Discovering the 'wilds' of Ottawa
Posted Jan 22, 2010 By Sheena Bolton
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Tweet ThisEMC Editorial With my raised hand outstretched in the air, I flinched as the small chickadee landed on my finger, wrapping its tiny talons around my ring finger.
I've never had a bird land on my hand before and I never would have guessed the first bird to land on my hand would be a 'wild' one.
This was my new experience for the fall season. The day started like any other. My friend Jen and I decided to take a walk on one of the many nature trails in the city, opting this time for Nepean's Jack Pine trail.
We were walking along, basking in the beautiful sunny fall day with the fallen leaves crunching under our feet, when we found a few chickadees near a sumac tree.
"Oh chickadees," called Jen and without thinking about it raises her hand with her palm facing up.
Even though Jen doesn't have food, a little chickadee swoops in and lands on her hand.
I stare at her in amazement.
"What? How did you do that?" I managed to choke out, still clearly shocked though Jen continues to stare at me blankly.
"How did you get the bird to land in your hand," I ask.
She explains that it's a common thing to happen in the 'wild' of Ottawa. As a young girl she would bring seeds for the chickadees on her walks along local trails, as many other people do in Ottawa, resulting in many birds not being afraid of people.
"You've never done that?" Jen asks me. "But you are from the country."
"Yes, I am," I reply. "But in the country the birds know better than to get close to you."
The urge to have one of the birds land on my hand increases and I excitedly ask Jen to do it again so I can see her "technique." She complies and another chickadee lands on her hand.
Now it's my turn, I find a tree with three chickadees in it and hold out my hand. One bird gets up enough nerve and flies to my hand, hovers over it for a second and lands on my ring finger.
I flinch slightly at the unexpected sharpness of the tiny talons, though also amazed with how I could feel each little talon holding my finger.
I watch the little bird as it eventually figures out that I don't have any food for it and flies back to the safety of the tree.
At that moment I was as happy as a little schoolgirl or so the saying goes.
After running back to the car to get my camera, I lift my hand again, but this time the birds have smartened and won't visit.
I take some sumac off the tree and pile it in my hand, to disguise it as food. Camera ready, I lift my hand and wait. The little bird flutters over and decided to chance it.
Landing in my hand I managed to snap one picture before he flew away.
I'm excited to return to the 'wilds' of Ottawa this winter for cross-country skiing and will definitely be bringing some seeds for my new friends the chickadees.
