Think of the Universe...

How small.  How rare.  How precious we all are!

Monarch on Buddleia Bush

Wild Turkey Poults

Cleaning up seeds under the bird feeder in our back yard.

Saying Goodbye?

It makes me sad to think that our hummingbirds will be gone soon.  Most leave this area of Western New York State and begin their migration south by Labor Day which is just a few short weeks away.  :-(

Fledgling Hummingbird

Another Brood!

Another brood of Wild Turkey has joined the original group that has been visiting our yard this summer.  The second hen has a brood of two younger poults for a total of ten little ones!

Cauldron in the Sky

Heavy clouds around the sunset this evening created a fiery looking cauldron in the sky.

Eight Left!

An update on our wild turkey brood:  As of this morning there eight of the original 11 little ones left.  This appears to be a very good survival rate for this point in the summer.  You can see how much they have grown by comparing it to the photos I took on July 14th.

Waning Gibbous Moon

Full Sturgeon Moon

The Native American fishing tribes of the Great Lakes area called the full moon in August the "Sturgeon Moon" since it is traditionally the best month of the year to catch them.

Thunderhead Cloud

A nice thunderhead appeared over the lake this evening just after sunset.  There were a few lightning bolts but I wasn't lucky enough to catch one with the camera.

Monarch on Rudbeckia

Summer Rose

...and a Daylily

Breaking Through

Tonight's moon breaking through the clouds.

Pre-Storm Clouds

The clouds and calm before the storm. A special weather statement issued tonight says, "There is even the risk of an actual derecho moving through the region... which could easily produce winds in excess of 70 mph."

Pearl Crescent Butterfly

These tiny butterflies have a wingspan that is less than two inches.

Thunderhead Cloud after Sunset

Hummer Taking a Break

Fledgling Blue Jay

House Wrens

Black Swallowtail on Coneflower

Babies!!!

I've been seeing the wild turkey hens in the field behind the house with their little ones.  This morning, one finally brought them closer to the house to feast on sunflower seeds under the bird feeder.

Time to go!

Parfait Sky

Roll Cloud

A rare Arcus roll cloud moves under higher clouds to create a beautiful display at sunset.

Busy Place

 

Clearwing Hummingbird Moth

Sunspots and then a Pink Sunset

Sunspots are clearly visible on the sun and then as it dropped lower on the horizon, the sun turned to pink.  I believe the spots that are visible in the top photo belong to Sunspot 1515 which is being called a "behemoth" capable of producing X-class solar flares.  For more info on this sunspot visit SpaceWeather.com.

The Finale

Fireworks and then the Moonrise!

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

Dramatic Clouds

Dramatic clouds dropped very little much needed rain this afternoon.

Bronze Copper Butterfly

The Bronze Copper Butterfly is considered to be an elusive and possibly endangered species.  This is the first time I have ever seen one.

Summer Colors