This is perhaps a somewhat lengthier PhotoStory than others. Some might say it more a diary of observations (than other PhotoStories have been). It was 4.5 hours covering the 4km from the Chaudiere Falls to Lemieux Island (and then back to the O-Train station at Bayview).
Perhaps not having a trip to Florida this year for the birds et al, I was starved for birds in flight and I found myself getting carried away with ring-billed gulls.
Arriving at the Falls I was somewhat surprised to find a pair of mallards. There is very little still water in the immediate area suitable for ducks.
The current ring dam at Chaudiere Falls was built in 1908 replacing a series of dams that had been built beginning in the 1830's. The previous dams were built to facilitate the lumber industry. All had/have an electrical power generation component.
The peak of the first spring runoff was a few days to come, but the water surging through the ring dam's gates was intense. The falls viewing area, built a number of years ago, is not well known, nor easily found.
The above time exposure was not the only one. I got carried away......
Then I threw in some intentional camera movement while time exposing for good luck
After I was finished playing with the water I let it carry on past Parliament Hill and on to Montreal flooding the shorelines as it flowed.
The gulls were very active (and noisy) around the Falls, although I didn't see any feeding. They were flying around from side to side, in circles etc.
There was activity on the roofline of one buildings.
There was nest building on the roof with various materials being brought in.
Some flew low over the water, some flew high.
I couldn't see what one gull was squawking at, maybe he just got up on the wrong side of the bed.
One lone Canada goose was down at the water's edge. He just stood there staring, maybe admiring the view. A few pigeons were hanging about as well.
The area around the Falls is under intense urbanization, with office space and condos being squeezed in.
A side channel is much calmer. Four large hydropulper tanks are hiding behind one building. Not sure of their history, they are apparently used in pulping paper.
Who knew that there are some 60 on-street ebike charging stations around the city. One is at the Falls
The walk to Lemieux Island provided a view of the backside top of the dam
The beavers never finished their job a few years ago with one large tree. Another tree was "ringed" by the beavers during the past winter. As the snow levels went up, so were the beavers able to access more fresh bark
I spotted a somewhat damaged plaque at ground level about a pine tree that had been planted 18 years ago. Normally the plaques are right in front of the tree, but there wasn't a tree there. Off to the side was a nice looking pine of the appropriate vintage. (and some what further along was a pine that seems to have suffered a premature death)
Graffiti artists had been working on several underpasses
There was a much nice mural on the Quebec side back at the Falls...
A few birds were along the pathway: A camouflaged song sparrow, a red-winged blackbird and a few scattered canada geese paddling about the shoreline
As I was slowing making my way up the roadway on Lemieux Island I was mobbed by a group from a hiking club. I was peppered with questions as to what I was doing, would I like to join the group etc etc.
A few minutes later I found a secluded place to photograph and do some video. Unfortunately the group found the spot where I was and their voices made some of the videos unusable. In one video, you will hear a few feint voices at one point.
There are some carefully preserved remains of the 1899 Hintonburg pumping station and an old pump from the present station.
There are a few islands that the birds enjoy by Lemieux Island. The first is a relatively small rocky island. There was constant action on, and in the air around, the small island.
There was enough activity and near misses that I thought an air traffic controller might be called for.
A rapid-fire photos of a gull taking off from the water. It almost runs on the water in spots to get airborne. You can click on one photo and then run through them if interested.
One gull allowed me to get a nice shot of it coming in for landing on a rocky shoreline.
A larger island out in the main channel is home to a large number of gulls and a few cormorants nesting in the trees.
The excrement from the cormorants kills the trees and any other vegetation on the island.
Another island with lots of trees hosts many nesting cormorants and at least one egret (enlargement of photo on right)
The cormorants were busy coming and going to their fishing spots and a few were bobbing around in the water
While I was sitting there two crows were having a disagreement
Heading off the island the density of the housing around Tunney's Pasture was very evident. The domes of the Russian Orthodox church, Protection of the Holy Virgin Memorial Church, were above the trees.
The William Commanda bridge, a former railway bridge now a recreational pathway between Gatineau and Ottawa, was becoming busy with cyclists and walkers.
I passed two homeless encampments while on the walk, including this one behind the Bayview O-Train station
Sculpture at the Bayview station, one of many along the western portion of the O-Train
