We had a big thunderstorm with lightning here last night, including some light hail. It wasn't that long ago that it was snowing. I like this shot showing the sun breaking out after the storm.



After yesterday's storm left here it went to the plains and there were tornados.

This is one spotted near the Colorado-Wyoming border, described as just missing Cheyenne. Note the wide open spaces. If you ever feel like the whole of the United States is getting too built up, go to Wyoming.



The rain slowed down the hummingbirds for a bit. I always worry about one of them getting beaned with a hail stone, but they seem to know what they are doing.

At dusk, all these birds show up to get nourished so they can make it through the night without eating. These feeders are outside the living room window.



This is a different feeder, outside the back door, all males. There is a second feeder back there just as busy. Each feeder holds 10 birds, and there were about 10 more flying around, plus a few sitting on nearby bushes, resting or waiting for their chance.




Then all of a sudden, as if a light had been switched off, they all disappear for the night. No stragglers, just all gone until morning. But in the morning they don't show up again en masse because they are out on the river and in the woods catching bugs, only about 7 or 8 of them stay around during the day.

All told, I must have about 40 hummingbirds, 75% of them male. This is a lot for this early in the year because in the next few weeks they will mate and hatch babies, which will increase the population in mid summer by 1/3 or more. Also, in July another species will join the ones already here.

I need to buy some more feeders and the biggest bag of sugar available.