What's with the wild and crazy winds in the Madison area the last couple days?

We were walking along Tiedeman's Pond yesterday, and it was windy as hell. Clear blue sky, so there didn't seem to be any storm risk. It was just annoying, and other than that, we didn't think twice about it. Suddenly we heard something behind us that sounded like a string of firecrackers, going off, at an accelerating pace: CRACK . . . CRACK . . . CRACK CRACK CRACKCRACKCRACK. We spun around just in time to see a large green mass falling to the ground. It took a second to register what we had seen. The wind had split this tree, and half of it fell to the ground, just missing the house.

Since when does the wind start knocking down trees under a clear blue sky? Same thing today. Steady wind, but occasional gusts that feel like they're going to sweep the house right off to Oz. There's a lot of talk about global warming and the coming age of "superstorms." years ago I skimmed what I assumed was a crackpot science book on the subject in a bookstore. The argument was that if you pump enough heat into a closed atmospheric system, you generate global superwinds that never stop, blowing endlessly at hundreds of miles an hour. As on the surface of Venus. So is this how it starts?

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Double-crested Cormorant in the treetops

Stricker's Pond, Middleton. I'm pretty sure this is a green heron, but if anyone has a better idea, let me know. Thanks.

Update (and correction): I'd be lost without the Internet. Thanks to my Flickr commenters (click on photo to see comments) -- Double-crested Cormorant it is.

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Drama in the world of birds: Sandhill Crane being harassed by Red-winged Blackbirds

I think the blackbirds are defending their nests, eggs or fledglings, but you almost have to feel sorry for the Sandhill Crane. The crane ended up so frustrated that it charged a Canadian Goose out of what seemed sheer frustration right after I turned off the camera. The goose backed off and the crane finally settled down.

The skies above Madison put on quite an impressive and changeable show Sunday

This was the scene as we left Owen Park at 6:49 p.m. (Large On Black)

Ten minutes later, this was the scene looking south from Metcalfe's at the Hilldale Shopping Center. The rainbow was still visible to the east, but it was starting to fade, especially in comparison with these roiling, boiling storm clouds.

Rainbows are one of the many reasons I always like to have a compact digital point-and-shoot with me (since I only use my phone for talking, though that may change as the technology keeps improving). Years ago, I saw a brilliant rainbow that arched over and perfectly framed the Capitol dome. A perfect picture, but no camera. Never again, I thought, and ever since I've usually been prepared.

Madison's May Day rally for the American Dream

You could say the May Day rally (more photos in this set) at the Capitol, one of dozens around the country, was about immigration reform. You could just as well say it was about the American Dream. "Si se puede" ("yes we can") was the rallying cry that united the marchers.

Participants were protesting the new Arizona immigration law, SB 1070, that threatens constitutional rights and creates a climate of fear for legal and illegal immigrants alike. It was a rally in favor of decency, equality and human rights. It was a rally against the forces of bigotry and fear.

It's a never ending struggle that reaches far beyond Arizona, whose new law is just the most extreme example of the immigration xenophobia that permeates American life, usually stoked by cynical politicians for their own ends. And, as the WSJ reported, it's not as if we don't have problems right here in Madison.

Alex Gillis of the Immigrant Workers Union, which led the effort to organize the rally, said the Arizona law was a powerful motivator for those who want federal law to protect immigrants.

“This is about taking our country back,” Gillis told the cheering crowd.

Gillis and other speakers also criticized the Dane County Sheriff’s Office practice of informing federal authorities about jail inmates who don’t have permission to be in the U.S.

America is a nation of immigrants. Immigrants built this country. We're at our best when we welcome immigrants -- and we're at our worst when we turn our backs on them in fear of "outsiders."

Trillium flowering in the oak grove

Happy May Day!

It's the time of year when the trilliums are flowering, and I was struck by the magical way a stray shaft of light filtered through the oak branches and spotlighted the heart of this trillium. View Large On Black.

T took me to an oak grove to see the trilliums. They were everywhere. What is it about trilliums and oaks? According to T, trilliums need the right mix of direct and indirect light. Since the oak leaves bud later than most other trees, plenty of light filters through the oak canopy when trilliums need it. The trilliums flower when the oaks are just starting to bud.