Life on the Chautauqua Ridge

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 good article about how hummingbirds survive the cold: http://scienceblogs.com/grrlscientist/2006/04/hummingbirds_and_torpor.php

Western New York version in the town of Arkwright.

Scattered clouds create another beautiful sunset over Lake Erie this evening.

The American Goldfinch

The American Goldfinch (female)

The finale of this season's tulips...

Sunset over Lake Erie as seen from my backyard this time of the year highlights the dirty smoke plumes from the Nanticoke Generating Station in Ontario (far right on the horizon). Nanticoke is the largest coal-fired power plant in North America and one of the greatest single polluters on the continent. It is currently scheduled to phase out the use of coal by 2014.

Can't really tell where the water ends and the sky begins.

Female Oriole feasting on oranges.

Just a glimpse of the eclipse over Lake Erie before the sun set. I believe we are near the most easterly location where a partial view of the eclipse could be seen today.

Just a glimpse of the eclipse over Lake Erie before the sun set. I believe we are near the most easterly location where a partial view of the eclipse could be seen today.

Just a glimpse of the eclipse over Lake Erie before the sun set. I believe we are near the most easterly location where a partial view of the eclipse could be seen today.

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

I bought a potted tropical hibiscus plant for my deck hoping that the hummingbirds and bees would enjoy the nectar from it. So far, they have totally ignored it and visit only the native flowers. There must be a lesson here somewhere.