More (bird & cat) pics
![Indigo bunting [click to enlarge]](/blog/images/051604indigo-t.jpg "Indigo bunting")
![Buffy on deck [click to enlarge]](/blog/images/8.22.49buffy-t.jpg "Buffy on deck")
Tried for half-a-day to get some shots of the repeated visits of an Indigo Bunting (I think) to my feeders Sunday, but most failed...well, just weren't very successful, either being unfocused or marred by extraneous shadows & window smudges...very frustrating...at left is the best of the bunch.
Meanwhile, Buffy's third excursion outside yesterday evening lasted considerably longer than the last — she was much less cautious & nervous about it, which I found rather unnerving...go figure — and even relaxed enough to hang-out on the deck for awhile. But, the experience was abruptly terminated upon the approach of a large neighborhood tomcat, which left her on edge for the next few hours, until the latest round of thunderstorms scared her enough to forget all about him.
Statement as of 12:25 am EDT on May 15, 2004
The National Weather Service surveyed the storm damage incurred over extreme North central Clinton County which occurred Friday afternoon. Here are the results. A tornado touched down about four miles east southeast of Maple Rapids in Clinton County at 3:38 p.m. EDT Friday afternoon. The tornado was 75 yards wide... 3.5 miles long... and moved east northeast at 40 mph. The tornado produced the greatest amount of damage near the Point of touchdown four miles east southeast of Maple Rapids just South of island Road... where one silo was destroyed and two other silos and a shed were damaged. A couple of two by fours were driven into the side of a pole barn. Shingles were damaged and ripped off of two homes. Maximum wind speeds here were estimated at 70 mph. Several trees were blown over in this area and along the tornado's path. The tornado moved east northeast and lifted just North of Maple Rapids Road and east of DeWitt Road near ferdon creek in Clinton County. There were no injuries or fatalities.
Statement as of 1:13 PM EDT on May 17, 2004
This watch includes the adjoining coastal waters of affected Lakeshore counties.
Severe Thunderstorm Watch number 210
NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
105 PM EDT Mon may 17 2004
The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Watch for portions of Northern Indiana, southern and central lower Michigan, far northwestern Ohio, Lake Michigan, Lake Erie, Lake Huron Effective this Monday afternoon and evening from 105 PM until 800 PM EDT.
Hail to 1.5 inches in diameter... thunderstorm wind gusts to 70 mph... and dangerous lightning are possible in these areas.
The Severe Thunderstorm Watch area is along and 85 statute miles east and west of a line from 30 miles North of Saginaw Michigan to 65 miles east southeast of South Bend Indiana.
Discussion... convection expected to continue increasing in coverage and intensity across ww this afternoon... ahead of weak vort center lifting enewd into nrn ind attm. Air mass is already moderately unstable with sufficient shear for organized thunderstorms... including supercells. Large hail and damaging winds expected to be primary severe threats.
Aviation... a few severe thunderstorms with hail surface and aloft to 1.5 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind gusts to 60 knots. A few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 500. Mean storm motion vector 25025.
Statement as of 4:35 PM EDT on May 17, 2004
The National Weather Service in Grand Rapids has issued a Flood Watch for the southwest quarter of lower Michigan effective until noon EDT Tuesday. This watch includes the following counties: In west central Michigan, Mason... Lake... Oceana... Newaygo and Muskegon; In central Michigan, Osceola... Clare... Isabella... Mecosta... Montcalm and Gratiot; In southwest Michigan, Kent... Allegan... Barry... Kalamazoo... Van Buren and Ottawa; In South central Michigan, Ionia... Clinton... Ingham... Eaton... Jackson and Calhoun.
A frontal Boundary extending from Upper Michigan southwest to Iowa at 4 PM will move into southwest Michigan overnight. Widespread showers and thunderstorm are expected along this front which will likely stall across southern Michigan overnight and early Tuesday before exiting the state Tuesday afternoon.
One to two inches of additional rainfall is possible tonight and early Tuesday morning. The ground is already saturated from the recent heavy rainfall... and additional heavy rain may cause flooding in low lying areas and along creeks and streams.
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