Ottawa in Bloom

This spring has been unseasonably warm in the nation's capital.  On March 20th, the first day of spring, it was 25 degrees Celsius here in Ottawa.  Average monthly temperature for March? Minus 2.5 degrees.  On this glorious summery day, I celebrated by dusting off my bike and taking a tour around my favourite bike paths.  This, naturally, lead me to Dow's Lake, where I decided to check on the progress of the tulips that are the star of the Canadian Tulip Festival.  Sure enough the tulips were getting an early start.

Tulip shoots stretch out towards the sun on the first day of spring 

One month later, on a similarly beautiful day, I again visited the tulips.  There's still two weeks until the start of the festival, but the tulips are well on their way.  Some of the beds of early bloomers are 80% in bloom, while other beds are bursting with buds, waiting for their moment to shine.  I'm sure by the opening weekend, they'll be in full swing.  If you're planning on visiting this year, plan to go sooner rather than later.  As you can see, there are already many beautiful blooms to appreciate.  I find the best way to enjoy the festival, for those who live in the area, is to visit more than once throughout the month so that you catch the early, mid, and late blooming varieties. Here are a few of the early risers:

This bed of soft flamingo pink tulips were in full bloom.

The unique shape and tangerine colour of these tulips made them my favourite of the day

A sea of buttery yellow double daffodils, punctuated by fiery red tulips, overlook Dow's Lake

Tulips and daffodils aren't the only flowers strutting their stuff in April.  The Arboretum is located on the western shore of Dow's lake, and displays a wide variety of trees and shrubs.  It's essentially a tree museum.  It includes a collection of Kobushi (Magnolia kobus) and Star Magnolias (Magnolia stellata), which are native to Japan, but ornamental varieties are grown in North America and Europe.  The flowers bloom before the trees leaf out, making them one of the earliest flowering trees in the area.  Their elegant, creamy, white and pink blooms have a delicate, sweet fragrance that attract humans and insects alike.

The petals of these magnolia blossoms are so thick and creamy, they look like they have been molded out of fondant 

One of the visitors enjoying these blossoms is also enjoying just about every corner of the city.  The mild spring has brought a record high number of migrating Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) butterflies to the area. Here is a situation where global warming has been beneficial - warmer temperatures mean a successful breeding season, and lower mortality rates during their migration[1].  The result is a city awash in fluttering red and brown wings, and plenty of photo ops for nature enthusiasts like me.

A Red Admiral indulging in the sweetness of the  magnolia blossoms

Urban ducks

I grew up in the Ottawa Valley, a mere half hour to our nation's capital, and yet, I don't think I really explored the city much until quite recently.  It has a surprisingly large amount of green space, and the bike trails that connect them all are pretty awesome.

Last week I went for a 22km bike ride through the city, using almost exclusively the multi-use pathways.  I started in Vanier, following the Rideau River south to Lees avenue, where I crossed the river and found my way to the Rideau Canal.  I toured the canal to Dow's Lake and looped through the Arboretum before returning to Vanier.  After my tour, I felt like I knew the city better, like all that time spent travelling around it in a car only skimmed the surface.  I encountered many people biking, jogging, and walking.  It felt so good to be outside in the sunshine and appreciating the urban wildlife. 

Mallard couple and Wood duck couple on a double date

Along my travels I spotted lots of ducks, particularly along the Rideau River.  Mallards (Anas platyrhynchosi), Wood ducks (Aix sponsa), and even a merganser were seen cruising through the city.

Female merganser - Hooded I think?

I think this was a female Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus), and I really really hope I'm right, because if there are female hooded mergansers around, the males can't be far behind, and in my opinion, male hooded mergansers are the silliest looking creatures we have here in Canada.  You be the judge. Go on, I dare you to show me a more absurd Canadian animal!

Lady Wood Duck

Male Wood Duck - he knows he's good looking

The wood ducks were pretty cool to see since I haven't seen them very often before.  I guess I was looking in all the wrong places, since there were several pairs along the Rideau River last week. Wood ducks nest in tree hollows or man-made nest boxes.  You may remember this scene from Planet Earth when the Mandarin Ducklings (the European relative of the Wood Duck) take their leap of faith from their nest way up in the trees.  Habitat loss (including loss of suitable trees for nesting) and over-harvesting drove this once abundant species to near extinction in the early 20th century.  Protection by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (1918) and the construction of man-made nest boxes allowed wood duck populations to rebound and they are no longer a species at risk.