Happy Half New Year!

Halfway through 2012...

Lunch

He swallowed it whole just a few seconds after I snapped this shot.

Clearwing Hummingbird Moth

A Clearwing Hummingbird Moth feeding on nectar from Milkweed blossoms.  These moths usually don't appear in the yard until mid-July.  This is another early event for the season.  I have also been seeing fireflies for a few weeks now which usually show up in July not June.

Father Sky

Father Sky showing off for Mother Earth this evening!

Patience

A fledgling Oriole waits patiently at the top of the jelly feeder while dad feeds one of the other siblings.

Good Evening!

Wood Duck Family

Belted Kingfisher

Cedar Waxwing

Northern Broken Dash Skipper

Southern Sky at Sunset

Male Widow Skimmer Dragonfly

Defensive Posture

I'm fairly certain this female Ruby-throated Hummingbird has a nest in the bush behind her.  No one can go near it without her flying out of it and chattering at any intruder including other hummingbirds.

Here she is guarding the area.

Painted Lady Butterfly

Painted Lady Butterfly on Milkweed blossoms.

Point of no return...

...until tomorrow.

Flying Lessons

Spring Finale

A subdued and hazy sunset in the evening sky on the last day of Spring 2012.

Purple Finch

A tough bird to identify but this is definitely a Purple not a House Finch. It has a deeply notched tail, a purple head with an even darker crown and his back is edged with pink. A prominent local birder of the past named Roger Tory Peterson once described them as "sparrows dipped in raspberry juice."

That's a Mouthful!

Red-bellied Woodpecker with a nice helping of suet!

Stormy Sunset

Brood Patch

The brood patch of this female Rose-breasted Grosbeak is visible on her underside.

Phantom Cloud

Unusual cloud formations in the sky at sunset tonight.

American Goldfinch

Eastern Towhee

Eastern Towhee in the rain under low light conditions.  It can be difficult to catch them out in the open like this since they prefer to spend their time in thick grass or brush.

Longest Days of the Year

Photo taken at approximately 9:45 p.m. (Eastern Daylight Savings Time)

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Venus Transit

Venus transit across the sun is barely visible in this shot taken at sunset.  It appears as a faint speck above the smokestacks at Nanticoke in Ontario, Canada (click on photo for an expanded view).

Incoming Thunderstorms

Thunderstorms moving into western New York over Lake Erie this morning.