The geese are gathering

Flock of geese on the Rideau (photo taken this time last year)

It seems that the geese have begun to prepare for migration again, gathering in large flocks near the Ottawa River now, and practising their formation flying skills in family groups.

Bird strikes are a hazard for pilots at this time of year. There were many geese at Rockcliffe airport today and while Chris was flying today he heard Air Traffic Control reporting signals from skeins of geese on their radar equipment. I spotted a long line of geese flying above the airport myself, pointing this out to some people from Germany, for whom it's a novel sight.

One of the ways in which the birds navigate, it seems, is to follow the course of rivers.

The weather is still warm so we were wondering how the geese know that winter is coming closer. We assume it is the shorter days and longer nights that make them feel restless to get going. The tree tops are changing colour now as well. Do geese have colour vision?

Seniors and turtle eggs

In my other blog I made a link to The Rockcliffe, a recently opened retirement residence on the Rideau. Out of curiosity I browsed around their website when I'd found it and came across this description of the grounds, on their "news" page:

The Rockcliffe's most interesting creature neighbours were the very large turtles which crawled up the riverbank to lay eggs in our gardens. We decided to protect the nests as best we could from marauders. The immense Linden trees in the patio garden came into full leaf making lovely shady spaces where we could sit and listen to the birds. The outdoor bar was opened and we were able to enjoy dining on the patio.

This retirement residence is situated on Porter Island.

I see from the Library and Archives Canada website that Porter Island used to be home to the Good Shepherd Convent, also a fairly tall building for its day.

Ottawa to Kingston

Flying above Ottawa, as I have mentioned before, it's clear to see how the city's three rivers determine the layout of its infrastructure. In my photo below, the Gatineau River valley can just be discerned in the distance.

Ottawa, looking north from above the Rideau River 

We are thinking of hiking the length of the Rideau River one day, a 305km trek which could take a couple of weeks at least, especially if we had a load of provisions and clothes on our backs. There is a Rideau Trail Association too that organises group walking along the trail in stages.

(My brother-in-law Phil, by the way, a keen hiker in the UK, has just published a mischievous blogpost about people who walk in groups, illustrated by one of his own drawings.)

It would be nice to sleep in comfortable beds while we're foot-slogging to Kingston and there is a choice of possible lodgings on the way, although for some of the wilder stretches they may be distributed rather far apart.

Anyway, no end of possibilities. We could cycle the length of the Rideau too, if we wished, or could rent a boat. I've heard of people who have covered the distance by canoe. Following the Cataraqui Trail, it's also possible to cycle from Ottawa to Kingston. The Cataraqui River at the southern end of the journey flows into the St. Lawrence at Kingston.

The romance of boats

Docks on the Ottawa River at the Rockcliffe Yacht club

I had this in my drafts folder, the photo taken on August 27th. I can't remember now what I was going to write about it so shall publish it without any comment other than the blogpost title.