One look at this cardinal and it's easy to see his normally prominent crest is laid flat against the back of his head. Rather than belting out his normal cheerful tune, this guy seems to be somewhat agitated..... 

Turns out he's on the attack, a bit feisty, aggressive and...

maybe even a bit territorial. Certainly hungry! Although he has a mouthful, he's eyeing a butterfly flitting past, the small white blur in the foreground.

I recall seeing a house finch for the first time and thinking that a sparrow and cardinal had crossbred.

We see the house finches quite regularly in our yard, never very far from the safety of dense cover.

This great egret is stalking the shallows of upper Stafford Marsh off Albion Road in Oakfield.

Except for the color of the stilt-like part of their legs, the great egret is nearly identical to the great white heron. The legs of the egret  are black, the white heron's are gray-green.

Like the cardinal in the first three photos, this blue jay's behavior is something I've not seen before. He's perched on the edge of an old canoe we've filled and turned into a flower garden. Normally quite noisy, this guy never made a sound although his beak was wide open the entire time. The feathers of his head, back and neck are clearly tufted, while his wing and tail feathers are fanned for promiment display. The guess here is he was either trying to attract a female or scare off an intruder.

I made two trips to the Alexander Steam Show this year, Friday night and Saturday afternoon. On Saturday, I intended just to stay for an hour to get a few photos to supplement what I snapped on Friday. I ended up staying more than two hours, which has put me behind on all my other projects and coverage. I took a lot of pictures. If you've never been to the steam show, put it on your calendar for next year. It's a great event that brings tens of thousands of people to Genesee County.

If you can't view the slide show, click here.

September 10th at Batavia Downs was an exciting night.

Five local high school members competed for a cut of $7,500 in scholarship money. The race was sponsered by Harness Horse Breeders of New York, Western NY Harness Horsemen's Association, Batavia Downs Casino and Buffalo Raceway.

Racing were:

1. Elizabeth Shuknecht, from Elba (professional Jim Graham and Horse "Betsy Ross")

2. Kendra Wall, from Notre Dame (professional Mike Pokornowski and Horse "Here Comes Wally")

3. Natalie Tuites, from Batavia (professional Jim Mulcahy and Horse "Nat from Bat")

4. Conor George, from Oakfield (professional Mike Baumeister and Horse "Curious George")

5. Wyatt Chittenden, from Pembroke (professional Dave McNeight III and Horse "Wyatt Night")

The winners were as follows:

1st: Elizabeth Shuknecht

2nd: Wyatt Chittenden

3rd: Natalie Tuites

4th: Kendra Wall

5th: Conor George

More pictures from the scholarship night and racing can be found here

The Batavia Blue Devils pulled out a victory in a wild, high-scoring game against O'Hara HS on Friday night, with Justin Washington and Brett Scheuerlein leading the way. Washington had nine catches for 151 yards and four touchdowns while Scheuerlein passed for 208 yards and four TDs. Scheurline, along with James Soggs, had 12 tackles. Scheuerlein engineered an 80-yard drive with 2:56 left in the game to secure the Batavia (1-1) win.

In a Genesee League matchup, Barker moved to 2-0 beating Pembroke (1-1) by a score of 31-13. Cody Bedard threw for 184 yards with 14 competitions and one TD.

One point down and 44 seconds left on the clock, Tim McCulley, already 0-2 on PATs, kicked a gaming-winning field goal from 32 yards out to life Notre Dame (2-0) past Holley 23-21. McCulley also passed for 116 yards on 12 completions and ran for 117 yards and scored two TDs.

Even with Tommy Manzella completing 18 of 29 passes for 205 yards, Attica proved too much for Oakfield-Alabama, delivering the Hornets their second loss of the season, 32-8. Attica is no 1-1.

 Le Roy beat Warsaw 32-0. No further details of the game are available.

Elba beat Alexander 13-12 (coverage).

Photo from Pembroke's game submitted by Destin Danser (more pictures, including the option to purchase, on his website).

Press release:

At approximately 12:30 p.m. today, the Le Roy Police Department received a report of an unsupervised/suspicious duffle bag located near the U.S. Post Office on Main Street.

During the investigation, Main Street (between Bank and Wolcott streets) was closed for a short time while bomb squads from the New York State Police and the Rochester Office of the FBI responded and determined that the item was non-hazardous.

Main Street was reopened and no charges are pending. The Le Roy Fire Department assisted with traffic control during the incident.

It took six quarters of football, but the Elba Byron-Bergen Lancers finally got fired up Saturday to turn a 12-0 half-time deficit into a 13-12 victory of the Alexander Trojans.

After a blistering 32-7 loss to Barker last week, Coach Mike Cintorino said the Lancers needed a spark to turn things around, and Zack DuBois, helped by some key blocks at the line, did that in the third quarter with a 95-yard run for a score.

"Our guys came out in the second half excited to play and we had some success to get us moving in the right direction," Cintorino said. "We've been waiting, knowing that Zach is due, and he popped a big one for us today. This is exactly what our team needed today just to show us that we are as good as we were last year and now we can build on that."

Alexander, playing under new head Coach Jack Rennolds, and coming off an injury-plagued 2010 season when the team went 1-6, played a pretty dominant first half.

The Trojans converted a turnover into a touchdown when Austin Heberline punched it in from two yards out.

Patrick Crawford helped lead the next drive, including darting in on a 12-yard TD run to put Alexander up 12-0 at the half.

Alexander had 213 yards on the ground, most of it gained in the first-half of the game.

But the momentum seemed to shift in the second half, sparked, of course, by the DeBois run, but defensively the Lancers seems to come to life, making it much harder for Alexander to move the ball.

Zac Gillard helped put his team ahead with a 35-yard TD pass to Matt Ramsey with 10 minutes remaining in the game.

From there, it was just a matter of a fired-up Lancers' defense keeping the Trojans in check.

Rennolds said he saw a lot of positives in his team, especially during the first half of play.

"We played really well in the first half and I was really happy with our play, but we seemed to drop our coverage a bit in the second half," Rennolds said. "We came out a little flat and Elba came out definitely ready to play."

The Lancers move to 1-1 and Alexander is now 0-2 on the young season.

Stats:

Offensive Stats - Elba Byron Bergen
RB - Zack DuBois (So.): 24 Carries for 175 yards and 1 TD (94-yard run)
QB - Zac Gillard (Jr.): 6-10 for 79 yards and 1 TD (35 yards)
WR - Matt Ramsey (Sr.): 1 reception for 35 yards and 1 TD (35 yards)

Offensive Stats - Alexander
RB - Pat Crawford (Sr.): 3 Carries for 51 yards and 1 TD (12-yard run)
RB - Austin Heberline (Sr.): 5 Carries for 6 yards and 1 TD (2-yard run)
RB - Mark Farnsworth: 48 yards rushing
RB - Luke Phillips: 42 yards rushing
RB - David Schmeide: 22 yards
QB - Mark Farnsworth (Jr.): 3-11 for 22 yards
QB - Nelson Burke: 3 completions for 31 yards
Lineman Nick Mrucza was used on an offensive play and carried the ball for 38 yards.

Defensive Stats - Elba Byron-Bergen
Cody Naylor (Sr.): 10 tackles, 3 for a loss
Nate Jonathan (Jr.): 10 tackles, 2 for a loss

Defensive Stats - Alexander
Lucas Phillips (Sr.): Forced fumble
Austin Heberlein: 8 tackles and 4 assists
Nick Mrucza: 6 tackles
David Patrick: 5 tackles and 2 assists

Photos from this game can be purchased by clicking here.

If you can't view the slide show below, click here.

The National Weather Service has issued a severe thunderstorm warning for parts of Genesee County, including Batavia and Le Roy, from now until 1:30 p.m.

Winds could reach 60 mph with quarter-size hail and cloud-to-ground lightning.

A Dumpster fire has been reported at Darien Lake Theme Park in the area known as "the graveyard."

Darien Fire Department is responding.

Crowds are exiting the performing arts center from the Rockstar Energy Drink Uproar Festival.

Darien fire asked to respond to the back entrance. "It's the fastest way."

Dispatch has received multiple calls about a couch blocking a northbound lane on Route 19 in Bergen, north of Bovee Road.

UPDATE 3:30 p.m.: The couch has been removed from the roadway and the state Department of Transportation will be notified to pick it up.

A field car involved in a field car race has rolled over in an accident and there are injuries reported. The site is 2757 Route 20 in Alexander, behind Breton Construction, Inc.

Alexander Fire Department and Mercy medics are responding. An ambulance from Darien is called in as mutual aid to Alexander to stand by at the high school football game so Alexander can handle this call.

Mercy Flight out of Buffalo is on in-air standby.

UPDATE 3:09 p.m.: Mercy Flight is asked to land in the field adjacent to the accident.

UPDATE 3:21 p.m.: The patient is a 40-year-old man who suffered loss of consciousness and has upper back pain, upper thoracic tenderness and "crackling in the lungs."

UPDATE 3:38 p.m.: Mercy Flight is airborne and headed to Strong Memorial Hospital.

A multiple vehicle accident with multiple injuries is reported at 9049 Route 77. Corfu Fire Department and Mercy medics are en route.

UPDATE 2:15 p.m.: There are four vehicles involved. Darien Fire Department is also headed to the scene.

UPDATE 2:40 p.m.: Traffic is snarled near the accident scene. Traffic police are needed and they are seeking an available unit. A medic from Darien has transported one patient to UMMC.

UPDATE 2:59 p.m.: All Corfu units are back in service. A Sheriff's deputy is handling traffic detail.

UPDATE 3:13 p.m.: Darien units are about to clear the scene and when they do they plan to go to Alexander High School to stand by at the football game while Alexander Fire Department handles a race car accident.

A car accident with injuries is reported on Vine Street just off of Main Street in the City of Batavia. City fire department and Mercy medics are responding.

UPDATE 9:47 p.m.: A 47-year-old male is transported to UMMC with minor injuries.

Tyrone Gantt, of Rochester, came out to Batavia today to visit his granddaughters and thought he would bring his ice cream truck along.

He said he's never brought the truck with him before, but people kept telling him there was no ice cream truck in Batavia and it might be an opportunity for him.

After the response he received today he said, "I should come out here more often."

When he stopped on Maple Street around 6 p.m., people -- adults and children -- came running (some, really running) from all directions.

His granddaughters are Sharmaine Powell (pictured in the truck), Jykiya Powell and LaQueasha Taylor.

If it's ever been your dream to own an old town hall, here's your chance -- the Bethany Town Hall, which has most recently served as a museum and a theater, is up for sale.

Somebody has posted a sign on Route 20, Bethany Center, encouraging people to plant flags along the road as a 9/11 memorial. So far, at least 30 flags have been left.

A car is reportedly on fire in the parking lot of the Pembroke Service  Area, off the Thruway.

East Pembroke Fire responding.

UPDATE 6:44 p.m.: A responder at the scene says the car fire is fully involved.

The mini-boomlet of new businesses opening on Ellicott Street, Batavia, continues with The Laughing Buddha at 440 Ellicott St.

The Laughing Buddha offers tattoos, piercing and a gift shop.

Pictured are tattoo artists Eric "Crazy Goose" Weis, left, and James "Jimi" Soccio, along with Ashley Keene, who handles the front counter, owner Jay Lang (who also owns Batavia Cab Co.), and Eric Betz, piercer and store manager (Betz is formerly of Time Bomb Tattoo).

A wire is reportedly down in a pasture and on fire at 10032 Cook Road. Alexander Fire Department is en route.

As counties on the east end of the state continue to struggle with the aftermath of Tropical Storm Irene, emergency workers in Genesee County continue to pitch in and do what they can to help.

Currently, four of the Sheriff's Office emergency dispatchers are being deployed for a couple of days in Broome County.

The will provide a "much needed break," as one dispatcher put it, to the overextended crew in Broome.

Sheriff Gary Maha said interagency cooperation like this is common in New York.

He also praised the dispatchers making the trip.

"It shows they care," Maha said. "We try to help other counties whenever we can."

All expenses incurred by the Sheriff's Office for the deployment will be reimbursed by Broome County, Maha said.

Last week, volunteer firefighters from five departments traveled to Schoharie County. Besides helping with clean-up work, the volunteers also ended up working a structure fire about 30 miles from their base.

Another deployment of volunteer firefighters from Genesee County to the storm-ravaged region is being planned.