective (students getting bitten by panicked squirrels), and even from an aesthetic view point (the cans are just plain ugly).  I also started considering a letter-writing campaign, a media campaign and anything else I could think of short of taking a crowbar to the lids.

I was going out every day after sunset (when the squirrels had retired to their nests) and checking each can.  This took 40 minutes.  I kept a record of the squirrels that I found and started photographing them.  Two had bleeding scrapes on their faces which I presume resulted from trying to pry the metal doors open with their noses.  Each time I found one I sent a photograph to the college's authorities.

Note: you can click on any photo to enlarge it.

I also spoke in person to one individual and mentioned another angle that I thought of – these doors required students to physically touch them over and over again and I pointed out the dangers of this during a pandemic.

In any event, I made it clear that I was not going away!  I would check every night all winter long if necessary!

At one point during the frustrating back and forth emails, a manager who had been on leave returned and everything changed!  She thanked me for alerting them to the problem and said that new cans (with no lids) would be purchased and phased in next spring.  It was encouraging to me but the problem still existed in the meantime.  Finally my last photo of a squirrel trapped inside was enough for her to take immediate action and all the doors of the existing cans were removed!  I didn't receive any notice that this was being done and when I went out the next night and saw the cans, it brought me to tears.  This was one week before Christmas and was the best gift that I could receive.  I thanked her profusely and she wished me happy holidays.

Here is a photograph of a happy squirrel!

Wildlife and sights in the neighbourhood

One sees these signs in many windows in Quebec regarding COVID-19 (the novel coronavirus disease which began in 2019) and roughly translated it means "We will be fine".  I understand that in Ontario, people put teddy bears in their windows which pleases passing children. :-)

Because of the restrictions put in place to stay at home and only go out for solo walks or to get groceries and other essential supplies, I have been limiting my photographic excursions to a small area in my neighbourhood within the Montreal borough of Saint-Laurent.  Luckily for me, this area encompasses two college campuses.  I have explored these places before but never to any great extent.  The wildlife I have encountered these last few weeks has been amazing!  The most exceptional creature being a Wild Turkey!

Here is a sample of the wildlife I have been able to photograph (with varying degrees of success):

Wild Turkey

Hairy Woodpecker

Groundhog

Robin

Ring-billed Gull

Canada Geese

Turkey Vulture

Crow

Eastern Phoebe

Gray Squirrel

American Goldfinch (in changing plumage)

Downy Woodpecker

Eastern Cottontail

Song Sparrow

Cooper's Hawk

Others that I saw but didn't get an acceptable photograph: Killdeer and Cardinal.  

And last but not least, here is a photograph of the recent super Moon.  I guess I can't claim that it is in my neighbourhood (as the title implies) but it sure was a lovely sight from my window!

Keep well everyone!

Sightings this week-end

Having the first sunny week-end in quite some time, I went to the Montreal Botanical Gardens to see what was about. The Gulls were in abundance as were Redpolls and Chickadees. Squirrels hung out in their usual areas asking for handouts and the bird feeders attracted Nuthatches as well as various finches. One of the most exciting finds was a couple of Cooper's Hawks (male and female). Here is a sampling of the sightings.

Ring-billed Gull

Close up.

Gray squirrel

Common Redpoll

Black-capped Chickadee

White-breasted Nuthatch

Cooper's Hawk

A wildlife week-end

It’s interesting how things happen. On Saturday I went with a friend to the nature park in Ile Bizard and being November I figured there wouldn’t be a lot of wildlife to see but maybe a Muskrat or Beaver and possibly the Owl that is often sighted in the woods.

Well, I strolled the boardwalk for any sightings and my friend went off on another trail for a power-walk. At one point she came hurrying back to tell me that a Woodpecker was in full view and would make a good photo opportunity. I followed her but unfortunately only saw it as it flew further into the woods. I recognized it as a Pileated Woodpecker – quite the handsome bird! Well, no Owl and no Woodpecker photos for me but … just as I paused to photograph a mossy log on my way back to the boardwalk, I saw something I have never, ever seen in my life – a Salamander!!

I knew they existed and I also knew that one had to search carefully in wet areas under rocks and leaf litter to find them so I relegated that to a “probably won’t ever happen” category of life events. But this little guy was right out in the open and very nearly under my foot! Luckily I saw him in time and I think I stood for several seconds unable to believe my eyes. (I am sure you have noticed by now that these types of sightings get me very excited : -)).

So, to reiterate: no Owl, no Woodpecker but a Salamander on Saturday. By the way, this is a Blue-spotted Salamander.

Well, on Sunday I went to Mount Royal and while passing a large evergreen tree I noticed that a Crow flew around it once with a loud “caw” and then left. It made me wonder if something was in that tree. So I walked up to the tree’s trunk and looked straight up. I didn’t see anything until suddenly I noticed movement and there was a Long-eared Owl staring down at me! Yay! – an Owl – and a new species to add to my list to boot!!

A little while later I heard a “knock – knock” on a tree and there to my astonishment was a Pileated Woodpecker!






It’s almost as though the Owl and the Woodpecker were deferred to the next day so that the Salamander could have my full attention on the Saturday.

Then just to add icing to the cake, I spied this lovely and unusually marked Squirrel. Its coat was a soft blend of white and gray and he posed quite nicely against the fall foliage.



Not at all bad for a week-end in November - a time when one feels Nature is entering its dormant stage.