Birds Of Silence

This seems an appropriate counter to yesterday's post, since falcons are the subject of this post as well. I occasionally photograph from the bridge where Bronson Avenue crosses the Rideau Canal. A short drive south from there, the road crosses the Rideau River. I can't recall ever mentioning this bridge, which is considerably longer than the first one. At the south side, a series of panels were placed here a couple of years ago by a local artist, Christopher Griffin, with falcons as the theme. These four large panels are poured concrete, and the artist worked the details into the surface as the concrete was drying. These panels have been placed beneath the bridge, between the bike path and the road.

He also placed three concrete statues of these birds, with more of an impressionist feel, up above on the bridge, upon two outlooks for pedestrians. On the west side, one of these birds stands as a sentry. Each statue looks like the eyes are covered, as you'd see with typical falconry.

While on the other, two of them are together, overlooking the river. This spot is about ten minutes or so of a walk from my door, but I rarely get out this way, and haven't photographed them before.

For an alternate take, here are the two east side statues at night, taken a couple of nights before the previous pics.