I spent the weekend in Ottawa for Dad’s funeral.
He taught my brothers and me how to ride a bike, as is traditional; how to play Dungeons & Dragons, which is a bit less traditional (module B2 – Keep on the Borderlands FTW!); and gave us, among other things, some of his great talent for languages. He was intensely curious about the world, and he knew at least a little bit on almost any topic.
And he loved to share that knowledge, which could sometimes get annoying. For better or for worse, I got that from him too. I’m no university professor like he was, but I do love to learn and explain things. I’m sure I’m never annoying in the least.
Turns out, he knew about birds too. He was never a birder as far as I know, but we did have a couple of Big Books of Birds in the house. The one time I went back to Ottawa in the fall after catching the bird bug we briefly debated if one of my photos (taken that same day was a female Yellow-rumped Warbler (my diagnosis, or rather Merlin’s) vs Cape May Warbler (his tentative opinion).
(For what it’s worth, I still think it’s a yellow-rump.)
I have complicated feelings about Ottawa. I l left for the West Coast because I wanted to make a fresh start far away, and part of me always felt twitchy when going back and confronting the memories of who I used to be. Though, with distance and time, I eventually learned to better appreciate both the treasures I’d left behind and the baggage I brought with me, and how they’re both part of my journey.
Those treasures now include Ottawa’s unique mix of birds and other wildlife, of course. Through all the losses and the weird feelings, birds help me get out of my own head just by being there, as they’ve done for all these 6+ years since the pandemic started, offering both tranquility and connection. I’m grateful for that. And grateful to still have my brothers, mom, and extended family.
Rideau River Pathway
This lovely bit of park on the east side of the river north of the highway, within easy walking distance of our hotel, sported a huge variety of birds plus some nice views of Rideau River. I could have easily spent hours there, clicking away.
Mud Lake
My first time visiting the place when I’m not freezing my tits off! The scenery is lovely, there are scads of birds including at least a million Yellow Warblers. I really wish I’d seen Blue Jays to complete the primary colour trifecta, but what can you do?
On the bright side it looks like the turkeys hang out there year round, so that’s another comforting rock in my topsy-turvy world.
The photos
