A pair of squatters was recently seen in downtown Dunvegan, news that may bring joy to the hearts of local birders. The offenders, a mating pair of Merlin falcons has taken up residence in one of the tall spruce trees in Monica Ahrens’ back yard. Rose-Marie Chretien from MacGregor Gardens identified the falcons. She and Tammy MacGregor had dropped by Monica’s to look at a possible project. And it didn’t take Rose-Marie (who has a degree in wildlife conservation and an encyclopedic knowledge of birds) long to pin a label on the raptors in the sky over Monica’s place.
When I went searching for more information on this bird, one of the interesting facts I learned was that Merlins don’t build their own nests; they take over the abandoned nests of other raptors or crows. The article I found the most helpful also explained that the hawk’s name comes from esmerillon, the old French name for the species. As well, they used to be called “pigeon hawks”… not on account of their dietary preference, but because they look somewhat pigeon-like when they fly.
Nevertheless, a Merlin’s diet does consist mainly of smaller songbirds, catching them in midair during high-speed attacks. Other prey on their grocery list includes: dragonflies, bats, nestling birds and small mammals. During nesting season, there also appears to be a strong sense of cooperation in the mating pair. On a number of occasions, Monica has observed the female fly up from the nest to accept food from the male in mid-flight.
Merlins are strong and maneuverable fliers, capable of maintaining speeds of 50 kilometers per hour, and even faster when swooping to grab a tasty tidbit. They are also very territorial during the breeding season, as Monica’s cat would attest, if it could find its tongue. Monica’s Merlins are forever dive-bombing her poor pet to chase it away.
One article I read claims that “Merlins are monogamous during a breeding season, but 80 percent find new mates from year to year.” As I doubt the falcons can fill out even a short-form census, it might be interesting to learn how they arrived at this figure.
To close with a smattering of history, noblewomen in Medieval Europe —including Catherine the Great and Mary Queen of Scots—used Merlins to hunt Skylarks for sport. In fact, falconers from that time period called them “lady hawks.”
“Fibre Friday” at the Museum
Over the past few years, a tradition has evolved whereby Friday during the summer months is “Fibre Day.” The Twistle Guild of Glengarry and other local fibre artists congregate on the porch of the Orange Lodge and in the Williams Pavilion to ply their favourite craft.
I’m pleased to see that this has now morphed into an event that’s open to the public with weekly demonstrations of spinning, weaving, rug hooking, knitting and everything in-between. Every Friday in July and August, from 10 AM to 2 PM, visitors will have the opportunity to witness (and even participate) in the early pioneer arts of transforming raw wool into cloth, rugs and other household necessities.
The Glengarry Pioneer Museum holds a large collection of spinning and weaving artifacts that are on display throughout the summer. In addition to the weekly “Fibre Fridays,” these heritage crafts will come to life at several events throughout the Museum season.
For example, at the Glengarry Celtic Fair this coming Sunday, July 19th, the Twistle Guild of Glengarry will demonstrate ‘waulking the cloth’, a centuries-old Gaelic tradition of fulling homemade cloth for household use. As a type of working bee, participants work the cloth to the beat of their Gaelic songs.
For more information on the Glengarry Celtic Fair and other Museum events, go to www.GlengarryPioneerMuseum.ca. For those who have never visited, the Museum is located in Dunvegan on County Road 24 (Dunvegan Road) at the crossroads with County Road 30 (Greenfield Road). The Museum is open during July and August from 10 AM to 5 PM every day, except Monday.
Friday’s Also Euchre Day
Once month, Friday is also “Euchre Luncheon” day in Dunvegan. So this coming Friday, July 17th, why not spend the morning at the Museum’s fibre fest… and then wander down the road to the DRA Hall for a delicious lunch of homemade sandwiches and sweets, followed by an afternoon of low-impact euchre? Admission for is only $5.00 and a 50/50 draw is also part of the fun. Held in the DRA Hall at 19053 County Road 24, the luncheon starts at 12:00 noon and wraps up around 3:30 PM. Every one is welcome.
Planning Pays Off
Last week’s 2nd annual “Summer Social” at the Kenyon Presbyterian Church was a great success. When I asked James Prevost if he could provide me with some statistical information about the event, he replied that well over 200 people came to watch over 60 local performers of all ages strut their stuff. “I am not the best estimator of crowds,” replied James, “but I would say we definitely had more in attendance than last year.”
Once again, the inflated Bouncy Castle was a huge hit with the younger crowd. Even David Anderson admitted to me that if he thought he could get away with it he would have loved to try it out. I’m sorry I didn’t have my camera with me because one of the best shots of the evening was of the dozens of tiny sandals and shoes abandoned willy-nilly outside the Castle’s entrance.
Thanks to good planning, the event was not rained out. When the storm clouds finally delivered on their promise, the audience was able to gather under the protection of the tent and enjoy the final performances.
James wanted me to acknowledge Ashley MacLeod’s vision and leadership and thank the Church’s core volunteers who worked so hard to, once again, put on a memorable show. He also wanted me to say a special thanks to their Master of Ceremonies, Paul Villeneuve, and audio expert, Paddy Kelly.
It would appear that the Dunvegan Summer Social is now an annual event… and a welcome addition to the July calendars of many folks around. James says that photos of the event (taken by official photographer, Evan McIntosh) will soon on the Church web site —www.kenyondunvegan.ca.
Plato Meets Dollarama
Although I retain little of Philosophy 101 from my university days, one tiny fragment of Plato’s work has stuck with me — Platonic Realism, his theory of Forms or Ideas. Plato hypothesized that the material world as we perceive it is not the real world, but only a shadow, a poor copy of the real world.
As I stood in line to return a garden hose to an Alexandria merchant, I wondered if anecdotal evidence for Plato’s theory could be found in today’s marketplace, where almost every product is made in China. Think of it as Sino-Realism, if you will.
The length of hose I was returning, while not inexpensive, had kinked in multiple places the very first time Terry went to use it. It looked like a hose. It felt like a hose. But all resemblance to the hoses I remember from my youth ended there. Back in those days, hoses were designed and manufactured (right here in North America) to perform a function: reliably transport water from one place to another.
This is no longer the case. Be it a garden hose… or so many of the other consumer items on the shelves of local retailers… the only two requirements are: a low price point and that the product resembles the “form” of the object we hold in our mind. That the doohickey or thingamajig breaks after using it for a short period of time is of no consequence. With our addiction to low prices (at the expense of value), we’ve climbed aboard the Sino-Realism roller coaster. A place where objects pass quickly from our mind’s eye… through our wallets and purses… straight to the landfill or yard sale tables.
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