The last thing I expected to see at 5:45am this morning.

This is probably one of the last things I would have expected to see on my drive in to work today at 5:45am. A Snowy Owl! Amazing. Graceful. So *bleeping* cool! Words are hard to describe, since this is my first sighting ever, in the wild.At first, I thought I was imagining this massive white bird. He was sitting on a light standard, on the 401 west, less than 1km west of Renforth Drive. I wasn't at full speed yet hitting the 401, but I had...

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How Do They Know?

So, Wednesday December 9th, 2009 brought us our first real snow fall of the season. It wasn't the worst one, but it wasn't pretty either. Depending on the area you lived, 5 to 10cm of snow, later rain (lots) or just rain or just snow.That was the big news of the day; and the day before was warning everyone about the storm rolling in.I didn't need any sort of news media to tell me something was going to change in the weather. Tuesday afternoon...

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Canada needs to step it up and we all need to step in!

This blog is going to be upsetting but it's not my intention. It's about awareness. The information on this subject is over-whelming and the photos choke me up, almost bringing me to tears... none of which I took.The jist of it is about the fur trade but it's not about mink, fox and seal fur (as examples). This is about the dog, cat and rabbit fur trade. A market not very known since there are some pretty lax laws in Canada that can allow such...

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Some remain because?

Through October I had quite early sightings of my winter birds returning to the area. Nights were hitting near zero already and the days were cool. It all made sense to me that our lack of summer and now a seemingly short-lived autumn, with the actions of my feathered friends, ment winter was coming early.November hit and we started hitting some double digit days again. November 8th saw a high of +17c. Almost 3 weeks of zero precipitation. My...

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Why Are They Here?

First off, I did not take these two photos. I had to borrow them from Google images. I was outside BBQ'ing and did not have the camera with me. I felt no need as the sun had almost set. The image above is what I saw late yesterday afternoon; it is a Turkey Vulture. I am not kidding when I say this bird was flying this low over the grounds.I am used to seeing Turkey Vultures out in the country, soaring gracefully over forests and fields. I am...

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Once Again They Come to Me...

Once again they come to me... a beautiful autumn afternoon in the yard, enjoying the mildness of +13c in late October, stepping into the house for a bathroom moment and a coffee re-fill. My ears pick up a cry out back when waiting for the kettle boil. I look out and what do I see but this young dog looking up at me.This is the second time in less than one month that a dog has shown up on my property, straying from their home.I've said it before,...

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The Northern Cardinal

So, the cool weather is definitely coming (and fast). I've made mention of some arriving winter birds already and yet another sign of things to come is that the Northern Cardinals of the area are also beginning to flock together. Through the warmer months they are quite territorial and one pair will dominate and protect this feeding area as their own, for their own. Now though, more show up, it's not quite a fight, they are sharing the feeders.The...

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Return of the Junco!

"Return of the Junco" sure sounds like it could possibly be a horror movie of some sort. I mean, for someone who has no idea what a Junco is... why not? Then, for those who may be reading this and truly dread the on-coming winter season, and know what a Junco is, it could be horror in real life.So, on Friday October 16th 2009 I happened to notice one Dark-Eyed Junco hopping around the backyard (I actually thought I heard one earlier in the week...

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Early Winter?

So, it's rather chilly for the early part of October, eh. Will it warm up again anytime soon? How about our Indian Summer? I'm thinking the answer is "NO".Today, Wednesday October 14th 2009... we saw our first winter bird arrive at one of the feeders out back. A White Breasted Nuthatch! So wonderful to see again but a little early I think. I was betting on the Dark Eyed Juncos to be the first winter birds arriving and even said exactly that...

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Dumb or Comfortable?

The Mourning Dove. A rather common species of bird in the city. A sometimes common species of bird to my backyard. Some days or weeks there can be up to half a dozen motoring about the property and other times for many days none.They do not have a reputation on being the most brilliant bird in the city. Their nesting habits can be quite threatening to the survival of their species. A nest built very loosely of twigs that one can see through...

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The Beautiful Joe Park... Meaford, Ontario... every town should have one!

At least twice a year, I like to visit northern parts of Ontario and especially the area of Meaford, Ontario. And with each visit to Meaford I make a visit to "The Beautiful Joe Park". A park which I think every town and city should have. It doesn't have to be named this, but it's meaning should be the same... a park dedicated to the animals who touch our lives.I was unfamiliar of the Beautiful Joe story even after learning about this park. ...

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