Historic Western New York Snowfall
The past week has been nothing short of historic in Western New York with crippling and dangerous snowfall beyond what even lifelong residents could have imagined. This lake effect snowfall weather event was the culmination of several factors that allowed Lake Erie’s snow machine to turn on full blast and dump feet of snow in very short periods of time, rivaling some all-time American records. While the final totals need to be examined, assessed and fully vetted, once you pass four, five, six, or seven feet, there is really no number that can do the impact justice. It is a tragedy that...
Read MoreWhite-throated Sparrows massing and feeding
White-throated Sparrows have arrived in tremendous numbers across the region, ready to eat you out of house and home all winter long! Before then, while the grass and earth is still exposed, without being snow-covered or frozen, they can feast on more natural meals. I took a bunch of photos of a few individuals in a group feeding on the lawn last week. There would not be much to chow down on if this were uniformly treated bright, green grass, one species that was chemically induced to look like the perfect lawn. These monocultures are taking up valuable habitat real estate and often consist...
Read MoreMonarch butterflies
Here it is, one Meet Your Neighbours display that needs no introduction – the Monarch (Danaus plexippus), with a female on the left and a male on the right. We must all continue to work to make certain that future generations can enjoy them in real life and not simply via beautiful photos like these. Only through a collective effort to combat deadly chemical pollutants from intentionally entering our ecosystem, protecting vital habitat during all seasons and educating our children can we turn the tide on the decline of once abundant and now fading species like these. They may not be in...
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