Bird Behaviour

 Continuing on where I left off yesterday, here we have an owl that has just successfully hunted in the snow.

Followed by a different bird entirely.

The display cases continue, looking at various aspects of birds.

The Feathers

Display cases in the Bird Gallery tend to be organized thematically. 

Some dioramas are also used, featuring birds across the country set against painted backgrounds.

A video display features a number of birds. We'll carry on here tomorrow.

The Lantern

 Wilfrid Laurier was the prime minister whose government oversaw the construction of the Museum of Nature. As Parliament was still convening in the building at the time of his death, Laurier laid in state for a time here in the building.

There are ghost stories associated with the building.

In 2004, work began on a renewal of the building. The Queens Lantern itself is part of that.

It replaced the original tower, a stone structure that proved problematic for the soil beneath it. Steps were taken with the new structure to compensate, and even though the Queens Lantern is quite different from the rest of the building, it fits in.

The administrative building for the Museum is over on the Gatineau side of the Ottawa River.

The Queens Lantern is a marvel.

The Moon hanging above is irresistible to the photographer.

The next gallery is the Bird Gallery, which features a good number of specimens in display cases, presented in an educational way. We'll carry on here tomorrow.

The Story

This artificial cave is a delight to be in. The recessed lighting is particularly beneficial to the photographer.

Back out I went into the central atrium, where I took more shots of Gaia. I assume this is an inflatable- as big as it is, there's not a lot of weight to it.

Stepping back out into the Queens Lantern, we find the story of the building's history told.

It was first erected in 1905, in what had been a field south of the downtown core. Now it is part of the downtown core. It was first home to the Geological Survey of Canada.

The 1916 fire on Parliament Hill that destroyed the original Centre Block resulted in the building becoming home for some years to the House and the Senate.