South Dakota Badlands by Thomas Annear
As posted by Thomas Annear Art (http://www.thomasannear.com/) “It’s really cold outside and the studio heater is almost keeping up with it. I helped stay warm with the memory of a warm August day in the South Dakota Badlands. With over 50 paintings in my national parks show, I am hoping to finish touching up a painting a day. The opening is Friday, June 26th at the Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History.” We can’t wait!
Read MoreSnowy Owl irruption…underway? Again?!
Yes, my friends, here we are again! Is a Snowy Owl irruption into the southern parts of Canada and the lower 48 states already underway? The answer certainly looks to be a firm yes considering recent list serv reports. The eBird Snowy Owl map below highlights sightings from August 1, 2014 through November 9, 2014. It also says yes… Remember that sightings in the last 30 days are in bright orange. Look how far south some birds have already been spotted! Now let us remember that a certain number of Snowy Owls move to the south every winter. If you live near a major migratory corridor or...
Read MoreSummer Snowy Owls
Here are the eBird Snowy Owl sightings for August and September 2014 only. It seems that there are some birds still lingering since the massive irruption. This year seems to have been another very strong breeding season for the species, albeit further north in some cases. Will they have a large movement south again? We will start to find out the answer in a couple of months. Meanwhile be on the lookout for these unexpected birds…
Read MoreLate August front and nocturnal migrants
Let’s play find the front! Here’s a radar grab from a few minutes ago that shows a front draped across Michigan, Indiana and Illinois, as seen with accompanying showers and thunderstorms, and nocturnal migrant birds launching off behind it across Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Kansas and so on. The strong southerly flow ahead of the front makes for poor flight conditions and although the winds behind it are only mostly calm that means it’s good enough to get on the move. As we enter September I’ll be watching the weather like a hawk for both these nocturnal...
Read MoreBountiful butterflies
It is hard to believe we are already about to enter September! After having above-average rainfall and average to below-average temperatures for much of the summer here in the Chautauqua-Allegheny region the second half of August turned out to be sunny and warm with a lot of lepidoptera on the wing and in our gardens. This is a traditionally wonderful month for butterflies. I have posted a bunch of neat sightings but here are more of the common species you have probably enjoyed in your yard. I have been looking and hoping for a Giant Swallowtail, among other rarities, but it is nevertheless...
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