Peterborough Collegiate and Vocational School - Echoes Yearbook (Peterborough, Ontario Canada)

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Q8 Ghz 'Echoes 'life in a ftlferonry SECOND PRIZE EHY few hirrls i11 Canasla have the social instinct more highly tlevelop- etl tllilll the Great Blue Heron. I might have said the herons in general. but the Great Blue is one of the connnonest of its species i11 Eastern Caiiamla. and what I have to say coin-er11s the home life of tl1is l1ir1l. It is more comnionly lil10XYl1 as the ncll'tl11L'.u hut this is a inisnonicr as tl1c cranes arc another tlistinct group of 11 atling hirmls. The hirwl-lovers of IIL'tQl'lJUI'Ollgll are very t'o1'tul1z1tc i11 ll2lYlll2' two heronries only 11 short 4llbt2lllf'4' from tl1e city. where they Illlty elo any ainount of 0liSCl'YtltlU11. l.ike most heron colonies. these two are situatcil i11 swannpy woo1ls. One is liflllllll on the right sitle ol' the river. near where it empties into Rice Lake. Rlllll anyone wl1o has hecn tlown the river hy hoat will realize that the llerons eouhl not have pickeil ll more lll1lt't't'SSllDl4f spot in this elistrict. The other. lxoweycr. as well as being nearer the city. is IllllL'l1 more easily lllJpl'U2lt'llt'tl. The woomls i11 which it is situ11te4l may easily lv- rcacliecl hy car. Follow Smith street cast. itlltl 11 cpiarter- mile lljl the W':11's:1w roail will hc founfl il coiicession roaml going iiorth to Nassau. Turn lt-ft Illl tl1is roa1l an-l a short :lis- tance along it. on the right si1le. is a 1h-nse. swanlpy wooels. Ilere. it is easy to locate the colony itself. .VX hcron nesting'-colony is not an ex- tremely easy or l!ll'2tSilllt place to visit. .Ks I have alreaely 1nentio11e1l. it is often situateml i11 swampy woo1ls. anfl if it is of :1 co11si1le1'ahlc size. it may he pcrnleatetl hy a tlistinctly unpleaszint o1lo111'. which is i11 itself Clltbtlgll to tlrive away any casual ohserver. llowever. no such mlit- ticulties will he cncountcrecl i11 this heronry lN'll'tll-l'2lSt of the city. It is of small size coinparecl with those of the southern swamps. lacing inafle Ill! of Ollly ahout twenty-tive ncsts. whereas the larg- er one may contain over 11 hun1h'efl. .Xt tl1e slightest noise on the part of thc :1pproacl1in,fr olwservcr. the l1ero11s hecome agitated antl llttQl' their fjlltttlffll squawks repeatedly. stancling 011 the edges of their nests, and heating their wings furiously. As soon as the intruder comes in sight, they Hap awkwardly off, keeping up a ceaseless uproar. The nest. itself is a very large platform of sticks and twigs. apparently thrown together i11 rufle disorder. hut in reality fixctl firmly to tl1e tree. so that they with- stanml tl1e worst storms ancl the severest winters. They are placed in large trees at heights varying from twelve to sixty feet. The two or three i11 number, are ll, greenish colour. ancl. due to their size can harclly he confusefl with any others in this district. Social life in a heronry has its ups and rlowns. just as all social life seelns to have. These herons appear to he of a very Cllli1l'l'ClS0lllC nature. Neyer five minutes pass witl1o11t so111e family squabble. Sometimes two cl11tcl1es of eggs will be founel on 0119 nesting platform. and it may easily he seen that many a family outhreak may be caused by this close fellowship. The Great Blue Heron is one of o11r most heantiful ancl stately birds, either i11 Hight or while stantling rigid on the shore of some ponml or stream. In its slow. majestic flight it offers a most inviting target for the wouhl-he l111nter. Due en- tirely to tl1is cause, its numhcrs have heen satlly aleplcteml lllll'lllg the last few years. The Heron is a vcry useful hircl. and al- though not i11 tlanger of extinction for some time. it should he carefully guarded hy anyone who has it i11 his power to do so, JOHN D. Hoor-1:12. Form IIIA Acad. + 4 + Color FIRST PRIZE Grey light of early clawn, The p11rple hush of night. Dew IiiillTlOllllS on tl1e lawn, Golcl morning light. Blue of the sky above, The good brown earth below, IVings of a snow-white dove, Red sunset glow. RI.-XRION O. Baowx, Form IIIA.

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Ebe 'Echoes Q7 Gbe 'Tllace Tl 'ilove :Best T is a little secluded spot in Muskoka district far away from the noise of the city. and a quiet peacefulness seems to hover there. .X tiny cottage stands on the spot and from it all the attractions of the place can be seen. Ill the background is a hush where stately pines tower high above the other t1'ees. Here and there among the maples and oaks are a few brightly coloured leaves of crimson and gold like the plum- age of some beautiful bird. The bush seems to hold some mysterious sway over one who has never explored its intricate paths. On one side stretches a small field of waving golden grain ready for harvest. Beside it is another field of pink and crimson clover with a few clumps of daisies. These fields in themselves make a very pretty picture and one can imagine tl16ll1 the scene of many a midnight frolie of the fairies. Perhaps it was they who did the delicate tinting of the clover and even the grain. In front of the cottage is the lake which is sometimes a shiny. silvery sur- face with a few bright-coloured canoes gliding leisurely or swiftly over the water according to the whims of their occupants At other times it is a mass of angry tumbling in white foam. The rain pours down and waves dashing high and then meets the white-caps, obscuring our vision of the opposite shore. There is something fearful about a storm on the water. and yet it is an awe-inspiring sight. On the other side of the lake is a tall cliff with silver birehes standing out against the background of the other trees. The shore of the lake is beautifully curved and has many calm little bays. One of the reasons that I love the spot is. perhaps. because I have seen some of the beautiful sunsets over the water. On one occasion the sun sank slowly to rest leaving behind it first a path of gold. re- flected in the water, and then blended into various delicate hues. leaving us speechless and motionless. But the beauty of the sunsets is rivalled by the beauty of the moon. One evening a bright light seemed to ilhnnine the whole countryside. Gazing skyward we saw the moon unusually large and radiant. Instead of its usual pale silvery glow it cast a path of brilliant light on the tranquil water. VVhat could be lovelier than a paddle across the lake in the path of the moon? Little yellow beams of light like so many tiny threads seemed to be leading up to the moon. Une could imagine them as little ladders on which the fairies could ascend to their homes or descend from them to do their mysterious works on earth. The little rustic cottage which is our home for a few short months becomes a part of us and it is there we enjoy the peace and beauty of one of God's masterpieces. JEAN FL!-JTT, IVB Acad. f -ht, al.. .l-

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ner 2 ' Y' . fx 1 -4 if , ' , '2.' 1. Z 'I' A .fp ax if tl Z fj . R f ' ,, 'iiif-5-f' 951' 1 . x Ash , 4 . -, vi 5, img mb. .. :I A., Q, .W N - t 6 f Y ,, Q' 1 H Q o HJ .. . .. . , Inzfi-.i.-?Z'7 z 3 : r.,.' .i .' It -H qt .. is at HERONRY NEAR PETERBOROUGII REMEMBER THE BIRDS Remember the birds when their food's hard to find - In winter these words keep fresh in your mind. Don't grudge them their share-on us each depends: Let us treasure with c-are our wee feathered friends. Remember the birds -I shall quote it again.. Let it sink deep in memory, there to remain. In hard. zero weather, don't fail in your part, Remember the birds with 11 generous heart. PIELEN DEL,xH.fxYE. HI Com. , V : tiff: 1 Q flf il', V , ' .2iJ Qw. ii 2 ' 2' M-4 -,155-Q-K:-,Q ng. --V. I 5 'ii 'RS' E'a5f 1 if Y ' 'A . Ms E .fig 5 .f I - '-- 1.-' f gf-. ,,f at 4 -f, ci v ,f Mx ,Q e Ng ,5