Ant swarm

Last night about 3:30 I was informed that the Back 40 (inches), my little piece of Brooklyn backyard, was swarming with ants.

Last week, I missed a twig-shaped caterpillar eating one of my plants around 4 a.m. I regretted not getting out of bed to see that.

So last night I did get out of bed, determined not to miss this mystery of the night. Holy Formicidae! It was aardvark heaven. “My” ants make their nests in between the concrete slabs. The colony closest to the door was out and about, being seen and making the scene. The drones, the males, were crawling around and whizzing through the air, crazily circling the light while it was on. Look for the big winged jobs above to see some drones. The workers were spread out all over the concrete. Perhaps there was a queen in the mix, too — that ant in the top middle looks really large — but frankly, I didn’t go outside. I wasn’t, ahem, dressed for the occasion, so I shot a couple of pictures through the window.

Half awake, I thought, this is why I have this blog, to show the astonishing variety of life right outside my urban door. To show the things biological that happen right under our noses. To marvel at it all.

And then I went back to bed.