Blog Dis
Big Black Birds et al
2024-08-13
Ottawa's resident ornithologist, whose name escapes me at present, noted years back on the impact of declining forested areas in Ottawa insofar that the lack of trees have contributed to the decline of song birds. I'm here to advise you that this status hasn't improved and in fact, has just worsened.
Our ever-growing cement city of tall buildings and parking lots has given birth to a whole new breed of ravenous birds, who our ornithologist refers to as 'garbage birds' - our crows, pigeons, starlings and seagulls - all are the garbage birds of the 21st Century. In truth, they've been scavenger birds all their winged lives but the increase in the human population has provided an abundance of garbage, giving these birds a veritable feast to pluck off the streets.
I love walking to work. It's a cherished luxury, to live a walking lifestyle. I'm not burdened by having to deal with traffic and the resulting car fumes. I can usually take my time (or rush if I happen to be late, which isn't often), alternating my route on occasions, zipping down one street and up another. The entire stroll to my place of employment is less than 10 minutes for me, given my re-located apartment and, prior to this, I used to walk 20 minutes from my former residence. Sometimes I'll pop into a store that opens early, before heading to the office, bcus I can't pass up discount days to save 20% on purchases (tho' my suspicious nature price-checks regardless and sometimes the most convenient location means the price is higher than one that is farther away, so I'll walk even a bit farther before coming into work). As I walk, I'm reminded of the ever present presence of these garbage birds year-round. However, and at least to my eyes they appear to be year-round. I see pigeons in winter with toes frozen off from the stinging cold. The seagulls maybe have the good sense to go some place warmer but at the first break of spring, you'll find the seagulls hovering over the garbage bins.
Us humans are consistent garbage producers, often throwing trash to the ground when a can is nearby. Cigarettes are a common site, around bus shelters and on sidewalks. I don't believe the garbage birds mind in the least if we throw out our trash. Where I live, streets close to the University with patios are popular hang-outs for students in summer. Here, you'll find pizza boxes littering the over-flowing garbage bins for pick-up day, and whatever piece of stale crust is lying around, by the end of the day it's been devoured with zeal by crows and seagulls. I have to laugh, even on holiday weekends like Easter, I've seen squirrels w/ egg cups clutched between their tiny paws, wallowing in chocolate and gooey cream. Yummers! The pickings must be good if you're one of these guys. Yet, where are the regular owls and hawks who feed on smaller birds and rodents? I shall tell you where. Owls hunt rodents at night and occasionally you'll come across a desiccated shell of a pigeon whose chest has been gutted out, having become a tasty treat for a hawk in the middle of the city. I still hear and see song birds, especially in Confederation Park, in which at any time I can spot Cardinals, Blue Jays, Red-winged Black birds, Robins and Morning Doves. These lovely birds are over run by seagulls and black birds but at least it proves one thing, that they too are still part of our delicate eco-system.
Survival requires you to begin each day with a single-minded purpose of accomplishing the most important task. For song and garbage birds, this means finding the day's meal. We humans are no different. We wake and know what's expected of us, even if we don't want to do it. We have to earn our living and be responsible and utilize forward thinking, to make something of our lives. Sure, maybe it's not as simple task-oriented as building a nest, to give birth, to feed the newborns and eat and occasionally phuck but this is essentially how we'll spend the rest of our lives as well.
And then there are the Canadian Geese, our surly, fast-breeding, large fowl that go away for the winter only to return in Spring to take over our waterways. I call them 'grass-cutters' bcus they can decimate a lawn in no time. When I cycle on the shared path, along the Ottawa River, there are periods when you'll encounter groups of 20 to 30 geese at a time. Be careful! These are attentive birds when it comes to their goslings. If you cycle in the middle of their group, as they are known to take naps on the shared path, they'll come after you, attack you from behind, and hiss at you. Maybe it doesn't sound like much to read that a Canadian geese might attack you from behind, but know they weigh close to 12 pounds. Try dropping a 5-pound free weight on your heard, and you'll understand what I mean. One woman had made the mistake of cycling thru a throng of geese, and she was attacked so savagely that she was thrown from her bike, concussed and ended up spending six months in hospital. Our reputation abroad is that Canadians are polite and nice, but not when it comes to our geese. They don't qualify as garbage birds but they sure do leave huge clumps of white and green poop wherever they congregate. Whereas our garbage birds of crows, starlings, pigeons and our fast-moving seagulls don't bother with our Canadian geese, and the reason is obvious.
I like clean streets. I like knowing too that discarded food won't go to waste. I wish I could report to you on how our urban communities are preserving more green areas but this isn't the case. Our city continues to sprawl outward, as more condos are being built. I only wish that we'd take a cue from Japan, as one example, and build our new condo towers with green rooftop gardens, to create and help to oxygenate our environment and maybe, just maybe these green areas would attract a greater variety of song birds.
I've one friend, whose name I shall protect by not repeating it here; his background is in chemistry and he's demonstrated to me many times that he has an avid appreciation and inclination toward biology and nature. He can name the songs of the birds if you were to spend time with him, to cycle into forested areas. I can't. But what I can do is familiarize myself with their songs by following Instagram accounts that showcase the songs of these birds. I find it oddly soothing to listen to their songs. I sure hope they don't disappear.
What a marvelously diverse world of birds. Maybe I've given you something to think about today, the next time you see a Seagull picking trash off the streets.
Our ever-growing cement city of tall buildings and parking lots has given birth to a whole new breed of ravenous birds, who our ornithologist refers to as 'garbage birds' - our crows, pigeons, starlings and seagulls - all are the garbage birds of the 21st Century. In truth, they've been scavenger birds all their winged lives but the increase in the human population has provided an abundance of garbage, giving these birds a veritable feast to pluck off the streets.
I love walking to work. It's a cherished luxury, to live a walking lifestyle. I'm not burdened by having to deal with traffic and the resulting car fumes. I can usually take my time (or rush if I happen to be late, which isn't often), alternating my route on occasions, zipping down one street and up another. The entire stroll to my place of employment is less than 10 minutes for me, given my re-located apartment and, prior to this, I used to walk 20 minutes from my former residence. Sometimes I'll pop into a store that opens early, before heading to the office, bcus I can't pass up discount days to save 20% on purchases (tho' my suspicious nature price-checks regardless and sometimes the most convenient location means the price is higher than one that is farther away, so I'll walk even a bit farther before coming into work). As I walk, I'm reminded of the ever present presence of these garbage birds year-round. However, and at least to my eyes they appear to be year-round. I see pigeons in winter with toes frozen off from the stinging cold. The seagulls maybe have the good sense to go some place warmer but at the first break of spring, you'll find the seagulls hovering over the garbage bins.
Us humans are consistent garbage producers, often throwing trash to the ground when a can is nearby. Cigarettes are a common site, around bus shelters and on sidewalks. I don't believe the garbage birds mind in the least if we throw out our trash. Where I live, streets close to the University with patios are popular hang-outs for students in summer. Here, you'll find pizza boxes littering the over-flowing garbage bins for pick-up day, and whatever piece of stale crust is lying around, by the end of the day it's been devoured with zeal by crows and seagulls. I have to laugh, even on holiday weekends like Easter, I've seen squirrels w/ egg cups clutched between their tiny paws, wallowing in chocolate and gooey cream. Yummers! The pickings must be good if you're one of these guys. Yet, where are the regular owls and hawks who feed on smaller birds and rodents? I shall tell you where. Owls hunt rodents at night and occasionally you'll come across a desiccated shell of a pigeon whose chest has been gutted out, having become a tasty treat for a hawk in the middle of the city. I still hear and see song birds, especially in Confederation Park, in which at any time I can spot Cardinals, Blue Jays, Red-winged Black birds, Robins and Morning Doves. These lovely birds are over run by seagulls and black birds but at least it proves one thing, that they too are still part of our delicate eco-system.
Survival requires you to begin each day with a single-minded purpose of accomplishing the most important task. For song and garbage birds, this means finding the day's meal. We humans are no different. We wake and know what's expected of us, even if we don't want to do it. We have to earn our living and be responsible and utilize forward thinking, to make something of our lives. Sure, maybe it's not as simple task-oriented as building a nest, to give birth, to feed the newborns and eat and occasionally phuck but this is essentially how we'll spend the rest of our lives as well.
And then there are the Canadian Geese, our surly, fast-breeding, large fowl that go away for the winter only to return in Spring to take over our waterways. I call them 'grass-cutters' bcus they can decimate a lawn in no time. When I cycle on the shared path, along the Ottawa River, there are periods when you'll encounter groups of 20 to 30 geese at a time. Be careful! These are attentive birds when it comes to their goslings. If you cycle in the middle of their group, as they are known to take naps on the shared path, they'll come after you, attack you from behind, and hiss at you. Maybe it doesn't sound like much to read that a Canadian geese might attack you from behind, but know they weigh close to 12 pounds. Try dropping a 5-pound free weight on your heard, and you'll understand what I mean. One woman had made the mistake of cycling thru a throng of geese, and she was attacked so savagely that she was thrown from her bike, concussed and ended up spending six months in hospital. Our reputation abroad is that Canadians are polite and nice, but not when it comes to our geese. They don't qualify as garbage birds but they sure do leave huge clumps of white and green poop wherever they congregate. Whereas our garbage birds of crows, starlings, pigeons and our fast-moving seagulls don't bother with our Canadian geese, and the reason is obvious.
I like clean streets. I like knowing too that discarded food won't go to waste. I wish I could report to you on how our urban communities are preserving more green areas but this isn't the case. Our city continues to sprawl outward, as more condos are being built. I only wish that we'd take a cue from Japan, as one example, and build our new condo towers with green rooftop gardens, to create and help to oxygenate our environment and maybe, just maybe these green areas would attract a greater variety of song birds.
I've one friend, whose name I shall protect by not repeating it here; his background is in chemistry and he's demonstrated to me many times that he has an avid appreciation and inclination toward biology and nature. He can name the songs of the birds if you were to spend time with him, to cycle into forested areas. I can't. But what I can do is familiarize myself with their songs by following Instagram accounts that showcase the songs of these birds. I find it oddly soothing to listen to their songs. I sure hope they don't disappear.
What a marvelously diverse world of birds. Maybe I've given you something to think about today, the next time you see a Seagull picking trash off the streets.
