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9| W aterloo C hronicle | T hursday,S eptem ber 6,2018 w aterloochronicle.ca The rose-breasted gros- beak is one of the most en- trancingly beautiful birds I've ever seen and heard. I was overjoyed to spot one for the first time at my backyard feeder in recent weeks. "Rose-breasted gros- beaks are very appealing birds, striking and bold," said expert birder David Gascoigne of Waterloo, when I showed him some photos I captured of what I thought to be a young male. "I think that anyone unmoved to minor ecstasy upon seeing them is per- haps lacking a pulse." Gascoigne said the bird in my photo was likely a young male evolving into adult plumage, or possi- bly an adult male assum- ing full breeding attire af- ter a winter sojourn in South America, where its plumage is muted. I told Gascoigne how intrigued I was by the rose-breasted grosbeak's relatively massive beak. "My understanding is that the term grosbeak originated with the French 'gros bec,' mean- ing large beak," he said. "The bill is powerful, capa- ble of cracking nuts and, as any bird bander will tell you, leaves bruises and draws blood if it is able to latch onto your flesh." In the weeks ahead, Gascoigne will be giving several local presenta- tions and speaks on a vari- ety of topics like the birds of Waterloo Region, mi- gration, raptors, water birds, aerial insectivores, and the mating strategies of birds. His presentations are given to a wide range of audiences including natu- ralist clubs, business groups, Probus clubs, re- tirement homes, schools, church groups, service clubs and the Kitchener Public Library series "Na- ture in the City." Inspired by bird enthu- siasts like Gascoigne, who writes the blog travels- withbirds.blogspot.ca, I find birding is an excel- lent way to connect with nature and enjoy the great outdoors. And while my back- yard feeders attract a wide variety of birds through- out the year - mourning doves, chickadees, finch- es, sparrows, red-winged blackbirds, grackles, woodpeckers, humming- birds, blue jays and cardi- nals - it is the rose-breast- ed grosbeak that captured my heart this summer with its jaunty, cheerful song. "In literature it is often referred to as a robin with operatic training, or a rob- in in a particularly good mood," said Gascoigne. "Some other birds are more colourful, some have equally impressive beaks, some build better nests and some have more jaw- dropping migrations. But I am reminded of some- thing I once read about the Italian actress Sophia Lo- ren, where it was stated that her nose was too big, her measurements not ideal, her build not slen- der enough, and so on, but when you put it all togeth- er she was beautiful be- yond compare. Perhaps this is the hold the rose- breasted grosbeak has on me." I feel the same way about this unique, capti- vating bird. People can often take for granted the beauty of wildlife that share our ur- ban environments. It's amazing what you can see when you take a moment to look out the window. Marshall Ward is a freelance writer and artist. Email is welcome at mar- shall_ward@hotmail.com. BIRDING IS AN EXCELLENT WAY TO CONNECT WITH NATURE OPINION PEOPLE CAN OFTEN TAKE FOR GRANTED THE BEAUTY OF WILDLIFE THAT SHARE OUR URBAN ENVIRONMENTS, WRITES MARSHALL WARD MARSHALL WARD Column Marshall Ward spotted this rose-breasted grosbeak in his backyard recently. While many birds visit his backyard feeders, this particular type of bird has captured his heart this summer. Marshall Ward/Photo "Hold the Line" returns for the second time on Fri- day, Sept. 7 and Saturday, Sept. 8. There's nothing else quite like this "cycling and music festival" on the local cultural calendar. The cen- tral theme is celebrating Waterloo Region's "Coun- tryside Line." This is the boundary set to protect our rural areas from urban sprawl that has been a cen- tral element in the region's official plan since 2005. The organizers are a cir- cle of young "artists, com- munity builders, sustaina- bility advocates, and Wa- terloo Region enthusiasts" who, in their own words, "love the farms, towns, and natural spaces that make up our countryside, and the walkable shops and restaurants that make our downtown cores exciting places to work and play." The setting this year is Fertile Ground, a small or- ganic farm in St. Agatha, and two cycling routes: one circumnavigates the full 126 kilometres of the main line; the other is a 30-km route along the Wellesley line (the Waterloo Coun- tryside Line actually in- cludes six separate growth boundaries). In addition to the cy- cling rides, there are eve- ning campfire sessions, stage performances, work- shops, and local food and drink. Everything is fami- ly-friendly, and you can even stay the night (the $10 camping fee includes pan- cake breakfast). If it rains, the festivities will move into a spacious greenhouse. Hold the Line team members Sam Nabi and Sean Campbell filled me in on the aims and origins of the project. They represent a new kind of leadership that augurs well for our community: young, knowl- edgeable, confident, com- munity-minded but also entrepreneurial. Nabi recently became co-owner of Full Circle Foods, the natural and bulk food store that has been part of the downtown Kitchener scene for as long as I can remember. Campbell runs an orga- nization that does research and program development for nonprofit and social en- terprise endeavours. Alex Szaflarska, one of the worker-owners of To- gether We're Bitter Co-op- erative Brewing in Kitche- ner, is another example of this style of leadership who has been involved with this project from the outset. Music is the main focus of artistic side of Hold the Line. The prime move here is the indefatigable Rich- ard Garvey, the festival's artistic director. The program will con- clude Saturday night with a "folksong singalong with Richard Garvey & Friends," followed by a "groovy throwdown" with the equally indefatigable Janice Lee & Friends, who has worked with Garvey on many projects over the years. But rather than relying entirely on personal con- nections, Garvey started reaching out to find orga- nizational partners. This proved fruitful. All the Hold the Line folks I spoke with emphasized these partnerships as a promising new element of the festival. Neruda Arts helped bring the Cascabel group from Mexico and our own eKhaya (rock steady, Afro- beat) into the fold. Sofar Sounds, the Wa- terloo chapter of a world- wide movement that orga- nizes secret live music shows in unconventional venues, brought sitar mae- stro Anwar Khurshid. The presence of the Blue Sky Singers, a group of "strong, creative Anishi- naabe and Onkwehonwe women," emerged out of a connection with the Water- loo Indigenous Education Centre at St. Paul's Univer- sity College. The group Onion Honey is leading the Friday night all-acoustic jam. Tanya Williams and Friends of the Floor Dance- Theatre associates will be playing a part in the pro- ceedings. The K-W Poetry Slam movement will also be there. The presence of local band No Discernible Key on the Saturday program is worth noting because of their connection with a precursor to Hold the Line: members of the group met at Shaky Acres farm in Rummelhardt village (now part of Waterloo), site of the original "Barnfest" and the "Stop the City" cam- paign in the 1980s. Thanks to support from the Region of Waterloo Arts Fund, artists are be- ing paid for their work. Martin de Groot writes about local arts and cul- ture. He can be reached by email at mdg131@gmail.com. FUN CYCLING/MUSIC TOUR CELEBRATES WATERLOO REGION'S PERMANENTLY PRESERVED RURAL LANDS MARTIN DE GROOT LOOKS AHEAD TO THE 'HOLD THE LINE' FESTIVAL A social country ride on paved roads celebrates protected farm lands. Tyler Plante, a member of the 2018 Hold the Line, bicycles near Elmira. Metroland File Photo MARTIN DE GROOT Column SIGN UP FOR OUR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER AT WATERLOOCHRONICLE.CA