Missing in Action: Our Hummingbirds...

For two weeks now, our hummingbird feeders have been completely empty.  Where normally we saw dozens of hummingbirds all day long, we have quite literally not seen a single hummer for two weeks now.  Our neighbors report the same phenomenon.  This has never happened before in the eight years we've been actively feeding the little guys, so we're all quite bewildered.  Also a bit worried.  Where are our hummers?

We've only got two theories:

1. The hummers knew the big rains were coming, and left for Cabo (or some other warm, dry place).  One variant to this theory: they all left to go “down the hill” to El Cajon or some such place, and they'll be back soon.
   
   
2. Something awful happened that killed them all - a disease, perhaps.  

If any of my readers happen to know anything about the great hummingbird departure, we'd sure appreciate your leaving a comment here...

ClimateGate: The Unraveling of AGW...

If you read the news about AGW and “climate change” carefully, as I do, you must be marveling at the change in tone and content over the few weeks since the CRU emails were revealed.  In that short time the skeptics have been transformed from fringe elements ignored by the lamestream media into a group that's regularly reported on – and the AGW crowd has simultaneously transformed from media darlings with vast policy influence into suspected criminals and cheaters and corruptocrats being studiously ignored by the politicos.  Amazing!

Just this past week, more AGW-related news – nearly all of it bad for the AGW folks – came out than in the entire year preceding the CRU email revelations.  An incomplete roundup:

• UK officials decide that the University of East Anglia breached the UK Freedom of Information Act.
• Public concern about global warming is still dropping steeply.
• More and more AGW proponents in the science community are either bailing out of AGW-related roles or are turning into outright skeptics.
• More and more evidence of data manipulation is seeing the light of day.
• The IPCC report is being revealed for the political position piece that it really is, which means that it is fraudulent science.

The general opinion these days seems to be that the IPCC is in for a big shakeup, including the almost certain removal of its controversial head.  It looks quite unlikely that Jones will return as the CRU's head.  The University of Pennsylvania appears to be genuinely upset at the shenanigans of Michael Mann, casting doubt on his reign there.  And last but not least, the NOAA (part of NASA) is actively cleaning up their act on their web site, removing unsupported claims and unreviewed “science”, leading to speculation that the notorious James Hansen may be on the outs there. 

Will these wonders ever cease?  One hopes not!