I'm Seeing Red - Literally and Figuratively

 

I'm sorry to say that this is an angry and sad posting.

Everywhere I look these days, I am seeing red.  Tree trunks are sprayed with red paint or encircled by red tape and it is distressing.  It seems as though there has been all this pent up frustration during the pandemic that is now being unleashed and trees are falling at an alarming rate.  And the vast majority are not dead or diseased trees. 

The photo above shows three felled Eastern Cottonwood trees (many decades old) at the edge of a dirt road behind CEGEP Saint-Laurent (Saint-Laurent College).  I was shocked to see them marked for cutting and tried to reach out to the college before they all came down but to no avail.  No one would reply to me. This is a college which boasts of a spiritual connection with the Environment and has achieved the "Excellence level" of the province's "CEGEP Vert" certification. 

And this was just the beginning.  Chainsaws have been roaring on the campus for close to two months now.  Young, healthy Maple trees are being cut down, bushes are being ripped out, and vines are being torn down.  Nesting birds are given no consideration and many mammals (voles, rabbits, groundhogs and squirrels) have lost vital cover to protect them from predators.

I was not the only person disturbed by all this destruction and in my many walks in the area, I met others who lamented the killing.  Someone wrote the trees' ages on their stumps.  

I was inspired to write as well.  The first one says " Why? Pourquoi?", and the second one says " Why did you kill me?"

Below is another view of the three slain Cottonwoods.

And then there was a healthy Maple tree in which I had photographed Warblers, Cardinals and Eastern Phoebes among its branches this spring.  It also gave shelter to an Eastern Cottontail under its low slung branches.  Below are before and after shots.

I contacted the mayor of Saint-Laurent on this issue to find out what was happening and he told me that the college had applied for permits to cut down 16 trees.  He said the applicant is supposed to declare them to be dead, diseased or posing a safety threat.  I don't see that here!

These killings, combined with at least 7 trees slated for cutting in the Saint-Laurent Cemetery, plus 2 more on private land nearby and 5 more in city green spaces, have made this a very sad summer.

The only positive note was the protection of the hawks (see previous post) but that, too, involves the killing of trees – it is just a delayed execution.

Here is a poem I wrote a few years ago:

The Cutting

Chainsaws roar and spit.

Helpless – trees submit

to the death machines.

No one intervenes.

Standing in silence.

Facing the violence.

Without a choice.

Without a voice.

Left where they lie

to slowly die.

Stumps jut through 

leafy branches ...

Instant tombstones – 

with rings as

poignant epitaphs.

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

© Doris Potter

The Hawks Are Safe And Flying!

One of the parents enjoying a puddle bath

As you may recall, in April I reported that the Cooper’s Hawks were nesting again this year in the Saint-Laurent Cemetery. See post here.

Since then, however, a number of things happened that caused me to fear for the safety of the baby hawks.  In early June I noticed red ribbons on each of two trees flanking the “hawk tree”.  This meant that those trees were slated for felling. This became an urgent issue because the trees could be cut down at any time and there were nestlings at this point.  These adjacent trees were so close that their branches over-lapped with those of the hawk’s tree, and therefore the felling of them (with the big trucks, commotion and loud noises) could make the parents abandon the nest. 

I immediately wrote a letter to the cemetery administration explaining the location of the nest and my concerns.  I received no reply for several days so I sent a follow up letter with photos of the occupied nest and asked a good friend, Georges Dupras, to write as well.  Georges went one step further and copied the mayor of Saint-Laurent, Alan DeSousa.  With neither my letters nor Georges’ getting a reply from the cemetery, the mayor assigned the issue to a city planning advisor, Jacinthe Daprato, for action.

In the meantime, I discovered that there were five nestlings!  This information and more details were passed on to Ms Daprato and I was very pleased to learn on July 5th that the cemetery had been instructed by the city to leave all trees standing until mid-August in order to protect these birds.

Her reply to me (translated from the French) stated in part: “After discussions with the Ministry of Forests, Wildlife and Parks, and under the law on the conservation and development of wildlife, the nest must be protected until the young are able to fly and leave the nest.”

I am happy to report that all five young hawks are now adult size and flying well.  They still rely on their parents for food however, and come back to the nest for feeding.

I hope you will enjoy these photos (click to enlarge) and will be as pleased as I am for the happy ending to this saga thanks to all those involved.

A nestling on June 19th

A parent and young hawk on June 24th

One of the young hawks on June 27th

The youngsters are now "branching" 

(going onto branches and exercising their wings)

July 3rd

Three of the fledglings on July 14th

A portrait of a young hawk

July 14th

More stretching of wings!

July 14th

Sitting majestically!

July 16th

 

Breaking Up Is Hard To Do

Well, we had a good five years ... but as with many relationships, the good times come to an end.  I have to say though that the break-up note blindsided me!

I didn't know that I had done anything wrong.  There was no indication of trouble at all ... but I guess it had been building up and then – bam! – no warning, and all communication was over.

Why was I being blocked this way?  A terse email was a pretty demeaning way to tell me it was over (and after two whole weeks of wondering what was going on).

Here is what I found in my in-box yesterday.  (I've added a "translation" in red).

Hello,

We're writing to let you know that your account has been suspended due to multiple or repeat violations of our rules.  You know what you did!

Please do not reply to this email, or send us new appeals for this account as we won't monitor them.  I will NOT return your calls and never want to speak to you again!

Thanks,  (sarcasm)

Twitter

So, my tweeting days are over.  I wonder if Donald Trump has any advice ...

The Ruby-crowned Kinglet

 

This tiny bird was a great delight for me this spring.  I saw them everyday for at least three weeks and although they are very fast and flighty, I was able to capture them better than any other time in the past.

Here is some information from Cornell University: 

"A tiny bird seemingly overflowing with energy, the Ruby-crowned Kinglet forages almost frantically through lower branches of shrubs and trees. Its habit of constantly flicking its wings is a key identification clue. Smaller than a warbler or chickadee, this plain green-gray bird has a white eye-ring and a white bar on the wing. Alas, the male’s brilliant ruby crown patch usually stays hidden—your best chance to see it is to find an excited male singing in spring or summer."

Here are some of the photos I managed to get between the end of April and the end of May:

More Interesting And Funny Sights

Last October I posted a few photos of funny sights around the neighbourhood and, if you like, you can see it again here.  

In the months following that post, I have found a few more things to show you. :-)

After a surprise snowfall following warm, beautiful weather, someone decided to write "love" and not a more likely four-letter word!

I often see these fellows in their windows (that is one house) but I much prefer to see them out enjoying a walk.

I passed by a construction site one day and a large metal container had this design on the side.  I found it compelling for some reason.

This wall mural appeared one day and although I can't condone graffiti, I thought it was beautiful (not sure about those fangs though) and it reminded me of primitive canyon wall art that I've seen in the American South-West.

This appeared on top of a large boulder just next to a playground behind a day-care center.  I believe it is meant to be a dragon due to the pointed foil spines (triangles) on the head.

This is a friend of the dragon and sits beside him.  I love his expression.

What a perfect use for the field posts on an unused football field!  Social distancing creativity at its best!

On the subject of hammocks, this seems ideal for a bird tired out after all that migrating!

Important note:  regarding the photo above, all masks should have their ear loops removed (two quick tugs work fine) and then all parts should be placed in a closed garbage bin. (The ear loops have been known to entangle wildlife.)

Various Birds In The Area

Aside from the Cardinal and the Warblers (see previous posts), various other birds have graced the area where I bird-watch.  Here are many that I was happy to see during these last two months.

Chipping Sparrow, spizella passerina

Hermit Thrush, catharus guttatus

Brown Creeper, certhia americana

Eastern Phoebe, sayornis phoebe 

Brown Thrasher, toxostoma rufum 

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, sphyrapicus varius

White-throated Sparrow, zonotrichia albicollis

White-crowned Sparrow, zonotrichia leucophrys

Canada Goose, Branta canadensis

Downy Woodpecker, dryobates pubescens

Least Flycatcher, empidonax minimus

Blue-headed Vireo, vireo solitarius

Rose-breasted Grosbeak, pheucticus ludovicianus

Red-eyed Vireo, vireo olivaceus

Baltimore Oriole, icterus galbula