Category Archives: Ice

Retaining Wall Update March 16.

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Work continues unabated at the site and the size and scope of the job is becoming apparent. More and more blocks are piling up in the staging area and the components for a temporary bridge that will straddle the river have arrived. The bridge will be placed across the river and support the crane that will build the retaining wall. Each block is labelled with its weight which is vital knowledge for the crane operator. The bridge will be re-positioned along the banks as required.

The project was originally scheduled for completion for the end of March but clearly there is still a massive task ahead.

Interestingly, the second photo was taken on February 29th and in the top right of the image can be seen the very small amount of ice pushed ashore during the thaw. This is the smallest amount of ice I have seen in years and quickly melted.

Blocks are piling up awaiting placement.

Blocks are piled up awaiting placement.

 

Each block is labelled with its weight.

Each block is labelled with its weight. Notice the small amount of ice freshly deposited as a result of the thaw.

 

The bridge.

Girders that will be used to make a bridge to straddle the river.

 

The bridge and blocks in the background.

The bridge girders and limestone blocks in the background.

 

The bridge platform.

What looks like the beginnings of an abutment on which the bridge will rest.

River ice restrained this year.

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During most recent winters, there has been a battle between heat and cold, freeze and thaw. One of the features of a Raymore Park winter thaw is the flooding of the wild area across from the parking lot. An increased river flow usually caused by rain, raises river levels and cracks the ice cover. The ice then progressively forms a moving dam and flood which moves gently downstream. In a couple of decades of observing the before and after, I have never seen the process in motion. This January, after the recent thaw, the ice stalled before the river widens above the weir and no doubt will produce some spectacular flooding and subsequent erosion when the next strong rain event occurs.

Ice littering the banks of the Humber, January 2014.

Ice littering the banks of the Humber, January 2014.

Considering the cold weather prior to the thaw, the ice is surprisingly thin. The approaching ‘PolarVortex II’ will no doubt consolidate the present ice dam.

Ice Storm threatens trees

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The view from the safety of a neighbour's back yard.

The view from the safety of a neighbour’s back yard.

While we’ve rounded the corner in terms of daylight hours, a severe ice storm has dumped a thick layer of ice on the park. Many trees are leaning and severely stressed with the extra burden. To complicate matters, moderate winds are forecast and there seems to be no possibility of a thaw in the next few days. Sorry about the lack of photos but the park is an ice sheet.

In the meantime, best wishes to all for the upcoming Christmas and New Year celebrations.

Great Blue Heron sticks around.

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This Great Blue Heron surely only has a few more days left in Canada as the weather gets progressively colder. The Humber is frozen in calmer spots which must make for poor fishing yet this bird didn’t want to leave the lagoon. This is the latest I have seen a Heron on the Humber.

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Slim pickings.

Winter storm

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Day lilies are shocked I tell you.

Day lilies are shocked I tell you.

The park was cold and snowy today and a fresh covering made it look like January except for bright green new growth sticking out through the snow. These day lilies are probably remnants of gardens that belonged to homes destroyed during Hurricane Hazel.

A pair of Mallards swimming around a temporary pond were taking refuge from high water in the river. I was careful to stay well clear so that they weren’t disturbed.

Ice is forming in April!!

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Bitter cold; shy ducks are named.

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The sun is almost at 45° in the sky at noon and yet the cold persists. I discovered this phenomenon along the banks of the Humber where some branches dangling in the (receding yet rough) water have picked up ice in the same way that candlemakers make candles.

There's got to be a name for these - dingicles?

There’s got to be a name for these – dingicles?

Beautiful specimens on the old bridge abutment.

Beautiful specimens on the old bridge abutment.

 

I managed to get my closest yet to the mystery ducks and have finally recognized them thanks to Professor Google.

Common Mergansers.

Two males and a female (not so) Common Mergansers.

They are Common Mergansers – a name that I don’t remember hearing before – but that could be me.

These shy ducks don't like humans.

These shy ducks didn’t like my presence and moved upriver.

Nesting in tree cavities, Common Mergansers, found all over North America dive to feed on fish and other aquatic animals. They make a nice change from the usual Mallard ducks who are considerably tamer.

A Powerful Force

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Flood waters are peaking and the Humber is sending billions of litres along with much flotsam and jetsam to Lake Ontario. Today’s photographs don’t do the event justice so here is a short movie together with some views of the raging torrent.

Let’s start with some wildlife – these ducks (in the centre of the image) are conserving energy by resting in a quiet eddy away from the maelstrom.

Ducks find refuge in calm waters.

Ducks find refuge in calm waters.

The amount of lumber going downriver is quite remarkable.

Huge amounts of lumber are being transported - a log is just about to go over the weir.

Huge amounts of lumber are being transported – a log is just about to go over the weir.

Standing close to the weir is quite the sensory experience with the thundering of the water (now much closer to bystanders) punctuated by the thumping of logs and ice blocks.

It's a very intense experience to stand close to the water.

It’s a very intense experience to stand close to the water.

Chunks of ice are carried over the weir.

The twin carbuncles bear witness as chunks of ice and other debris are carried over the weir.

In a few days, water levels will be back to normal but for now, the power of nature is a reminder of how puny we are.

A movie shoot and a coyote

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Lots of fancy equipment here!

Lots of fancy equipment here!

Students from York University are occupying one of the baseball diamonds today for a movie shoot. They seem a little cavalier with their garbage. Hopefully they will perform a site clean-up.

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A coyote calmly making its way through the park today. I was quite a distance away and had to squeeze as much magnification as possible from this shot.

Lastly, what a difference a day makes. Suddenly the river has lost much of its ice. The ducks are happy.

Thursday 28th February

Thursday 28th February

Friday 1st March.

Friday 1st March.

Impressions

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Snow is a wonderful medium for creating impressions through the tracks of animals or humans or the melting that happens around objects as the sun shines on them.

Goose tracks beside part of a tree branch.

Goose tracks beside part of a tree branch.

A recently fallen oak leaf 'burns' its way into the snow.

A recently fallen oak leaf ‘burns’ its way into the snow.

At this time of year the sun is much stronger and anything that falls onto the snow reflects less of the sun’s infra-red radiation and so will melt the snow underneath it while the surrounding snow stays frozen.

A human has walked on tire tracks.

A human has walked in slushy tire tracks.

 

 

Bring on the Zamboni!

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A steely-grey cloud deck, fast moving clouds being pushed along by a raw east wind can only mean one thing; snow is coming. This time we’re getting off lightly with just a couple of centimetres while temperatures will rise above the zero mark for the next few days.

Above the weir, a large natural ice surface has magically appeared that (with some smoothing from a handy Zamboni or some strategic flooding) could be a fantastic outdoor rink. These two photographs were taken from the same spot.

Looking upriver towards Weston.

Looking upriver towards Weston.

Looking downriver over the weir.

Looking downriver over the weir.

Since the icy conditions have taken over and glazed the pathways, very few people are using the park as the entrance (closed to traffic for the winter) from Raymore Drive is on a steep slope. Only the die-hards with footwear designed for ice are braving these treacherous conditions. Even the extreme weather cyclists have admitted defeat. Not a square centimetre of spandex in sight!

I must admit it’s nice to have the place to yourself and no doubt wildlife prefers it too.