The Ottawa Journal from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada • Page 43

') Saturday Section Saturday, February 12, 1966 The Ottawa Journal P' WW By JOHN BIRD House Sparrows (male and female) and Starlings (at right) are attracted. to feedings sta- become-the-attraction to hungry Sparrow Hawks, causing concern but no loss of life yet At several Ottawa Birdwstching is supposed -to be a placid, contemplative avocation. Just now, for your -columnist, at least, is providing one commotion after another. As If one Sparrow Hawk threatening the female Cardinal in the West End, as reported last week, were not enough; here's one to cap it Last" Sunday, the John de Bkti rang me in distress. Not one, but two Sparrow Hawks a female with red brown V.

wings, and -mate with blue- grey ones) took up their ob- servation posts on an. elm Toverlooklna the feeding sta- thm beside Cummings Bridge where the fine male Cardinal feeds regularly, early in the morning and just at sundown. All other birds. Including the horde of House Sparrows which frequent it. disappeared, naturally enough.

Explanation of the coincidence is not hard to find. At the Mark feeding station on Denison Crecent and the de Blois feeders, great clouds of House Sparrows and Starlings have been attracted by abundance of feed put out-Including the seed which attracts the Cardinals. Most winters there are a number of Sparrow Hawks in town, little "Kestrels" which feed on grasshoppers and mice in summer, and on small birds (if they can't get mice) at this season. From a Sparrow Hawk't point of view, by attracting all those House Sparrows, the kindly operators are as good as running a feeding station for Sparrow Hawks. So far touch wood all Is well with the Cardinals, which are wary birds.

The de Blois and Marks families have been discouraging the Hawks with various noisy devices. Naturally they are anxious about the Cardinals with which they are now "em' otionslty involved." as Jargon has It. Now comes a third observation of a fine, far Northern Gyrflacon In Ottawa this winter a grey phase bird seen the Intersection of the Green- bank and Fallowfield Roads last Sunday. I liked her son Dan's exclamation; "It was co beautiful. I just couldn't believe It" TheBruntons also saw a (Three toed) Woodpecker on the Cedarview Road.

The regularity with which these Biackbacks and their rarer cousins, the Lad-derbacks, have been seen lately may be due to Dutch elm disease. They are most frequently found feeding on dead elm umfcsjtripping HSz.M.'iiif bark to get at grubs. servers, this Is the great year Bruntons also report many for plnfl Grosbeaks, right In- lomroon Keopous on uran- bank Road, Plenty of action, too, on the Great Grey Owl front. Last Sunday, Albert Pre-vost, watchman at the 1 1 dump off Ridge Road, told me he had seen a large owl on a post near the bridge just south of the dump. I checked around noon, but did not find at.

At 3.J0 p.m. Douglas G. Keddy had a splendid 15 mtf ute observation of 11 at the edge of the. woods nearthe "It was quite undisturbed," he said, "amf turm. ed its great baneful, yellow eyes dn me." He checked all the points whiskers, black chin spot.

etc. and pro-RO'jftctd C't? 'or sure. Just how many Great Grey Owls are around Ottawa is to For. certain, there are the first one recorded at Carleton Place; the second at Riverv i w-Schoo; a third in the general Aylmer area, Then, a week ago Friday, a Great Grey took up its stance on Woodcrest Road, A 1 1 a Arthur LaRochelle tells me that a photographer was busy taking pictures of the Riverview bird at the same tinMrwhen this owl was seen Dv oeorga Mcoees on By Sunday, this AK VisU bird had "ippwi. irnim same as the one at the Ridge Road dump? Norman Irvine, nue.

believes he saw one near Dalkeith south of Vank-leek Hill. Now comes a letter (late in reaching me) from C. J. Whitelaw. VanVleek Hill, who used to report In to this column when he was teaching -school in.

Ottawa. Having failed to find the Carleton Place Owl, on JJan. 29. he ran Into one right beside the highway Ashton and Stittsville. a good IS miles away from the one be had been looking for, and presumably a different bird.

Whitelaw also reports a Hawk Owl about two miles east of on Highway 17. Furthermore, he has had three observations of Snowy uwi in vanweek Hill. Kay Welch and Arthur LaRochelle again saw a Snowy at the intersection of Pine and Limebank Roads last week, and two near Fallow-field the week before. Earl Godfrey turned op a Lapland Lengspur among Snow Bunting last weekend. He also found two 'Robins, near Champlian Bridge.

Godfrey's most exciting find was not In the bird world. He ran Into the tracks of a Lynx, south of Kemptville, last Sunday. Magnificent This reminds me to urge readers to get Olaus Murie's "Field Guide to the Animal Birds." It makes a wonder. ful book for the whole fam ily, as children are always fascinated by animal tracks in the snow, dropping In the woods and marks left -on -trees. Monty Brigham whistled op two Gray Jays at the South Hull dump on Pink Road last weekend.

For afficionados, this may be the big winter for Great rwi. p.f.i. IKje the city. My mail and phone calls are full of praise for the "raspberry colored males (as witness a call from David Demorah, age Mrs. Q.

(Dorothy) Howard remarks how tame, or how little' nervous they are. That is one. of their problems. It makes them easy marks for hostile urchins. PS Jame Brown, MP 'Brantford, reports "lots of 1 Horned Larks" in hi constituency last weekend.

How-' ever number of these winter around Brantford. Mary Osborne Is quite right Starlings' 'bills are turning yellow for spring. And loud cawing by crows reported in Sandy Hill, but not migratory; they've been 1 there throughout winter.j Ottawa Divers Probe It' difficult to imagine a killed and hardy scuba diver feeling out of place because he lacked working knowledge of typing, bookkeeping and perhaps But for the 28 members of the Underwater Society of Ottawa, knowledge of such occupations has become almost essential. Dedicated to recovering, restoring and preserving arti-facts of historic value found in sunken ships In the Ottawa end St- -Lawrence the Underwater j- ciety ha set aside the sport- -J f. I.I divinrto.y consider even reward, founded In February, 1963, the Maritime Museum 218 Cumberland Street, which open officially Monday, 21.

In three years the group has gathered more than 1,000 artifacts. 400 of whichare on display at the museum, actually cleverly "rendvat toD floor in one of Ottawa's oldest buildings. The other 600 items are in storage until they cart be researched, cleaned and labelled. In addition, the Society expects to add 500 new items each year. ONE OF THE MORE important findings is.

the hull of the "Lady Colbome," aaid to be the first ship built on Lake Deschenes. Constructed in 1832, she burned and tank -13 years later and etill lies in the shallows of Britannia Bay. Carved from the trtmjc of an oak tree, the hull of the "Lady Colborne" is one of theJarger items on display at the museum. Underwater' Society PreaU. dent Andre Lamirande who spent two years researching the history of wrecks around the Ottawa area-says the greatest hazard to the group is the constant possibility that rotted ships might collapse while someone is inside.

none of us has been seriously hurt to date. have been cases whet someone has bumped his head against a paddle-wheel or something, but nothing worse." He blamed the" dark, muddy water in which the divers must search for such painful mishaps. Eels are a nuisance too, he added with a smile, finding, the ite of old wrecks an ideal spot to take root They bury most of their bodies in mud and' leave their heads sticking out "You think you've gotten hold of a stick or something and suddenly it begins to squirm in your hand," Mr. Lamirande added. FORTY-NINE of the 61 wrecks already found by the Underwater Society have been identified.

"Identification can be a real problem when more than one ship has sunk in about the same location," explained Mr. Lamirande, who founded the Underwater Society along with James Miller, Richard Desjardins and five others. "Sometimes a ship wee looking for has been perhaps 20 or 30 -years bef ore-lt. occasionally happens that in the interval another ship sank in the same general area." The group concentrates on paddle-wheeler and schooners that went down between 1809 and 1921. Other types are found, however, such as the man-o-war discovered in Shanks Harbor in the United States.

Burned by the British during the war of 1812, her ribs had been sticking out of the sand. THE FIRST STEPS in finding a junken. ahip, said" is a visit to. the Public Archives where the name, size, weight and other details are recorded, together with the approximate location of sinking. It is at this stage that some talent in typing, bookkeeping and research becomes a real asset The Underwater Society keeps several thick, but orderly volumes containing statistics, reports, diagrams, photographs and other pertinent information.

While diving 1s naturally the most exciting and interesting aspect, all diver are required to submit detailed reports on findings and hare the research work. Armed Vith information from the Archives, member scour the country for as far as 200 mHes In search of old-timer who might have further knowledge of sinkings; they also check old newspapers and periodicals. "Usually we can pinpoint jf -it In In Si i A iA. Ancient-Wrecks Yield Rich Store New 'Wheelhouse Museum' Story by Jerry Walker the location of a sunken ship -within an area of one square mile," Mr. Lamirande said.

ACTUAL DIVLNC opera, tionj usually take place every I JUIIUajf IIUIU UU1M tjons sre'chosen each week ii iir1 uck'cd proved so effective that at-me. ig of the Ontario Under rwater Council. which -rep-r resents 76 clubs, it was stated the- Underwater So- ritu nf miiwi had mrrrm. plished as much underwater research as all other clubs combined. Standard scuba equipment wntcn cost nouui uuv ($300 if youre in Jt Just f.

ly accessories). 1 I cnrklrAl urt- suit weighted belt air tank. air regulator, compass, rope, safety vest knife, etc Total weight is about 50 pounds. While season runs through the summer months, 43 dives were made last winter. Equipped with a "wet-suit" a diver can stay In 33 degree water about 30 7 Water infiltrates the suit skin and rub- ber and is warmed by hody a kind of thermos.

"NOThlNG IS EVER cut or torn from a wreck until we first make an accurate sketch of the plained Mr. Lamirande. once sui- iienr nas oeen identified, It is carefully cleaned with chemicals or a wire brush. When rust and -corrosion' are removed it Is-coated with a plastic-like substance which can later be dissolved to permit fur- fhT ffYaminaf inn Artifacts are wired to peg-boards in the museum and brief sketches of their history are taped beneath. On -display are chains.

8 wm, isf iiii- aWMa. mm 'l iH a4y.aTMTawa1a All findings are carefully cleaned and preserved, such as this bird-patterned crock receiving attention from club president Andre Lamirande. In background are artifacts retrieved from wrecks in the Ottawa Kiver. i Jtmm ii mUa.4 a. a sa valves, gauges wedges, axe heads, hinges, propellers, steering wheels, and more 1 items, such as china, bottles, and even a pressure toilet made in 1859.

At the end of each diving season a list of findings is sent to the proper Since the Wheelhouse Maritime Museum is. fully recognized, it has: been' allowed to retain findings. NOW IM UPADTH nf lror uarjer4fj16 --Under water Sod "ope ner future to form a Board of Advisors comprising profes- sional historians and archae- ologists, many of whom have Bown interest in me museum. "Our greatest handicap is lack of outside financial a is a "said Mr. Lamirande.

"Most of our members are In the average salary level and it's getting more and more difficult to finance operations." Honorary President JohnX. tooU wilfe theimtseum. Fleming. Visitor can view the museum Sunday afternoons from I to 5 p.m., and on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. tit A pulley from the schooner "Marion," which capsized in 1869, is examined by divers Jim Charlebois (left) and Gill Glrouard.

Items in background were recovered from ships in the St "m-ihi i i i.Jh...yAi....;ir.)M-. o'4S4m wmmaB Working out details of a forthcoming diving session are, left to right: Gill Glrouard, Andre Lamirande, Jim Charlebois and Maurice Eigouln, who does most of the wood finishing. In July the entire group wiii go to Lake Ontario hoping to retrieve from a man-o-war a bronze cannon dating back to 1758. Murky Depths 111111 THINKING On These Things Burnett Traffic Study (1) The-'Ottawa-Hult Study is a massive document of around 300 pages, each one the size of a large place-mat First commissioned by the City of Ottawa in January, 1963. the report was completed last August and is now under study by all concerned.

The pr jnary purpose behind this report is to look forward and estimate the transportation needs of the Ottawa area 20 years hence in 1986. To achieve the greatest accuracy possible, an impressive group ofN people, called the "technical co-ordinating committee," joined wlth the firm of consulting engineers charged with preparing the report Members of the committee included the Director of Planning and Works for the Manager of the Ottawa Transportation Commission, the City Traffic Director, the Chief of Police, the General Manager of the National Capital Commission, as well as representatives of the County of Carleton and the two Railway Companies. With such experience and knowledge behind it, this report cannot be taken lightly or discarded idly. WHAT MAKES IT A MATTER OF GREAT URGENCY that the report be studied wisely and implemented is the phenomenal growth of our Ottawa is the fourth fastest growing city in Canada. Estimates the future offer no easing of this expansion.

For example, when this present study was begun in. 1963, the population of Greater Ottawa was 496,800. By .1986 it will have almost doubled to 851,000. Again in 1963 what we call five o'clock rush-hour traffic" saw an average of 169.000 lnp taking place between 4 and 6 p.m. By 1986 this will nave imbed to 363,300 trips.

A tnira statistic unaeriines 1963 there were nearly City of Ottawa, the the urgency of tne problem. 133,000 registered automobiles General in our Twenty years hence the figure will be almost three times a great an estimated 340,000 cars. Clearly out present system of "highways and street will be quite incapable of handling such an increase. Treble the number of cars on our present roads, and traffic would grind to a dead halt Something therefore must be done and done quickly, both to smooth the passage of our present-day citizen and. to guarantee that tomorrow's drivers will nt be driven to distraction on impassable roads.

THE BASIC PROPOSALS, as outlined in great detail and with ample plans, are threefold. First system of freeways (six in all) would allow traffic to move swiftly across the city, both north and south, east' and west ''The Queensway, once complete, would be an example of this; primary type of highway. Second, there would be arterial roads, providing access to and from freeways, and out Into the length-and. breadth of the city. Third, extensive parking areas would have to be provided, both within the city and on Its periphery.

As the population grows, more and more commuters will have to be encouraged to leave their cars on the fringe of the city and finish their Journey to work using public transportation. THE MOST REVOLUTIONARY RECOMMENDATION made by the report is for the construction of a "downtown distributor." This would run from Bronson to King Edward Avenue and lie between Laurier Avenue and Gloucester Street It would be a great artery punched through. tbe.heartTM. tbe3 city, with the lowest level underground, possibly in a tunnel. Along It traffic, including buses, would pass at high speed.

Then, by means of ramps, connection could be made with the town street system and long-term parking' garages. With careful planning, new buildings could be erected over the "distributor" and the city be saved what, otherwise could prove to be a serious loss of revenue. The bus system, using the "distributor," would be a rapid transit system which, in tum, would connect with buses, to local areas. Considerable replanning of present city streets would also hsvs to be undertaken. Already we have almost reached a saturation point In the development of one-way street.

Radical alterations, the reform-would, be required to provide adequate channels for traffic 'moving to and from the freeway system. r- THE LAST TWO POINTS DEALT WITH In this report concern the stages by which the overall plan could be implemented, and the estimated cost' of it Four stages are suggested, the first to be completed by 1971, followed by' three five-year periods ending -with 1986. The cost at today's figure is a grand total of 435 million dollars. By its completion in 1986 It could very wall cost another 100 million dollars. 7 Havtag here outlined the salient points In this Ottawa-Hull Area Transportation Study, comment on It most be reserved until next week's column..