Saturday, September 25, 2010
Friday, September 17, 2010
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Today's toad floater!
Today's storm chase turned quickly into a high precipitation event with urban flooding occurring in the usual places in SW Amarillo. There were many water-rescues as well as wrecks due to poor visibility and dime sized hail. The ranger's station at Palo Duro Canyon reported a brief bout of grapefruit sized ice chunks. Here's some of the flooding vid I shot for KVII.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Severe weather possible Thursday ...
STRONG CONVECTION...POSSIBLY SEVERE...IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ALONG
TRAILING SFC FRONT OVER THE SRN HIGH PLAINS THURSDAY. LATEST MODEL
GUIDANCE STRONGLY IMPLY THAT UPSLOPE FLOW ALONG WITH STRONG DIURNAL
HEATING WILL REMOVE THE CAP ACROSS THE TX/OK PANHANDLES INTO SERN
CO. FORECAST SHEAR ACROSS THIS REGION IS SUPPORTIVE OF DEEP ROTATING
UPDRAFTS AS SELY LOW LEVEL FLOW VEERS INTO THE WNW AT MID LEVELS.
ADDITIONALLY...LATEST WV IMAGERY SUGGESTS A WELL DEFINED SHORTWAVE
TROUGH EJECTING ACROSS SRN CA WILL SPREAD INTO THE HIGH PLAINS
AROUND PEAK HEATING. THIS SHOULD ENHANCE THE CONVECTIVE POTENTIAL
WITH EARLY SUPERCELLS EVOLVING INTO SEVERAL THUNDERSTORM CLUSTERS BY
EVENING. LARGE HAIL - DAMAGING WINDS AND PERHAPS AN ISOLATED
TORNADO ARE THE SEVERE THREATS WITH THIS ACTIVITY.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
The Buzzard Air Show
Palo Duro Canyon State Park is renowned for its epic natural beauty and the outdoor musical TEXAS! - but did you know there is another show (of sorts) that takes place nightly at the southern end of the canyon? Local photographers call it "The Buzzard Air Show."
Each year thousands of tourists are drawn to Palo Duro Canyon State Park to take in its beauty - but a group of local photographers and bird watchers have discovered an amazing phenomenon that many never knew existed.
It's been nicknamed The Buzzard Air Show and takes place at sunset - every evening near the Cow Camp Cabins at the southern end of the park. Like a scene out of Hitchcock's "The Birds" - thousands of Turkey Vultures descend on a small group of trees to roost for the night.
For hours - vultures fly into the canyon from all over the Panhandle - filling the sky by the hundreds. The mature birds land first- seemingly acting like air-traffic-controllers - spreading their wings to signal to the orbiting vultures it's time to land.
Ugly and ungainly on the ground but beautiful in the air - these vultures ride the thermals over the mesas in graceful arcs until the last light of day is almost gone, then they descend in waves - all vying and squabbling over the best perches, much to the delight of local photographers.
The Buzzard Air Show begins every night about an hour before sundown with the last of the birds touching down just after dark. There is no charge for the Buzzard Air Show - but there is to enter the park - five dollars per person - well worth it to watch this amazing natural spectacle.
Viewers are advised to bring a camera, binoculars, lawn chairs and an umbrella - because some of the air show participants - uh - can become bombers.
Each year thousands of tourists are drawn to Palo Duro Canyon State Park to take in its beauty - but a group of local photographers and bird watchers have discovered an amazing phenomenon that many never knew existed.
It's been nicknamed The Buzzard Air Show and takes place at sunset - every evening near the Cow Camp Cabins at the southern end of the park. Like a scene out of Hitchcock's "The Birds" - thousands of Turkey Vultures descend on a small group of trees to roost for the night.
For hours - vultures fly into the canyon from all over the Panhandle - filling the sky by the hundreds. The mature birds land first- seemingly acting like air-traffic-controllers - spreading their wings to signal to the orbiting vultures it's time to land.
Ugly and ungainly on the ground but beautiful in the air - these vultures ride the thermals over the mesas in graceful arcs until the last light of day is almost gone, then they descend in waves - all vying and squabbling over the best perches, much to the delight of local photographers.
The Buzzard Air Show begins every night about an hour before sundown with the last of the birds touching down just after dark. There is no charge for the Buzzard Air Show - but there is to enter the park - five dollars per person - well worth it to watch this amazing natural spectacle.
Viewers are advised to bring a camera, binoculars, lawn chairs and an umbrella - because some of the air show participants - uh - can become bombers.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Monday, September 6, 2010
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Talons ...
Captured today at Rick Husband Int Airport ... from Vance AFB.
I often wondered what birds must think of planes. This immature (and flightless) Meadowlark was sitting on the fence-line singing his heart out - but every time a talon flew by - he stopped and seemed to watch.
I kind of thought he was wishing that some day he could fly that fast. He was really tame and posed calmly (seemingly preoccupied by the air show) allowing me to patiently frame this shot.
Here's another shot - the Meadowlark singing as if to tell the jet he's a big bird too. The jet was louder.
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