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.

Widow Skimmer Dragonfly

Wild Roses

We have a gigantic wild rosebush on our property that normally begins blooming in mid-June.  I have never before seen it with open roses during the month of May!

Osprey with a Fish

Female Hummingbird

Female Ruby-throated Hummingbird surveying her territory from high in a tree.

Good Morning!

Partial Solar Eclipse at Sunset

Cornflower

Orange Camouflage

Female Oriole feasting on oranges.

Chipping Sparrow

Sweet little guy crashed into a window and was stunned for a short while but eventually recovered and flew away.

Mothers Day Sunset

Happy Mothers Day!

For Mothers Everywhere!

Perpetual Favorite

The American Goldfinch

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Male Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Super Moon!

Photo taken around 8:30 p.m. in the town of Arkwright, New York

Torpor Tonight?

Temperatures tonight will be flirting with the freezing mark.  The recently arrived hummingbirds are really filling up this evening.  It seems they know it's going to be a cold night and are preparing for noctivation.  Here's a great article about how they survive the cold:  http://scienceblogs.com/grrlscientist/2006/04/hummingbirds_and_torpor.php

Question Mark Butterfly (Polygonia interrogationis)

First Day Back

First of the Ruby-throated Hummingbirds to show up in the area for the summer.  If only they could tell us about their amazing travels...

Neotropical Arrivals

Baltimore Orioles, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, House Wrens and Black & White Warblers all made their first appearances in the yard today with the warm front that rolled into Western New York.  Pictured above is a female Oriole (with fresh grape jelly on her beak!).