November 14, 2016 :
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| Lake Superior waves at Montreal River November 10, 2016 |
We’ve all got at least
one friend. Be it your best, a book or even a bird, each one gladdens the
heart. Good thing too. This has been a tricky week. But then November is the
trickster’s month.
This November is a far
goose cry from that of just two years ago. In November of that year, 2014, we
already had LOTS of snow. And it didn’t leave till late May! But for me that
was ok. I am a fan of the white stuff. Fresh soft snow, reflecting its shine
back up to the stars, is a peaceful thing indeed.
The same can be said
for the past few weeks of golden goodness. Hikes along soft needled forest
trails have such special magic. Chickadees chirp and Canada Geese share their
high lonesome calls. The last of the yellowed moose maple leaves dangle from
thin black branches and seem to float in the clear light air. The smell of the damp
earth, the aging leaves and orange tips of cedar energize each step. Wind plays
through the trees, catching and tossing light into cracks that remain hidden
other times of the year. All the while Lake Superior is rumbling and rolling
along the shore. No doubt it still will be a while before or IF the lake
assumes a winter coat.
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| Early morning November gold on Montreal Island |
A change to a winter coat
isn’t just the work of lakes and rabbits and weasels. Some birds adopt winter
plumage too. The other day we spotted a distant line of white and grey heads
bobbing in north blown waves. I wondered why seagulls would want to sit facing
that cold blast of wind. But then I saw them all dive beneath the water.
Ahha—not gulls! Winter plumage loons!
To honour our
friendship with birds, the Royal Canadian Geographical Society has been asking
Canadians for their choice of a national bird. After hundreds of submissions they
are down to five candidates - Canada Goose, Snowy Owl (Quebec’s bird), Common
Loon (Ontario’s bird), Chickadee (New Brunswick’s bird) and the Grey (the
website, for some odd reason uses Gray, the American spelling) Jay. The result will
be announced at a RCGS gala dinner in Ottawa on November 16.
You can just imagine
the arguing, the to and froing , as to which bird shall be chosen as The One. The chatter has been
incredible. David Bird (no kidding), Emeritus Professor of Wildlife Biology at
McGill University, speaks for (one of my favs) the Grey Jay AKA the Whiskey
Jack (from the Cree Wiskedjak).
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| A Whiskey Jack looking for a handout at Montreal River On, Nov 14, 2014. |
On the website
nationalbird.canadiangeographic.ca, Bird lists many reasons for choosing this
70g, 33cm long, feathered pal with a wingspan of up to 45 cm. Plus, they stay in Canada all year-round, cannot be
confused with any other species and are extremely smart and friendly. I’m with
Bird. Who couldn’t like this cute, friendly bird that resembles an oversized,
fluffy chickadee? Plus, they’re really intelligent and creative. They are the
Roberta Bondars of the bird world.
Grey Jays are AKA as “camp
robbers”, flying away with bits of your food if given the chance. But people don’t
mind; they love this resilient, faithful survivor.
Check out this story
from Joel Coutu in Montreal Quebec.
During the 1930s
Depression his grandfather used to spend nine months of the year away from
family, working in the lumber camps in Northeastern Quebec, in the Lac Saint
Jean area. One day his grandfather cut down a tree that had a Whiskey Jack nest.
One of the young birds survived the fall and his grandfather brought it back to
the camp, fed it, took care of it and the two became BFF.The bird followed the
grandfather everywhere and even played fetch! For the next three years, every
fall when the grandfather returned to the camp, the jay would be there and fly
onto his shoulder. The jay wouldn’t do this for any other worker in the camp!
Other folks have
experienced how Whiskey Jacks like to hang out at the same locale year after
year. Former Montreal River resident George Bartley likes to tell the story of
snowmobiling to an area about 8 km south of the former “village” at Mile 92 on
the ACR to Pike Creek, which stays open all winter. Bartley explained that he always
took along extra cheese sandwiches for the large group of Whiskey Jacks who
reside there.
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| Raven cruising over Alpha Tor |
Indeed we do have a
kinship with birds. They were the first singers. They have given us dreams, wonder,
imagination and hope. And yes we do have them as friends. But best of all, we get
to reminisce about their benefits.
Update November 17, 2016
Last night, November 16, 2016, the Canadian Geographic Society awarded the prize to the Whiskey Jack. It became Canada's National Bird. Congrats friend! Thanks for being there.
Now we are ready for winter.