Feeding our feathered friends

by Karen You know how sometimes we parents force our own interests on our children, hoping that they’ll think that hockey or yoga or watching the Food Network instead of Treehouse is just the most awesome thing they’ve ever done?

Well, I did that….  and it has paid off in spades! (this time anyway….)

Let me back up a bit…. I love birds.  Not inside-the-house birds so much, but the out-in-the-wide-world kind of birds.  I love watching them and I love having them near the house.  My love of these feathered friends started when I lived on the Ottanabee River in Peterborough.  I had all kinds of interesting birds coming to my measly feeder.  I learned to use a bird guide to identify them and started to keep a journal of what I saw.  When we moved to Ottawa, I had dreams of birds flocking to my yard, telling their birdie friends about me and my awesome birdfeeders.

I decided to wait until we had kids to undertake my bird-attraction project.  My oldest daughter, Emily, has always shown an interest in the natural world and when, in JK, she asked to get a bird book from the library, I jumped at the chance to woo her to my world of bird feeding.

Putting up birdfeeders is a great project to do with kids.  Choosing the feeders, the seed, deciding where to hang or mount the feeders, putting them up and filling them are all projects that kids can get really involved in.  And when the birds start flocking to your yard?  Well, you are set for some great lessons and entertainment.  We stare out our back window daily and talk about what birds are there, if they are male or female, how other animals are reacting to them (read: curse the darn squirrels and cats).  Emily also loves to browse through our bird guide to try and identify birds.

We’ve learned a few lessons over the last few years of bird feeding through trial, but mostly error.   Follow these few rules and you and your kiddies should be well on the way to some happy feeding and watching:

1. Start small.  We started with a suet feeder (it looks like a very small cage).  You can get the feeder and the suet (in a variety of flavours!) at Bulk Barn.  They are inexpensive and attract chickadees and woodpeckers.  There is nothing better than living in Central Ottawa (we live in Greenboro – near Bank and Hunt Club) and watching a Downy Woodpecker hanging off your suet feeder.  In the middle of the city!  We also have a nyger seed feeder.  These are also fairly inexpensive (about $20 at Home Hardware) and attract finches, sparrows and chickadees.                             
2. Beware of squirrels.  Ah, the thorn in every bird feeder’s side.  When we bought our first suet feeder, the girls and I strung it up, literally with string.  Within an hour it was on the ground, the cage was open and the suet dragged off to the delight of some neighbourhood squirrels.  Lesson learned. We bought some small chain and a carabineer (both from Home Hardware) and re-hung it.  This time I tied the cage shut with some string. This was a good lesson in living with (and sometimes battling) nature.  We hung the nyger seed feeder with chain as well.  The holes are much too small for the squirrels so they don’t even try it but their weight would be enough to bring it down should they try.                         
3. Beware of neighbourhood cats.  I’m still figuring this one out.  The cats seem to think that I’m presenting them with a buffet in my backyard.  I feel like I’m potentially setting up the birds for a very untimely end.   The cats like to sit themselves right under our feeders.  I’m thinking a squirt bottle might be in order.  Right now, I just yell at them.  (Hey, I like me birds and I’m not adverse to pulling out my “mom voice” when necessary.)                                               
4. Try different styles of feeders when you want to attract new birds.  The girls really wanted to get some cardinals coming to the feeders (okay, so did I).  Neither the suet nor nyger-seed feeder could accommodate cardinals.  So last year for Christmas my dad gave us a totally awesome squirrel-proof birdfeeder by Heritage Farms.   (Lee Valley  is selling a different version that also looks great.)  This is the Cadillac of feeders. This year we put it in the lawn right outside our picture window.  The girls run to the window every morning to see if the cardinals are there.  An added benefit to this feeder is that the seed that is dropped on the ground keeps the squirrels happy enough to leave the feeders alone.                                         
5. Choose your seed.  I’ve found the best feed for the squirrel-proof feeder is sunflower seeds mixed with some wild bird seed.  This draws in the cardinals and the chickadees and also keeps my personal favourite, the juncos, very happy.  We get all our seed at Bulk Barn.
6. Get a bird guide and keep it handy.  This is a great way to really get the kids involved in bird identification, teach them to use a reference guide and also learn a lot more about the birds that we see in Ontario and Quebec.

And there you have it.  Those are our lessons in backyard bird feeding.  It has become one of our family’s favourite winter activities.  If you have even a postage stamp of a lawn (like we do), I recommend getting out there and helping our backyard friends through the tough Ottawa winters.  The birds will appreciate it and so will your kids.   And you’ll probably love it as much as they do.

Karen is mother to three great kids - Emily, Hope and newest addition Henry. In her increasingly rare spare time she blogs at Virtually There.

Trick-or-Treating with a Halloween posse

 by Brie I love Halloween. I loved dressing up as a kid and, after checking that my costume fit over my parka, wandering the dark streets with friends in search of candy. Now I love watching my own kids dress up and wander the dark streets with friends in search of candy.

The girl was only two months old her first Halloween. Still, I dressed her up in a little leopard outfit and touted her to the door every time kids yelled trick-or-treat! They might not have been very excited to see a baby leopard, but I was excited to show her off.

 For her second Halloween we invited some friends to come trick-or-treating and unintentionally started my new favorite holiday tradition: the Halloween posse. That year the girl ate pizza in her pig costume and then walked, okay was carried, the streets in our neighbourhood along with her little dressed-up friends.

When she was two the girl dressed up as a mouse and her brother wore the little leopard costume. We ate pizza and then the girl ran ahead with her dad while I carried the boy in a sling on the front of my chest. It was a full house of excited kids and parents that night, but the most memorable part for me was the fact that the boy had an unheard of two hour nap in the bassinet in the middle of the living room. Obvious the key to getting a baby to sleep is throwing a Halloween party!

When the girl was three she wore a Snow White costume handed down from my cousins and her brother was a pig. This night the girl and her friends managed their longest trek yet, hitting up houses on  both sides of the block. The boy was uncertain about what exactly to do, but he soon saw that his sister was getting candy if she went up to the door and so he followed her lead.

This year we will be hosting friends again. Some of the friends have joined us before, some will be new. We will have a potluck, take pictures of all the  kids sitting on the front steps and then wander the dark streets together looking for candy. Because while the candy and the costumes are all fun, the best part of Halloween is hanging with your posse.

What are your plans for Halloween? Will you be hanging with your Halloween posse?

Brie is the mom of a 4 year old daughter “the girl” and 2 old son “the boy”. You can read her blog at Capital Mom.

Spooks, Spirits, & Spectacles

by Kari I love Halloween, always have.  It's magical to me.  I love the crisp air, the crunch of the leaves, the colourful costumes, and excited chatter of wee ones.  Although I intend to win Kids In the Capital's Trick-or-Treat to a Wicked Beat giveaway, I've made my list of just-in-case other events ;-)

The Canadian Children's Museum in the Museum of Civilization is offering a host of Halloween themed activities over the weekend.  On Friday, the Theatre is putting on an interactive puppet show, The Pocket Witch .  On Saturday, they introduce an international flair with their Dia de los muertos, or Day of the Dead program.  Children and their families can take part in some of the rituals practiced on this holiday in Mexico.  While Sunday's storytime asks Where Do Witches Go? .  This special programming in included with regular price of admission, $30 per family.

If free admission is what you seek, the City of Ottawa can help!  Several Halloween-themed library programs can be found throughout the city on Saturday, some feature Halloween parades, while others include spooky stories, activities, and crafts.  Older children, and less spookable children, might enjoy the Main library's 'A World of Ghosts' program on Sunday...especially the creepy snacks.  These programs require pre-registration so pull out your library card and reserve your spot.  

On the other hand, if you don't mind open admission with line-ups for your mostly free entertainment, Trick or Treat with the Mayor returns to City Hall.  For a donation to the Baby Supply Cupboard of the Ottawa Foodbank, children will walk the spooky cemetery to enter the haunted house, eventually making their way to the Halloween Party.  I've been told from previous participants, that the 6-8 year-old age range will get the most out of this evening, but even the younger ones will enjoy it.  You might want to check out your local community centre for events too.  The Sandy Hill Community Centre is handing out treats and providing activities on the day from 6 - 8 pm.

Lastly, if you cannot make the Kids in the Capital Halloween Meetup at Boston Pizza, two local museums are hosting Halloween Themed events.  The Cumberland Heritage Museum is hosting a Vintage Halloween Party encouraging homemade Halloween costumes and providing Halloween crafts and games from the 1920's and 30's.  While Billings Bridge Estate is encouraging the city's youngest ghouls and goblins to enjoy some old-fashioned Halloween games, and learn their fortune using apples and candles.  Both these events take place on Sunday from 11 am to 4 pm and regular admission fees apply, $15-18 per family.

Happy Halloween!

Kari is the mom of two girls, a 4 year old and 10 month old.  She can be found frequenting free activities throughout the city in hopes it’ll tire them out enough to sleep through the night.

Going to the dogs

by Julie Our family's weekend morning routine is to go to our local dog park.  Any time of year, and in almost any type of weather.  It's a great way to meet some people in your neighborhood, get some exercise (if you walk there), and a real fun way to get some fresh air and let the kid(s) run around.  And yes, everyone knows the dogs names more than their people's names.

There are tonnes of great dog parks all through the city of Ottawa.  And the Ottawa Dog Blog has created an awesome dog park finder, which makes it all the easier.  While we love our local dog park, and have met some really great people (we even know their names!) we sometimes venture out to some of the larger dog parks for some adventure.  Two of our favorites are: Bruce Pit - Ottawa's most popular and largest dog park; and Conroy Pit.  Both are very large wooden areas which have dozens paths that weave through them.

While Chili (the dog) can roam freely, sniffing from tree to tree, the jellybean can also roam freely (sometimes sniffing trees - hey, he's three!).  The paths range from dense forest, to thick shrub, to large fields.  Everyone is very friendly and the dogs are well behaved.  We have yet to come upon a dog that is aggressive or misbehaved.  And considering the amount of dogs you see there on any given day, that's pretty impressive.  While the dogs are well behaved, there is the occasional knocking over of small children, or adult, by rambunctious dogs at play.

The parks are clean and most of the dog poop is picked up.  I say most for those that might not venture into the woods to find where Rover might have squatted, and the few people who don't stoop and scoop.  I say there are few of those people because more often than not people let the owner know, offer a bag if they happen to be out, and basically stare them down until they clean up after their dog.  Yes, that would be me.

Do you have to have a dog to visit dog parks?  Of course not.  It's actually a great place to visit if you have been toying with the idea of adding a new member to your family.  Especially if you have a little one who hasn't been around a lot of dogs.  While I wouldn't bring a child who is nervous to a large place like Bruce Pit on their first outing, your local dog park is a great place for first introductions.  And if you are seriously considering adding that extra member, dog parks are actually a great way to "shop" for a dog.  You will see every type of breed and mutt there is, and everyone is friendly and often very willing to discuss the pros and cons of their dogs.

So instead of quickly walking the pooch around the block before you head out to the hills to go for a great outdoor adventure with the kids, take the pooch with you and have an adventure together.

Julie (a.k.a. smothermother) is mom to 3 yr old Jellybean and married to the hubby.  You can read her blog at www.smothermother.blogspot.com.

McLaurin Bay

by Annie Last summer, the kids and I stopped briefly at the the playground at Parc Martin Larouche in Gatineau (rue Notre Dame at rue Joseph Roy). Julian was 5 and Emma was 2. We didn't stay for very long because it really was a "big kids" park and Emma wasn't able to climb up to go down the slides. We noticed that there was a nature trail starting at the playground, but there were too many mosquitoes to venture into the marshy woods at that time of year.

With all of the rain we've been getting lately, we were anxious to get out and enjoy the outdoors this weekend. Since Emma is a year older and the mosquito season is over, we thought it would be fun to check out this park and trail again. So we packed a picnic lunch and headed out.

When we arrived, the kids checked out the playground. There are large rock climbing walls that you have to scale to get to the top to access the big windy slides. There are also lots of things to hang from (like monkey bars) and balance on, making it a great park for kids to test their abilities. There are a few swings too (two baby swings, two regular swings), but the highlight really is the play structure.

Once the kids had played for a while, we decided to check out the trail. The trail is 1.6km one-way or 3.2km round trip. It starts from the playground and goes through the woods and across wetlands of McLaurin Bay (Baie McLaurin) before coming out at the Ottawa River. At the start of the trail, there is a sign indicating the number of different species of flora and fauna that can be found along the trail. There are hundreds of different species of birds, fish, amphibians, reptiles, mammals, insects and plants. As I read off the statistics to the kids, they became a little bit anxious that we might run into lots of scary animals along the trail.

The first part of the trail winds through the woods and the colours were brilliant. The next segment is a bridge across the marsh at the edge of McLaurin Bay. The bridge is a series of floating docks with railings held together by a cable, so the bridge moves up and down in the water as you step from one piece of the bridge onto the next. The next part of the trail goes by several lookouts. One of them is a deck overlooking an area populated by beavers (no lodges/dams to be seen today) and the other is a tower with a view of the whole bay. The final segment goes through the woods again and comes out between a few homes in a residential area by the Ottawa River.

I had briefly considered taking our picnic lunch with us on the trail and eating it when we got to the Ottawa River. I'm glad we didn't though, because the end of the trail at the Ottawa River is all private property except for the very narrow exit of the trail onto the river-side road (Boul. Hurtubise), so there isn't really anywhere to sit and have a picnic.

All along the trail there is signage indicating the types of birds, fish, trees, and other things that you can find in the nature reserve. The kids enjoyed looking at the pictures and also pointing out the things they spotted along the trail, including different types of squirrels, a dead mouse, a fuzzy caterpillar, interesting mushrooms growing in a tree and plenty of red "Canada" leaves.

Once we got back to the playground, we took out our picnic lunch and ate at one of the picnic tables right next to the play structure. The kids came and went from the table, taking a few bites and then heading off to go down the slide again, and then coming back for more.

The one downside, and perhaps the reason we didn't stay any longer, is that there are no washrooms at the park. So when nature called, we went on our way...

Annie is an Ottawa-area mom of 2 kids. She blogs about the art and science of parenting at the PhD in Parenting blog.

Sunday October 17th 10am- 3pm The Glebe Community Center 175 Third Ave @ Lyon St in The Glebe