An Early Spring This Year?

Follow the Leader!! I love this picture of the three dogs jauntily following each other with wagging tails, through a spring pond in the front field....Tank with the ball, Trust next, and Jess-who loves water-right behind....
These pictures were taken ten days apart! Snow melting in late March turned the driveway into mud - although Tank didn't mind...This picture is taken directly west of the field above....April 6th. Both 3 years ago.

Recent Interesting Birds

The Northern Shrike is a very cute, little fluffy bird, but is a killer in disguise. Approximately 'robin sized', he has a lightly hooked beak, and hunts rodents and small birds. Our bird feeder areas have been favorite hunting spots for him this winter. They will often catch the rodent/bird with their beak and then impale it on a thorn or piece of fencing wire.....but he is cute.....
Northeastern Ontario has a shortage of our normal winter birds this year due to the scarcity of natural feed in the forests - lack of seed cones. Most of the birds left our area early, moving further south. This has been a quiet winter for birds at feeders and we miss seeing our normal and colourful varieties. The local bird count in February reported the fewest number of species since 2003. However, it has been interesting to see the raptors coming, particularly owls, and a northern shrike. They have recently been 'hunting' for rodents that come up from under the snow under the feeders.
Above is a pileated woodpecker working on a tree behind the house. They have a few "favorite" trees that they visit quite regularly. Pileateds are the largest members of the woodpecker family and quite a sight to see, and hear. There is no mistaking their "woody woodpecker" call.

This is a Northern Goshawk, viewing our bird feeder area from a nearby tall tree. They are not commonly seen here but I've managed to spot him nearby a few times this winter. A beautiful bird of varying greys, he is distinguished by his black mask across his eyes. Perched in a tree, they stand about 2' tall. Unlike other hawk species that often circle in flight, the goshawk soars or glides and is lovely to watch. This particular one was being "assaulted" by a few chickadees as I was taking the photo. Brave little birds they are!

The Second Track for Blast Today

I've put the "track lines" on these sets for Blast and Emma. Looking at these locations for urban tracking, it's no wonder I love the fields so much! This set up was completely different than the first one Blast did today; mainly slushy snow, gravel, puddles, ice. Very different from what he's done up to now. He worked on it with enthusiasm, and did well for his real introduction to hard or different surfaces.
Blast is at his start. I've put down 3 treats in the form of a triangle to encourage him to stay a little longer on the start and not rush off.

He's moving off very nicely on his first leg. This is a very short track, but with 4 legs.

Blast has found his first article on the 2nd leg, and is working along the 3rd leg very steadily.

The "X" shows where the 2nd article was, moving through snow, slush, mud, water and ice in the shadow of the building. He's nearing a left turn here.

After crossing the driveway, he has found the final article in the snowmobile track, as I move up to him.

Here we are playing with the article. It is a large white piece of leather, which was folded up and pushed into the soft snow of the snowmobile track, which he had to partly dig out. He thought this was great fun!

Emma's second track today...

We changed locations to do a second short track for each dog today. Emma began this track on icy snow, the start was back around a bend to the right. She went through some mud and puddles before this (she is actually right on the track, my line is not accurate here) and worked well through these transitions and onto the pavement.

The "X" in bottom right corner was a wood article which she was not interested in. Tascha will begn to work on "different" articles for urban tracks playing the "find" game at home. This leg meandered through the drive area from wet spots, to cracks to smooth surfaces.

Emma is at her last corner here.

She has gone from pavement to gravel/sand and found her final article. Tascha is moving up to reward Emma at the article.

Hard Surface Track for Blast...

The first location we used today was an entrance and parking area of a school. Most of the area was paved, with a corner section where Blast worked being gravel. Our first leg and start was along an edge of the pavement with some dead grass, mud, and assorted other "items" I hoped he'd ignore...and did!
Blast had 3 articles, as I've worked him with multi articles in his 'free' tracks. Above, he has just indicated his first one, and I've moved up to him to pick it up.

Here, he is just indicating his first turn, moving from the dead grass onto the paved driveway.

He is not fully committed to this leg yet, and I'm waiting until he is, before I turn to follow.

We have crossed the driveway and are into the gravel area. Blast was momentarily distracted by something to his left, but is now moving back to the track.

Blast has just reached his next corner and is about to turn.

He has indicated his second article which I am about to pick up. He has been picking up articles previously, today he just stood over them....which is still a good indication. As we progress I expect indications to vary; as long as they are clear, I'm certainly not insisting on one thing only.

He is on pavement again and heading toward the final article. He's worked very nicely on the hard surfaces for being "new" with this. Blast is ten months of age.

Third and final article, again he stood over it until I got there, and then we played with it. He did a nice job.

Emma's First Hard Surface Track

Emma earned her Tracking Dog title last fall with an amazingly quick and accurate track. She has done a little work on straight lines on hard-packed snow, and since we have no grass yet, we decided to get her going on completely hard surface. We took advantage of this location having a tiny section of old dead grass and mud to lay a scent pad. Our snow is beginning to melt this week, and temps. have risen enough so that our fingers don't totally freeze up! What a treat!!! Emma is an 8 lb. long haired doxie, and just loves to track.

Here, she is working along the sidewalk, nose down all the way. Emma went right past many of her tiny food treats along the track.

This is her first turn and she's indicating the correct direction. Tascha quietly allows her to work the corner out herself; Emma then circled back and checked to the left, quickly heading back the right way. Good girl, Emma! This leg was on wet and snowy pavement and she worked along it like a trooper.

Emma has taken another right corner onto wet sand, some ice and puddles over pavement. The plan was to work very closely with her to see exactly what she was doing, and how she handled the transitions.

The track had gone through the wet area, and then serpentined out to the right, before heading back to the left and over to the far side. Emma is at her glove. She goes bonkers with her glove, shaking it until it is 'dead'. What a great track for both Tascha and Emma!