Gaggles of goslings

Between the Minto Bridges and our house (not very far) I counted as many as 27 goslings on the river bank. I may have missed one or two because they were well camouflaged and were huddling together in families. It rained all night and for most of today so the grass was very wet and they seemed to be enjoying its taste:

Canada Geese are primarily herbivores, although they sometimes eat small insects and fish. Their diet includes green vegetation and grains. The Canada Goose eats a variety of grasses when on land. It feeds by grasping a blade of grass with the bill, then tearing it with a jerk of the head. The Canada Goose also eats grains such as wheat, beans, rice, and corn when they are available. In the water, it feeds from silt at the bottom of the body of water. It also feeds on aquatic plants, such as seaweeds. In urban areas, they are also known to pick food out of garbage bins.

(Wikipedia)

Bordeleau Park

Nancy dropped a copy of Echo, The Lowertown Community Newspaper into our mailbox yesterday, which I've been reading. I noticed this mention of the river:

Many residents of the 'Wedge'––the enclave bordered by King Edward, St. Patrick and the Rideau River–– were saddened last year to see the City approve a developer's plans to tear down houses from Lowertown's early days to make way for a [...] nine-storey condominium. [...] Following resident opposition the project was scaled down to five storeys. In response to residents' concerns about the project's impact on local heritage, the City has promised to conduct a heritage study of Lowertown with a view to the possible expansion of the current Lowertown heritage district. As a first step, the City invited students in Carleton University's Canadian Studies program to work with the community to produce a heritage study of the Wedge.[...]

The students [...] looked at the geography of the Wedge, where the river bank that once ran along Rose Street was modified to where it is now, some hundred metres away.

I hadn't known that.

Today in glorious Spring sunshine I saw and heard (!) eight African drummers make good use of that modified area, now known as Bordeleau Park, practising their skills on the playing field. They were impressively energetic in the way they set about it and they mesmerised passers-by, some of whom had decided to sit down on the grass in front of them to listen. I sat on a bench and then on the rocks by the river.

Next Saturday (May 12th) Bordeleau Park is to be the meeting place for a clean-up of litter from the Rideau River shoreline, from the park to the Minto bridges. Our city councillor and staff will be there, apparently with the support of the City of Ottawa and the Causeway Work Centre:

Rain or shine ... This is a good opportunity for the Wedge to join forces with other groups of the Rideau River annual clean-up. Wear boots or sensible shoes, heavy work gloves ... Refreshments will be served.

Baby trees, baby geese

I've been cycling several times across the Minto Bridges this week (which could do with some repairs) and have noticed that New Edinburgh has a large number of saplings recently planted in its park, some of them already flowering. In future years, the pathway through blossoming Amelanchier branches is going to make a very pretty approach to the river from Stanley Avenue.

A Bike Rodeo is planned for tomorrow where children aged 4-10 can meet at the New Edinburgh Fieldhouse to decorate their bikes and learn to ride safely. At the end of the afternoon there'll be a bike parade! Fifteen years ago, the citizens of New Edinburgh waged a Parks not Pavement protest to protect their green space from developers and in the morning tomorrow a commemorative walk is going to take place to celebrate the legacy of the city planning advocate Jane Jacobs.

On my ride across the Minto Bridges just now, I passed the first brood of goslings that I've seen this year. They were being guarded by both parents, on Maple Island.