From the Earth to the Sky

 The Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas is a project between Birds Canada, Canadian Wildlife Service, Ministry of Natural Resources Government of Ontario , Ontario Field Ornithologists and Ontario Nature.  The project uses volunteer birders to input data to determine the breeding birds of Ontario.  It started Jan. 1, 2021, but I just started participating this year for the breeding season the end of May til mid July.  It is the final of the 5 years and as I participated in the previous one, I volunteered to help out at the tail end.   I was given a square that was quite rural, on the south edge of Lambton county.  I went out for 7 to 9am  most weekends and did several point counts (determining the number of birds seen and heard in a 5 minute period at a predetermined area).  Male Savannah Sparrow Passerculus sandwichensis on territory It was fun and interesting, and a lot of work!  I learned a great deal about birds, about their breeding habits, an...

 As you know, if you have been following my blog, I love to photograph the dogs that I see on my way.  It has been pretty quiet lately as it has been so hot, but I have been birding in a different area lately and I've met a few amazing canines and their handlers. I met Daisy and Halo during a birding festival up north back in May.  Their people were very friendly and chatted a bit about them.  Their people love to name their pooches after flowers,  Daisy is the senior hound and Halo is they younger girl (a type of Jasmine I believe)  Halo is somehow related to Daisy, maybe a niece or daughter?  My phone(which I usually use for dog pics) ran out of juice at this time and I had to take a photo with my digital camera, and they sat so patiently as I had my zoom lens on! I met Marley, who is a young Lhasa Apso at the park with her owner.  The nice gentleman let me know that Marley is in training and is enjoying her time there, especially grazing the gr...