Family Day Birding Brings A Whirlwind Of Emotions

 

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This male Redhead presented amazing views from the platform at Greenway Park.

Unexpectedly, I ended up with the Family Day long weekend off work. Having just returned a few days prior from my winter getaway, I intended to work the three days to make up the lost hours. While my wallet will undoubtedly feel the pain, I can’t say I was overly disappointed as having just spent several days in nature I was still feeling the benefits and my desire to immerse myself in nature again was quite strong. 

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Over the Family Day long weekend, cardinals began singing their signature song.

I wavered quite a bit about where to go and had several locations in mind. I was leaning heavily toward Greenway Park as I have not been there much lately and this is my favourite park in the city for birding. After receiving a heads-up from a Facebook follower of a male Redhead present near the platform overlooking the river my mind was made up. 

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Cedar Waxwing reaching for a buckthorn berry.

On Saturday morning I made my way to the park shortly after first light. With the sun rising just over the trees I made the short walk from the parking lot to the platform overlooking the Thames River. Sure enough, just like I was told through Facebook, the male Redhead was swimming among all the Mallards only a few feet from shore. The morning sun illuminated the duck’s colourful plumage perfectly as I fired off several images.   

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Interestingly, a flock of robins was found in the same patch of buckthorn as this time last year.

Here’s where things started to get emotional. I was excited to have such close views of this beautiful duck and very appreciative of the woman who notified me through Facebook of the bird’s location. A sense of sadness came over me as the Redhead is my dad’s favourite duck and I wished he was there with me to experience it. I considered taking my dad with me but as he ages, he really feels the cold and this morning was rather chilly with a strong wind. Knowing Dad doesn’t do cold and windy anymore, sadly I made the decision not to bring him along. Dad and I have done a lot of birding, canoeing, and fishing on the Thames River over the years so lots of incredible memories came up on this day. 

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Whether on foot or in the canoe, Molly joined me on most of my birding outings. In this picture, she was fixated on a cow moose and its young calf.

Also heavily impacting my emotions was the fact it was Family Day weekend last year after enjoying the day outdoors with Molly I noticed a large lump on her front leg. The lump was diagnosed as osteosarcoma and she was given 6 to 8 weeks to live.  Like the trooper she was, Molly stayed with me another 10 weeks before the difficult but necessary decision was made to have her euthanized.  

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Molly was my best friend and companion so naturally, she got special treatment. When spending time by the campfire this included her own tent, therapeutic dog bed, sherpa blanket, and nightlight.

For those of you not aware, Molly was my dog, best friend, and number one birding companion. In fact, for most of the images I’ve shared, Molly’s leash was attached to my Cotton Carrier and she was right by my side. 

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This photo was taken on Molly’s final visit to Greenway Park.

I can’t tell you the number of days Molly and I spent at Greenway Park birding over the 12 years she was in my life. Greenway Park is where I got started in nature photography after a trip to the dog park with Molly when she was quite young revealed so many birds present highlighted by a Bald Eagle flyover. From that day on I spent as much of my free time as possible with Molly enjoying the great outdoors while practicing photography.

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Before Molly I hated winter. Her love of snow taught me how much fun winter is and now I love winter. After spring migration winter is my favourite season for birding.

Molly was my biggest motivator for getting outside with my camera. On days when I didn’t feel like going out, I couldn’t say no to her beautiful brown eyes so off we would go to Greenway. We had some amazing times there over the years and observed over 100 bird species in this park only a few blocks from downtown. Not too bad in a city with a population of over 400,000. I’ve found it challenging to motivate myself to get out over the last year without Molly and this is the reason I’ve been MIA from blogging over this time.   

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This male Downy Woodpecker presented a unique view. It’s not often they perch horizontally. 

After enjoying the sighting of the Redhead, I followed the path upstream and was treated to more great sightings. My favourite bird, the Red-bellied Woodpecker was seen high up in a willow tree and I managed to capture an image of a Downy Woodpecker as it paused briefly on an eye-level limb. This was one of several Downy Woodpeckers aggressively chasing each other presumably defending their territory

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Robins were observed drinking and bathing in the Thames River.

As I came to a patch of buckthorn, I could hear the soft calls of robins and high-pitched whistles of Cedar Waxwings. Scanning the trees, a mixed flock of these birds was feeding on the berries. Looking down at the river, more robins were seen drinking the water that was magnificently reflecting the blue sky. Despite barely passing art class in high school and only taking it as it was a required credit, I did learn orange and blue are complementary colours and love how robins look against a blue sky or water. I guess this answers the age-old question so often asked in school “when am I ever going to use this again”?

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I’ve always been fortunate to have Carolina Wrens in my backyard. These birds are very fond of peanut halves and peanut suet offered at my feeders.

Torn between staying at my favorite park and heading back home, I opted for the latter. The appeal of heading home was greatly influenced by some new feeders and seed I received from Urban Nature Store. I recently became a brand ambassador for Urban Nature Store and am excited to share my experiences with and promote their high-quality birding-related products and seed, some of which is made right here in Ontario! 

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White-breasted Nuthatch.

Still bundled up from my park outing, I carried my camera to the backyard. Under beautiful sunshine, the feeders and surrounding trees were filled with birds. I enjoyed the show put on by my feathered friends and captured several images. The warm sunshine felt great and I ended up spending the remainder of the day in the yard which no doubt helped me deal with my mixed emotions. John Denver nailed it when he sang sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy

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This picture of Molly and me was taken on our final walk. The lifejacket was so I could take the weight off her front leg if necessary. Whenever I crouched down to her level for a picture, she always saw it as an opportunity for a public display of affection.

Despite Family Day weekend bringing a whirlwind of emotions, one thing is certain, surrounding myself in nature made everything better. Enjoying the birds while reflecting on both amazing and sad memories set everything at ease. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, nature is the best medicine. 

Good birding,
Paul  

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24 thoughts on “Family Day Birding Brings A Whirlwind Of Emotions

    1. That was a tearful read I’m so sorry to hear your friend Molly is no longer by your side. You spoke of her a lot and I felt I knew her. I know there are some who say grieving a pet is silly but they are family. Looking at your photos she had the best life possible.

    2. Thanks Deb. I know what you mean as some don’t understand the grief from losing a pet. I was closer to Molly and had more of a bond with her than I have ever had with any person.

  1. Love reading this. Molly would be happy you are out and about again. You will know when you are ready for another companion…. there are so many pups needing a companion like you!!

  2. Thanks for sharing your story Paul, and sincerest condolences on the loss of your longtime birding companion, Molly. I too, have found nature the best medicine in difficult times. We are so fortunate to have so many great green areas here. Thanks for celebrating and sharing your passion with us.
    Lois (Roedding) Mansfield

  3. Thank you for going down memory lane and resharring pictures of Molly in her elements. I have missed your blog and pictures over the year. It was part of my morning ritual with my coffee. However you needed this time for you and I’m happy for you that you did what you needed to do. All the best
    Marg Morrison

  4. Again nice bird pix, Paul.
    It’s a pity that Canada is so far from here.
    Greetings,
    Gerrit&Jeannette
    The Hague ( Holland )

  5. Lucky Molly to have been so loved and cared for. How tenderly we “hold” our pups in our hearts. Grateful for their steadfast loyalty. Sending blessings to your dad. May he know how much he is loved to warm him. If only I could get up at sunrise to do the great birding you do! Beautiful blog.

  6. A TALENTED CAMERA GUY AND HOPEFULLY A NEW PUPPY OR AS SOME SAY YOUR NEW BEST FRIEND AND GET OUT THERE WHERE YOU BELONG, AVE A GOODIN..

    1. Thanks Barry! I’m sure a new puppy is in my future. I just have to figure out some more permanent accommodations and see where I end up. Maybe this fall.

  7. Wonderful blog and tribute to Molly and your dad. Both nature and journaling are great for the soul. Glad you’re getting back into the groove. Molly would be proud.

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