Bees Denied Protest Permit

One bright sunny day last summer I looked out my window and there was a large bumble bee repeatedly flying into the glass. Clearly he was trying to get my attention for some reason. I moved to the window and tapped on it. He motioned for me to open it but, being leery of bee

Pit Bull Take on Montreal Election

With Montreal a mere two weeks from municipal elections and one of the stump speech topics being the pit bull ban – the incumbent mayor is responsible for the current breed specific ban while his main opponent vows to overturn the law if elected – I thought it was time for me to go straight

Montreal Pit Bulls Take Action Against Ban

This week Montreal’s controversial pit bull law goes into effect. By the weekend the long arm of the law will be extended to the canine world. When the law was first announced I took it upon myself to interview a pit bull. Now that we are about to see how the law works once put

Squawking Flock – Not Murder – of Crows Explained

For the last week or so my neighbours and I have been awakened just before sunrise by the sound of crows swooping about and cawing, landing in trees and squawking.  Yesterday I had the good fortune to be able to ask one of these crows a few questions when he dropped by my bird feeder.

Interview With a Montreal Pit Bull

Support for Montreal’s proposed ban on pit bulls has dropped significantly since it was first introduced. In the immediate aftermath of the deadly attack on a woman by a dog last June support was strong. Perhaps a bit of a knee-jerk reaction to the sad and tragic incident, without waiting to see how things panned

It is Called Chicken Wire for a Reason

Say what you will about pigeons, their determination is admirable. I thought the pigeons and the smaller birds who visit my feeder had reached an agreement. But I was wrong. For the better part of a year I did not see one single pigeon at my feeder while numerous sparrows, finches and chickadees enjoyed having

Trumped by a Pigeon

I put my bird feeder out early last spring. Since that time I have had countless visits from sparrows and finches. Small birds dropping by to pass the time of day and have a few seeds. Polite little fellows, if terribly nervous, who need only sense the smallest movement through the window to fly off

Carlos Cicada’s Stormy Night

My singing friend Carlos Cicada and his family have been staying on my street again this summer. The high heat and humidity that we have been enduring lately are welcomed by them; perfect for singing from their treetop lair. This summer I placed a bird feeder outside our dining room window that has been a

Disappearing Bees Explained

In honor of World Honey Bee Day, I am re-posting this from last year. I am learning so many things from the bug world this spring. First there was the eye-opener that earthworms live by a system of rules and regulations, with lawyer worms to keep them on the straight and narrow. Then I was

High Heat Warning, Visiting Cicadas and Bernie Sanders

Perhaps known more for our extreme cold, Montreal is currently in the grips of a heat wave. The warning below issued by Environment Canada gives you some indication. Remember those figures are in Celsius; Humidex values between 35° – 40° translates to 95°F and 104°F. I have heard a rumour that the heat and humidity